What is the full form of PIN?

PIN: Personal Identification Number

PIN stands for Personal Identification Number. It is a numerical code that is issued along with payment cards to the users. It is used during electronic financial transactions and is required to complete a transaction. Its purpose is to provide additional security to the electronic or online transactions.

Debit card is the most common example in which a person uses the PIN while withdrawing money from their bank account through ATM. The use of PIN is not limited to financial transactions. It is also used for various other purposes such as home security, in mobile phones, laptops, and other such equipment and machines.

A person can select its pin by changing the pin provided by the bank. The PIN should be hard to guess or difficult. It should not be related to personal information such as birthday, house number, vehicle number, etc.

How PIN works:

When a person uses a system that requires a PIN, the person enters the PIN that is verified by comparing it with the PIN stored in the system database. After verification is done, the user can access the system. So, a PIN does not identify a person personally.

Advantages of PIN:

• It ensures safe and secure financial transactions.
• If you lost your card, no one can use your card without having your PIN.
• It provides access to various online and offline payment options and systems.
• It is easy to remember, you don't need it to write anywhere.
• You can change it whenever you want by following the procedure mentioned by your bank.

Security Measures:

It is very important to keep your PIN secret as it authorizes you to access sensitive information. You can adopt the following methods to keep your PIN secret.

• Hide PIN Entry: Don't let anyone see your PIN while entering it at an ATM or shop. You can cover it with your free hand or hide it in some other way. There can be a hidden camera to record Your PIN. So, you can touch some other keys while entering your PIN to prevent such tactics.
• Don't reuse them: A person with multiple bank accounts may not be able to remember all PINs. So, he or she may be tempted to reuse the same PIN for all accounts. Using one PIN for all accounts is not as safe as using different PINs for different accounts.
• Don't write it anywhere: Don't write it on your debit card or at any other place where others can see it
• Create Secure PIN: Choose combinations that are hard to remember by others who happen to see it once. Besides this, change your PIN immediately if you think someone has seen your PIN.