Does anyone else notice a pattern with their Amex card numbers?

[mikesonthemend]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

---

Real trade secret is that "2" and "5" are really the same thing.  Think, have you ever seen them together?  

---

now that you mention it...

[ChargedUp]

---

@mikesonthemend wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

---

Real trade secret is that "2" and "5" are really the same thing.  Think, have you ever seen them together?  

---

now that you mention it...

---

What do you mean? Citi's has MC's with 5424 18

Who issues MC's starting with 2? I've yet to see one of those but I have heard of it.

[wingennis]

---

@mkhan1093 wrote:

Hey all,

Maybe I'm just more of a "numberphile" and see a lot of meaning and pattern in numbers, but when I take a look at some of my Amex card numbers I can't help but see a lot of connections and I'm curious if other people have similar things going on with their cards. I'm not just talking about the Amex identifiers, i.e. all numbers start with a 3 and all are 15 digits long broken into 4|6|5 fragments

But for instance, the last 5 digits on 3 of my cards are anagrams/permutations of each other. There's also a certain degree of succession in the 3 Platinum, Gold and Green charge cards (which I applied for in that order), meaning the first 4 digits go something like "3233", "3234", "3235" and the last 5 go something like "24001", "35002", "46003" (these are not the actual numbers lol). My Delta Reserve personal and business also have eerily similar numbers. And there are more that I could go on about.

Just wondering if other people have noticed patterns like these too or if I'm just a little crazy

---

I did notice that.  I do have to inform you I have OCPD so it isn't a good sign for you🤪

[Anonymous]

---

@mikesonthemend wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

---

Real trade secret is that "2" and "5" are really the same thing.  Think, have you ever seen them together?  

---

now that you mention it...

---

You mean right next to each other, or just both being in the account number at all?

I do have a card starting with 52.

As for Amex, ther seems to be a pattern. Most all mine end with the same last numbers, which make it confusing with online payment systems that only list the last 4-3 didgits.

[Anonymous]

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

@mikesonthemend wrote:

---

@Anonymous wrote:

---

---

Real trade secret is that "2" and "5" are really the same thing.  Think, have you ever seen them together?  

---

now that you mention it...

---

You mean right next to each other, or just both being in the account number at all?

I do have a card starting with 52.

As for Amex, ther seems to be a pattern. Most all mine end with the same last numbers, which make it confusing with online payment systems that only list the last 4-3 didgits.

---

As was mentioned previously:

---

@Brian_Earl_Spilner wrote:
American Express - Digits three and four are type and currency, digits five through 11 are the account number, digits 12 through 14 are the card number within the account and digit 15 is a check digit.

So, it would seem if you have more than one Amex, assuming they're different accounts, digits 12-14 would always be the same (001 perhaps).  Are additional card numbers for AUs on the account?

The check digit (last digit) would likely be different on each, unless coincidentally all your Amex numbers calculate the same check digit.  (Check digits are a hash based on the other digits, used to detect errors in entering/reading the card number).

[wasCB14]

If the last 4 digits on Amex cause confusion, you can always ask them to treat it as a lost/stolen card.

Of course, with my 6 cards, some overlap occasionally happens.

[mkhan1093]

Thanks for all your input everyone! I definitely learned a lot about the Visa/MC/Amex numbering systems, and also glad to know I'm not the only one who sees these patterns (even if now the Illuminati are going to supposedly come after me!) in the numbers. I always thought they were more or less random, save for maybe one or two constraints on the first digits, so seeing patterns were peculiar

[Anonymous]

Quick, take the Red pill and everything will be back to normal!

Very Observant OP.

[UncleB]

@mkhan1093, here's some additional info on Amex account numbers as well as some math fun:

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/last-four-digits-american-express-card-numbers-birthday-problem/ 

[mkhan1093]

---

@UncleB wrote:

@mkhan1093, here's some additional info on Amex account numbers as well as some math fun:

https://www.doctorofcredit.com/last-four-digits-american-express-card-numbers-birthday-problem/ 

---

Oh wow this is amazing! I never thought about it, but there were a few cards I had with fradulent transactions and the new number I got went from -100x to -200x each time