I’m curious. Among the people I know, it’s split pretty evenly between those who remember it by its number and those who remember it by the pattern it makes on the keypad.
Magical third option, numbers that only mean something to me.
For future reference, numbers that are meaningful only to you, like birthdays or special dates or whatever, are still technically numbers.
I always choose given irrational numbers as my PINs. It’s easy for me to remember things like the square root of 10, or e, or and so forth.
Yeah, I’m weird.
I chose a word and applied the numbers as they’re situated in the alphabet. Example: “Bob” = PIN 2152*
*not my actual PIN
I’ve used the same PIN for my debit card for years. It’s the one that was assigned to me waaaaay back when I got my first debit card. Many years and a couple of banks later, I still use that same PIN.
Assign a letter to each number and then create a sentence where each word begins with the appropriate letter.
appleby’s gives alcohol (to) babies = 1712
Yes, but I remember it neither for the number, nor for its pattern on the keypad, I remember it only by its significance and the numbers which result from its actual meaning. 
Mine is a word–not actually a real word, but it has meaning to me. It says itself in my head as I type it out. Also it has a pattern. I’ve had it for nearly 20 years and could not tell you the number sequence.
You guys get to choose your PINs? I just had it handed to me, no questions asked. At least it stays the same but if there’s a long period when I’m not using it I tend to have difficulty in remembering it when I actually need it.
I guess by pattern, since my fingers remember the code even when my brain doesn’t.
Same for frequently-called phone numbers (when using an old-fashioned phone that doesn’t store numbers).
Do people only have one PIN for everything? I have a different PIN for each of my debit cards (2) and credit cards (4) and they’re all differently remembered.
Some are words (the magical third option), some are number combinations I remember, and others are by pattern of typing.
I figure if someone steals my wallet and figures out one PIN, then they’re less likely to figure out the others, so at least it’ll take them a while to clear me out.
Exactly. It needs to have some kind of significance to be memorable. Unlike these passwords that the user is “allowed” to choose, as long as it consists of a minimum of 10 characters, AND consists of at least one cap, one numeric digit, and two “special” character, none of which can be consecutive. Geez, what’s the point of “me” choosing, then? Oh, yeah, and the rationale that today’s computers can try multiple combinations of thousands within a few hours, except that every website shuts you down after getting it wrong only 3 or 5 times.
In NYC, it’s not unusual for apartment doors to have six separate deadbolt locks on them. One guy says that he only locks every other one. Therefore, no matter how many of them a burglar can pick, they’re always locking some while unlocking the others. Personally, if I have to worry about burglars who can pick 6 locks quickly, then it’s probably easier to just move to a safer area.
Same with someone who can steal my wallet and figure out my PIN to ANY of my cards, let alone more than one. You only get just so many shots before the machine eats your card. (I’m not paranoid; everyone really IS out to get me!"
Same for me (assigned to me by the bank), and when places like the phone or cable company need a PIN, I give them the same one. Also, has a pattern in it, so for the few companies that just have to have a 3 or 6 digit pin it’s very easy to adjust it and still remember it.
That would make sense…if you have deadbolts that both extend and retract the bolt by turning the key in the same direction.
By that same logic, it would make unlocking your own door a real bitch if you accidentally locked the wrong one.
My PIN I have memorized by number, but it’s only 4 digits. My library card was more difficult, since it’s 14 digits, and I wanted it memorized because I input it so often. I got to pick out my own card, so I chose one with patterns of digits. The pattern allowed me to memorize it kinesthetically on the number pad. I forget the numbers sometimes, but my fingers always know the pattern on the number pad. It is a hassle when I use my laptop, which doesn’t have a number pad.
In between? My PIN is a long defunct (like over 20 years) phone number of someone that is not me, but part of the reason I have remembered it is that it makes a pattern.
I used to make my own pin (the first produce number I learned when I was a grocery store cashier - 4799).
I now use the one the bank gave me because there was no need to make my own number. I will remember it no matter what.
I remember them by the numbers and by the pattern so if my brain defaults on one, I’ll still have the other to fall back on.
My boyfriend’s pin has significance. In his case, I remember the significance, the pattern, and the number.
The only problem I have is remembering whether I have my card or his, since we have the same bank and same color cards. The only time I get a pin wrong is when I mix up the cards.
I also still remember my mother’s pin, which she stopped using over 20 years ago. Again, I remember the significance, the pattern, and the number.
I’ve memorised mine, but it also has an interesting mathematical feature which means I could easily derive it again were I ever to forget it.