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Payment Tokenization
How real card numbers (FPAN) are replaced by tokens (DPAN) for digital wallets, card-on-file, and IoT payments. Covers the full lifecycle, cryptogram generation, and the Visa VTS vs. Mastercard MDES service comparison.
Token Service Providers
Each major card network operates its own Token Service Provider. While they implement the same EMVCo Payment Tokenization Specification, each has distinct BIN ranges, form factor support, and API interfaces.
| Attribute | Visa VTS | Mastercard MDES | Amex AEIPS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Name | Visa Token Service | Mastercard Digital Enablement Service | Amex EMV Issuer Platform Service |
| Operator | Visa Inc. | Mastercard International | American Express |
| Token BIN Range | Visa-assigned BINs (typically 4xxx series) | Mastercard-assigned BINs (typically 5xxx or 2xxx) | Amex-assigned BINs (typically 37xx) |
| Form Factors | Mobile wallet, wearable, card-on-file, IoT, browser | Mobile wallet, wearable, card-on-file, IoT, browser | Mobile wallet, card-on-file, selected wearables |
| Provisioning Methods | Push (issuer) + Pull (consumer OTP) | Push (issuer) + Pull (consumer OTP) | Push (issuer) + Pull (OTP / CVC validation) |
| Cryptogram Type | TAVV (Token Auth Verification Value) | DSRP (Digital Secure Remote Payment) / ARQC | AEAV (Amex EMV Auth Value) |
| Production Environment | Visa Token Service (VTS) | MDES Production | AEIPS Production |
| Sandbox / Testing | Visa Developer Platform (developer.visa.com) | MDES Sandbox (developer.mastercard.com) | Amex Developer (developer.americanexpress.com) |
| Lifecycle API | Token Management Service REST API | MDES Token API (REST) | AEIPS Token Management API |