Glossary B

Backup: Replicated copy of data made for archiving purposes or for protecting against damage or loss.

Balance: Your balance is the total money you owe the card issuer. This includes: purchases, fees, interest and transaction charges.

Bandwidth: The highest speed at which data can be transmitted between computers in a network.

Bank Identification Number BIN : The first six digits of the account number assigned by MasterCard International to identify members. The BIN is contained in DE 31 (Acquirer Reference Data) positions two through seven.

Bankcard: A payment card issued by a bank or other financial institution, such as a MasterCard and Visa.

Banner: An advertising element of a Web page that is usually an inch or less in height and spans the width of the Web page. The banner contains a link to the advertiser's own Web site.

Batch processing : A data processing operation and data communications transmission where associated transactions are processed together at one time (in a batch), as opposed to individually. This typically happens when a cardholder is set up to be billed on a regular basis.

Baud Rate: Rate at which a modem can transmit data. This is measured in bits per second (bps).

Better Business Bureau: A national organization that uses codes of ethics, news alerts, databases, and other programs to grade a business, and maintain a high level of trust between the business community and the public.

Bill aka Monthly statement: After each billing cycle (usually once per month) your card issuer will send you a bill. The bill will show the detail the activity on your account for that billing cycle. The reverse side of your bill usually describes some of the basic terms of your card agreement, including how the interest is calculated and where to call with questions.

Billing cycle: The time between your last bill and your current bill, generally between 28 to 31 days.

Bit: The smallest unit of information understood by a computer. A bit can take a value of 0 or 1. 1 byte equals 8 bits, which is large enough to contain a single character. Example: When represented in bits, the character 2 would be equivalent to "00000010."

Bookmark: A bookmark is the URL (website) for a particular Web page, and can be stored by the user. The user can select the bookmark in the future to automatically retrieve that Web page.

Brand Mark or Mark: The combination of names, symbols, and colors that visually conveys a brand’s identity and personality.

Browser (also Web browser): An application program that interprets HTML and presents the final Web page; used to surf the Web. Examples include Microsoft ® Internet Explorer and Netscape ® Navigator.

Byte: A grouping of eight binary digits (single bits) processed as a unit by a computer and used especially to represent an alphanumeric character. Also, a unit of computer information equivalent to the result of a choice between two alternatives (as "yes" or "no," "on" or "off").