Why ATM PINs Have 4-digits Code - Here is why

This is a Guest post compiled by Macko Jacko for Entclass Blog

You walk into neighborhood ATM center and insert your card into the ATM machine, you then punch in a 4-digit PIN code to authenticate yourself and proceed to withdraw money or you walk into a supermarket select the items you want to buy, you go to counter and you are asked to pay with your card then you are presented with a POS machine and asked to input your four digit security pin. You must have been doing this over and over again but, have you ever wondered why having a 4 digit code and not six digit or eight? No! Then read on..

Firstly what is a pin?
A  PIN "personal identification number" ( PIN, pronounced "pin"; often called PIN number ) is a numeric password used to authenticate a user to a system.

Automated Teller Machines (ATM) were first introduced in 1967 and now have emerged as a best option to disburse cash. Instead of visiting your bank and waiting in a long queue to withdraw money, you just have to swipe your
ATM card, punch in your secret 4 digit PIN and take away the money you require.

But if someone has found or steals your card, the only barrier protecting your money is your 4-digit ATM PIN. Ever wondered why most PINs have only 4 digits?

Given that an ATM dishes out money, wouldn’t the manufacturers of ATMS have been wiser to introduce a longish PIN say six digit or eight digit one. Isn’t that why our email passwords are also expected to be 6 letters or more?

You see there is a bit of story behind it. ATM was invented by a well known Scottish inventor John Adrian Shepherd-Barron, the man who pioneered the development of the ATM machine. Barron was born in Shillong and was son to a
Wimbledon ladies doubles champion, Dorothy Barron.

When testing out his invention, Barron had also proposed a 6-digit PIN. However, the first person to use his invention was his wife, Caroline. We all know that behind every successful man is a woman, and Caroline apparently rejected the idea of using a six code PIN for her husband’s invention because she could only remember the numbers up to four.

When Barron came up with the idea when he realised that he could remember his six-figure army number. But he decided to check that with his wife, Caroline. “Over the kitchen table, she said she could only remember four figures, so because of her, four figures became the world
standard,” he laughs.

Reportedly, 6 numbers stringed together were too much information for her to recall. Although, there are many banks nowadays that offer 6 digit PINs for security purposes, shouldn’t those of us using 4 digit PINs be thanking Caroline?

It gets tough to recall those 4 digits at times, imagine what 6 or more would do to us?

ALSO READ

Tap to Comment

Join Our Telegram Channel

Warning ⚠

Entclass Blog and its contents are protected by COPYRIGHT LAW (DMCA) with high-priority response rate. Reproduction without permission or due credit link back will cause your article(s) to be removed from search engines and disappearance of Ads on that page if monetized with Adsense.

Share On:

Facebook Twitter Messenger WhatsApp Viber Telegram Email Pinterest

Copy the link below and Share with your Friends:

Copy Link

About Entclass Blog Entclassblog.com Is A Top Tech Blog That Provides Free And Cheap Browsing Cheats On Mtn, 9mobile, Glo And Airtel, Tweaking Guides And Tech News.