If you've ever wondered where to find a specific identifier on your account, what term to use when contacting Adyen support directly, or how Swipe Aras names map to the names used by Adyen or by card networks — this page is your reference.
Swipe Aras sits on top of the Adyen Balance Platform. That means every account, store, transaction, and dispute on our system has both a Swipe Aras identifier and an Adyen identifier. Some also have a third name used by card networks. This page lists them side by side so you can find the right one for whatever you're doing.
Quick answer most merchants need: When contacting Swipe Aras support, your PSP Reference (on any transaction) and your internal Account ID are usually enough. When contacting Adyen support directly, you'll typically need your PSP Reference plus one of: Account Holder Code, Balance Account ID, or Legal Entity ID depending on what you're asking about.
These identifiers attach to individual payments, refunds, and disputes. When you contact support about a specific transaction, you'll usually need at least one of these.
Identifier/Label | Adyen's key | Format | Where you'll find it | When you'll need it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PSP Reference |
| 16-character alphanumeric (e.g., | Transactions table and transaction detail view (has a copy button). Also appears in webhook event logs and ledger entries. | The primary identifier for every transaction. Required when contacting Swipe Aras or Adyen support about a specific payment, refund, capture, or chargeback. The most important identifier on this page. |
Original PSP Reference |
| 16-character alphanumeric (same as PSP Reference) | Dispute and refund detail pages | When a refund or dispute relates to a specific original payment — this is that original payment's PSP Reference. Used to trace a dispute or refund back to its source transaction. |
ARN (Acquirer Reference Number) |
| 23-digit number | Not currently displayed in the Swipe Aras dashboard. Contact your account manager or Swipe Aras support to retrieve. | The network-level transaction reference used by card networks (Visa, Mastercard) and issuing banks. Useful when a cardholder is asking their bank to trace a payment, or when filing certain types of network-level disputes. |
These identifiers refer to your overall Swipe Aras account and the corresponding entity on the Adyen Balance Platform. Use them when contacting support about account-level questions — verification status, payouts, settlement, or anything that isn't tied to a specific transaction or store.
Identifier | Adyen's name | Format | Where you'll find it | When you'll need it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Internal Account ID | — (this is a Swipe Aras identifier, not from Adyen) | Swipe Aras account reference (alphanumeric) | Top of every account profile page; in account URLs; on most exports | Use this when contacting Swipe Aras support about anything account-level. Our most common lookup key. |
Account Holder Code |
| Adyen-issued identifier (alphanumeric ~22 characters) | Merchant profile page, displayed in monospace text. (No copy button currently — you'll need to manually select and copy.) | When contacting Adyen support directly about your overall account status, KYC documents, or balance-platform-level questions. |
Legal Entity ID |
| Adyen-issued identifier (alphanumeric) | Not currently displayed in the Swipe Aras dashboard. Contact your account manager or Swipe Aras support to retrieve. | When contacting Adyen directly about legal entity verification, KYC documents, ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) questions, or anything tied to your business's legal registration. |
A note about "Merchant Account": If Adyen support asks you about your "merchant account," they're referring to a platform-level Adyen identifier that Swipe Aras manages on your behalf. You typically won't need to provide it — but if they specifically ask, contact Swipe Aras support and we'll retrieve it.
Each store on your account has both a Swipe Aras identifier and several Adyen identifiers — because stores are where payments actually get processed on the Adyen Balance Platform. Use these when contacting support about a specific store's payments, settlement, balance, or configuration.
Identifier | Adyen's name | Format | Where you'll find it | When you'll need it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Internal Store ID | — (this is a Swipe Aras identifier) | 11-character (S + 10 alphanumeric, e.g., | Top of every store profile page; in store URLs; on transaction records; on most exports | When contacting Swipe Aras support about a specific store. The fastest way to identify which store you're asking about. |
Adyen Store ID |
| Adyen-issued identifier (alphanumeric) | Not currently displayed in standard merchant views — contact your account manager or Swipe Aras support to retrieve. | When contacting Adyen directly about store-specific configuration (terminal setup, payment methods, store-level reporting). |
Business Line ID |
| Adyen-issued identifier (alphanumeric, typically prefixed with | Store details tab on the store profile page. (No copy button currently — manually select and copy.) | When contacting Adyen about anything tied to the store's business line: industry classification, business verification status, or capability changes. |
Balance Account ID |
| Adyen-issued identifier (alphanumeric, typically prefixed with | Store balance tab on the store profile page, in monospace text. (No copy button currently — manually select and copy. May appear truncated in some admin views; the balance tab shows the full ID.) | When contacting Adyen about settlement, payouts, balance transfers, sweeps, or anything related to where the store's funds actually sit on the Adyen platform. One of the most commonly requested identifiers for Adyen support. |
External Reference |
| Your custom reference string (set during onboarding or via API) | Not currently displayed in standard merchant views. Set this during onboarding if you want to map Swipe Aras stores to your own internal IDs. | When reconciling Swipe Aras data against your own internal systems. Optional — most merchants don't use this field. |
When a customer pays by card, certain card details are stored and displayed alongside the transaction. For PCI compliance, we never store or display the full card number — only the last 4 digits and the card brand. BINs (the first 6-8 digits) are stored in limited contexts for fraud prevention purposes.
