Format: nLength: ..11Variable (LLVAR — 2-digit length prefix)
DE 32
Acquiring Institution Identification Code
What it is
The acquirer ID identifies which member institution acquired the transaction — it drives settlement position calculation and appears again in reversals and chargebacks so the original acquirer can be found. Together with DE 33 it traces the acquiring path when intermediate processors forward messages.
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.