POS Entry Mode
What it is
Positions 1–2 describe PAN entry: 01 manual key entry, 02 magnetic stripe, 05 ICC (contact chip), 07 contactless EMV, 90 full magstripe read, 91 contactless magstripe. Position 3 describes PIN entry capability: 0 unspecified, 1 terminal can accept PINs, 2 terminal cannot.
Entry mode is a first-order input to interchange qualification, liability (a 90x fallback swipe on a chip card shifts liability), and fraud scoring. Mastercard uses DE 22 with its own subfield tables; Visa aligns closely with the ISO base.
Example values
051Contact chip read, PIN-capable terminal.071Contactless EMV tap, PIN-capable terminal.011Manually keyed, PIN-capable (typical MOTO/fallback).Specification reference
Defined in ISO 8583:1987 (base). Card networks publish their own dialect tables (Visa BASE I / V.I.P., Mastercard CIS) that refine formats, lengths, and — for private-use elements — the entire layout. Always confirm against the interface specification you implement.