Identifier | Adyen's name | Format | Where you'll find it | When you'll need it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Card Last 4 |
| 4-digit numeric (e.g., | Transaction detail view, usually displayed after a bullet or asterisk (e.g., •4242 or *4242); transactions table; saved payment methods. | When confirming with a customer which card they used. Pair with PSP Reference when contacting support about a specific transaction. |
Card Brand |
| Brand name (Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, etc.) | Transaction detail view, usually shown next to Card Last 4. | Mostly contextual — already paired with Card Last 4 throughout the UI. Useful when discussing transactions with the issuing bank, since different brands have different dispute rules. |
BIN (Bank Identification Number) |
| 6 to 8 digits — the first 6-8 digits of a card number, identifying the issuing bank. | BINs are not displayed on standard transaction views. They appear in two specialized contexts: dispute interception (RDR) rules where you can target specific BIN ranges, and Ethoca fraud alerts. | When configuring dispute interception rules to target specific card issuers. Most merchants do not need to interact with BINs directly. |
What about full card numbers (PANs)? Swipe Aras never stores or displays full card numbers. For PCI compliance, only the last 4 digits and the card brand are ever shown in the dashboard or exports. If you need to reference a specific card for a customer, use the Card Last 4 plus the transaction's PSP Reference.
Your Industry Code classifies the type of business you operate. Adyen uses it for verification, underwriting, and regulatory reporting. Swipe Aras stores one Industry Code per store on your account, so multi-store accounts can have different Industry Codes for different stores.
You may have seen this referred to as "MCC" (Merchant Category Code) elsewhere. Swipe Aras Industry Codes follow Adyen's NAICS-derived taxonomy — typically 2 to 6 digits, with roughly 18% including a letter suffix (for example, 722511, 4431A, or 5191A). These differ from the 4-digit ISO 18245 MCCs used by Visa, Mastercard, and other card networks. If another payment processor or a card network asks you for "your MCC" and expects a 4-digit code, contact your account manager for help translating between the two.
Open any store's profile page in the Swipe Aras dashboard. The Industry Code is displayed on the Store Details tab as a human-readable label — for example, "Eating Places - Restaurants" — rather than as the raw code. If you need the underlying code value (for instance, to share with Adyen support), contact your account manager.
Your Industry Code is used by Adyen during onboarding and verification (KYC). It is also available as an optional filter when configuring dispute interception (RDR) rules. It does not affect your fees, your decline rates, your risk treatment, transaction routing, or any reporting on the Swipe Aras platform.
If you are wondering why your fees are what they are, or why a specific transaction was declined, your Industry Code is not the cause. For those questions, check the Fees section or the specific transaction's refusal reason.
Use this section as a quick reference when you're on a call, drafting an email, or filing a dispute. Each scenario lists the identifiers that the other party typically asks for first.
For most questions, we only need one identifier:
Account-level questions (verification, payouts, fees): Internal Account ID
Transaction-level questions (specific payment, refund, or capture): PSP Reference
Store-level questions (configuration, balance for a specific store): Internal Store ID
Dispute questions: PSP Reference of the original payment that the dispute relates to
Adyen typically directs merchants on platform partners like Swipe Aras to work through their partner for most issues. If Adyen does ask you to contact them directly, here's what they'll usually need:
Payment or transaction questions: PSP Reference
Account-holder questions (verification status, KYC documents, balance platform issues): Account Holder Code
Balance, settlement, or payout questions: Balance Account ID
Industry classification or business line questions: Business Line ID
Legal entity, UBO, or compliance document questions: Legal Entity ID
If Adyen asks for an identifier that isn't visible in your Swipe Aras dashboard, contact Swipe Aras support and we will retrieve it for you.
When a cardholder's bank is investigating a transaction, they typically ask for some combination of:
PSP Reference
Card Last 4
ARN (Acquirer Reference Number), if available
Transaction date and amount
Card brand
The ARN is the most useful identifier for the bank's investigation because it is the network-level transaction reference. Swipe Aras does not currently display ARNs in the dashboard — contact us if a bank or customer asks for one and we will retrieve it.
Swipe Aras Industry Codes follow Adyen's NAICS-derived taxonomy and do not match the 4-digit MCCs documented by card networks (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex). If you need to look up an equivalent MCC code for card network purposes — for example, to understand interchange categories — contact your account manager and we can help translate.
