88
Short File Identifier (SFI)Short File Identifier is the compact, 5-bit-significant reference a card uses to name one of its elementary files for READ RECORD purposes - the actual value the Application File Locator (94, referenced alongside it, already covered in this dictionary) packs into its own entries so the terminal knows which file each AFL range refers to. Tag 88 rarely appears standalone in a transaction; its real home is inside the FCI Proprietary Template (A5) during directory-style access and, more fundamentally, as the value component of every AFL entry - understanding 94 in any depth requires understanding that SFIs are what its entries actually name. Because SFI values are small integers with no semantic content beyond which file, the correctness question here is entirely about the terminal correctly cross-referencing the SFI in each AFL entry against the corresponding READ RECORD command - a bug here reads the wrong file entirely, which produces data that's internally well-formed but simply belongs to the wrong logical record. See EMV 4.4 Book 3.
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Binary (1): 01
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Related tags
Properties
| Tag | 88 |
|---|---|
| Name | Short File Identifier (SFI) |
| Format | Binary |
| Length | 1 bytes |
| Source | Card (ICC) |
| Templates | A5 |
| Books | EMV 4.4 Book 3 |
Frequently asked questions
- What is EMV tag 88?
- Short File Identifier is the compact, 5-bit-significant reference a card uses to name one of its elementary files for READ RECORD purposes - the actual value the Application File Locator (94, referenced alongside it, already covered in this dictionary) packs into its own entries so the terminal knows which file each AFL range refers to. Tag 88 rarely appears standalone in a transaction; its real home is inside the FCI Proprietary Template (A5) during directory-style access and, more fundamentally, as the value component of every AFL entry - understanding 94 in any depth requires understanding that SFIs are what its entries actually name. Because SFI values are small integers with no semantic content beyond which file, the correctness question here is entirely about the terminal correctly cross-referencing the SFI in each AFL entry against the corresponding READ RECORD command - a bug here reads the wrong file entirely, which produces data that's internally well-formed but simply belongs to the wrong logical record. See EMV 4.4 Book 3.
- What format and length does EMV tag 88 use?
- Tag 88 uses the Binary format and is normally 1 bytes long.
- Is tag 88 provided by the card or the terminal?
- Tag 88 (Short File Identifier (SFI)) is provided by the Card (ICC).
Sources
- EMV_v4.4_Book_3_Application_Specification, p. 155
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