EMV tag reference database
Searchable EMV tag reference. Books 3, 4, and Contactless. Filter by category to narrow down to the tags you need.
| Tag | Name | Category | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4F # | AID (Application Identifier) | identifier | Identifies the application present on the card. |
| 50 # | Application Label | identifier | Mnemonic for the cardholder. |
| 57 # | Track 2 Equivalent Data | card-data | Maps to mag stripe track 2 — PAN, expiry, service code. |
| 5A # | PAN | card-data | Primary Account Number, BCD-coded. |
| 5F20 # | Cardholder Name | card-data | |
| 5F24 # | Application Expiration Date | card-data | YYMMDD. |
| 5F25 # | Application Effective Date | card-data | |
| 5F28 # | Issuer Country Code | card-data | |
| 5F2A # | Transaction Currency Code | transaction | |
| 5F2D # | Language Preference | card-data | |
| 5F30 # | Service Code | card-data | |
| 5F34 # | Application PAN Sequence Number | card-data | |
| 6F # | FCI Template | template | Returned in SELECT response. |
| 70 # | AEF Data Template | template | |
| 77 # | Response Message Template Format 2 | template | GENERATE AC response. |
| 80 # | Response Message Template Format 1 | template | |
| 82 # | Application Interchange Profile (AIP) | capability | 2 bytes: SDA, DDA, cardholder verif, terminal risk, issuer auth, CDA support. |
| 84 # | DF Name | identifier | |
| 88 # | SFI | identifier | Short File Identifier. |
| 8C # | CDOL1 | dol | Card Risk Management DOL 1. |
| 8D # | CDOL2 | dol | |
| 8E # | CVM List | security | Cardholder Verification Method List. |
| 8F # | CA Public Key Index | crypto | |
| 90 # | Issuer Public Key Certificate | crypto | |
| 92 # | Issuer Public Key Remainder | crypto | |
| 94 # | AFL | identifier | Application File Locator. |
| 95 # | TVR | transaction | Terminal Verification Results. |
| 9A # | Transaction Date | transaction | YYMMDD. |
| 9C # | Transaction Type | transaction | 00=Goods, 01=Cash, 09=Cashback, 20=Refund. |
| 9F02 # | Amount, Authorised (Numeric) | transaction | |
| 9F03 # | Amount, Other (Numeric) | transaction | |
| 9F07 # | Application Usage Control | capability | |
| 9F08 # | Application Version Number — card | capability | |
| 9F09 # | Application Version Number — terminal | capability | |
| 9F10 # | Issuer Application Data (IAD) | card-data | |
| 9F1A # | Terminal Country Code | transaction | |
| 9F26 # | Application Cryptogram (ARQC/TC/AAC) | crypto | The headline 8-byte cryptogram from GENERATE AC. |
| 9F27 # | Cryptogram Information Data (CID) | crypto | 0x80 ARQC, 0x40 TC, 0x00 AAC. |
| 9F32 # | Issuer Public Key Exponent | crypto | |
| 9F33 # | Terminal Capabilities | capability | |
| 9F34 # | CVM Results | security | |
| 9F35 # | Terminal Type | capability | |
| 9F36 # | Application Transaction Counter (ATC) | transaction | |
| 9F37 # | Unpredictable Number | transaction | |
| 9F38 # | PDOL | dol | Processing Options Data Object List. |
| 9F40 # | Additional Terminal Capabilities | capability | |
| 9F42 # | Application Currency Code | transaction | |
| 9F44 # | Application Currency Exponent | transaction | |
| 9F46 # | ICC Public Key Certificate | crypto | |
| 9F47 # | ICC Public Key Exponent | crypto | |
| 9F48 # | ICC Public Key Remainder | crypto | |
| 9F4B # | Signed Dynamic Application Data | crypto | |
| 9F4E # | Merchant Name and Location | transaction | |
| 9F66 # | Terminal Transaction Qualifiers (TTQ) | capability | EMV Contactless qVSDC. |
| A5 # | FCI Proprietary Template | template | |
| BF0C # | FCI Issuer Discretionary Data | template |
What this reference covers
Spec
EMV Books 3 and 4; EMV Contactless C-2 / C-3.
Companion tool
Reading
Primary sources
EMVCo specifications (EMV Book 3 data elements) · ITU-T X.690
Usage notes
A tag's first byte tells you its shape: bit 6 (0x20) set means the object is constructed and its value is itself TLV; a low nibble of 0x1F in the first byte means the tag continues into further bytes (two-byte tags like 0x9F02). Parse length first, then read exactly that many value bytes before moving to the next tag.
- Templates such as
0x70(READ RECORD) and0x77(response message template) are constructed — decode their contents recursively. - Proprietary tags in the
0x9Fxxand0xDFxxspace are kernel- and issuer-specific; confirm meaning against the relevant EMV kernel specification. - Use the TLV parser to expand a full record and the EMV tag dictionary tool for quick lookups.
Frequently asked questions
What is an EMV tag?
A BER-TLV identifier for a data object defined in EMV Books 3 and 4 and the contactless specifications — 5A is the application PAN, 9F02 the authorised amount.
Why are many EMV tags two bytes?
Because the single-byte space ran out. A first byte with its low five bits set signals continuation, which is how the 9Fxx family exists.
What is a DOL?
A Data Object List such as PDOL or CDOL1 — the card lists tags and lengths, and the terminal returns the values concatenated in that exact order with no tags and no lengths.
What is the difference between contact and contactless tag sets?
Contactless adds its own tags and profiles on top of the Book 3 set, which is why a tag present in a contactless flow may be absent from a contact transaction.
Which tags must never be logged?
Anything carrying cardholder or cryptographic data — full PAN, track equivalents and key material. Logging findings are a common cause of certification failure.