personal identification number (PIN)

A personal identification number, PIN, is a multi- digit personal identification number used to authenticate the owner.

In online banking, the personal identification number is used for authorization and thus access to the account or another financial service. For online banking, the personal identification number is sufficient, whereas ATM banking is possible only in combination with a smart card. With the personal identification number, the account holder can query account movements and, in conjunction with a transaction number( TAN), carry out transactions using the PIN/TAN procedure or perform other financial transactions.

The PIN usually consists of only four or five digits. This means that the personal identification number could be determined with 10,000 or 100,000 attempts.