Can't use 16 digits??

[lezleelliott]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

I'm using Excel for placing orders for my company and I can't enter a 16-digit credit card number! No matter where I place the number on a spreadsheet it automatically turns it into a decimal formula looking thing??

ie: CC# 1234567891011123 (16 digits) when I hit enter this is what I see
1.23457E+15

And if I go in and change the format to "Number" it gives me this number 1234567891011120. The last digit and any digit after the 15th become 0's. It doesn't matter how many more numbers I enter, they all become 0's.

Anyone know how to fix this???

 

[Niek Otten]

Excel's precision is 15 decimal digits.
For identifiers with which you don't have to calculate, like credit card
numbers, use text.
2 Options:
- format the cell as Text before entering the number
- precede the entry with an apostrophe. It will not show in the cell

 

[CyberTaz]

Extending on Niek's reply:

If you actually type the CC# or even # first and/or put spaces/dashes to
segment the digits [anything additional to the digits] Text formatting will
automatically be applied & all digits will be accepted and display.

Consider creating a Custom Format/Style to include the CC# prefix plus
either spaces or hyphens to segment the digits in groups of 4. With that
format applied you need only enter the digits.