How To Find Your Bank Account Number

These two strings of numbers are the very foundation of your bank account and allow for money to be transferred into your account. An account number, on the other hand, is used jointly with the routing number to identify a customer’s digital account. If a customer is holding dual accounts in the same bank, the bank account number will be different, while the routing number will be similar. If you need to provide your account number online to pay bills or transfer funds, make sure the website is secure.

Your account number (usually digits) is specific to your personal account. It’s the second set of numbers printed on the bottom of your checks, just to the right of the bank routing number. Your routing number identifies the location where your account was opened. You’ll often be asked for your checking account routing number when you’re making a payment online or by phone.

Routing Numbers And Account Numbers

Unlike a bank account number, a bank routing number is public information and doesn’t need to be secured or protected. For that reason, it’s important to keep your bank account numbers secure. Otherwise, someone might be able to use your information to access your accounts fraudulently. A checking account is a highly liquid deposit account held at a financial institution that allows deposits and withdrawals. Here we go into the details and explain the purpose of your bank account number and sort code and where you can find them.

That makes it easier to replace a lost or stolen debit card without affecting the underlying checking account. The routing number is the string of nine numbers in the bottom left-hand corner of a paper check. The account number is the string of 5-17 digits in the bottom right-hand corner of a paper check.

Are Account Numbers Unique?

The most common type of account number is a checking account number, which identifies the owner and grants access, facilitating various forms of commercial transactions. It is issued to the payment processor and used to route transaction authorization requests to the appropriate owner. Don’t leave your checkbook or bank statements lying around your home or car. Instead, open and view the statements when they arrive, then store them and any other papers with your account information on them in a safe place, such as a filing cabinet. Don’t forget to shred, rather than simply recycle or toss out, old checks and bank statements to keep others from learning your account information.

Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that we’re putting your interests first. A SWIFT code is used instead of a routing number for international wire transfers. The first set of numbers on the lower left corner of a check is the routing number. Keep in mind the routing numbers are 9-digit codes and the character symbol surrounding the numbers is not part of the routing number on a check. Routing numbers, sometimes called transit numbers, are public and may vary based on the region where you opened your account. Although every debit card is linked to a particular checking account, the debit card number is different from the checking account number.

Compare Accounts

Some UK banks do have shorter account numbers, but here the number ‘0’ can be added in front to reach eight digits. Generally, a bank account number will only be relevant when used in conjunction with a sort code. Also, accounts with multi-factor authentication, which includes a second security layer to protect an account, are becoming the norm. For example, customers are required to provide biometric data, voice-activation, or a time-sensitive code sent to their email or mobile phone when accessing their accounts. Navigate to your bank’s website on a computer or open up their mobile app on your phone or tablet. If it’s not, search through the website or use the “Help” function to find it. If you have multiple accounts , each one will have its own account number.

The opinions expressed are the author’s alone and have not been provided, approved, or otherwise endorsed by our partners. Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in oureditorial policy. Anyone can locate a bank’s routing number, but your account number is unique to you, so it is important to guard it, just as you would your Social Security number or PIN code. Your account number is required for every conceivable banking transaction, whether within the bank where the account is held or between banking institutions.

What Is The Difference Between An Iban Number And An Aba Number?

All of our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts, who ensure everything we publish is objective, accurate and trustworthy. The offers that appear on this site are from companies that compensate us. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site, including, for example, the order in which they may appear within the listing categories. But this compensation does not influence the information we publish, or the reviews that you see on this site. We do not include the universe of companies or financial offers that may be available to you. The check number is usually the last set of numbers on your personal check, but it could be switched in placement with the account number.

• For example, Bank of America Visa cards have several possible IINs.
• The second set of numbers following the character symbol immediately after your routing number is your account number.
• Find the 2nd series of numbers on the bottom of a check if you have one.
• Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate.
• The first group of numbers, from left, indicates the 9-digit routing number, the middle is the account number, while the third group is the check number.

Therefore, this compensation may impact how, where and in what order products appear within listing categories. While we strive to provide a wide range offers, Bankrate does not include information about every financial or credit product or service. Bankrate follows a strict editorial policy, so you can trust that our content is honest and accurate. Our award-winning editors and reporters create honest and accurate content to help you make the right financial decisions. The content created by our editorial staff is objective, factual, and not influenced by our advertisers.

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Since the 1960s, the ABA number has played an instrumental part in significantly speeding up check processing. On personal checks, it is usually the nine-digit number in the bottom left-hand corner. A bank statement is a financial document that provides a summary of the account holder’s activity, generally prepared at the end of each month. The arrangement system dates back to 1910 when it was developed to ease the sorting of checks before assigning them to the correct owners. The account number is used in the same function to make payments to the correct party. However, the check number can sometimes be switched with the account number. In the case of a paper check, the account number is normally indicated at the bottom between the routing number and check number.

If there are more or fewer than nine digits, odds are you’re looking at your checking account number (labeled “2” above). A bank routing number is a nine-digit number that identifies which financial institution is responsible for the payment of a financial instrument. The American Bankers Association developed the ABA routing number system in 1910 as a way to tell one bank from another.

You can also find your ABA number on deposit slips, typically in the same location. You can generally call the bank, or some mobile apps allow the user to see the account number from a certain tab. If you have a paper bank statement, your account number should be prominently listed on the top of it. You’ll see the phrase “account number,” followed by a series of numbers. It’s the second set of numbers, between your nine-digit routing number and your check number.

In the United States, each bank assigns account numbers using its own methodology, kept private for security reasons. Most bank account numbers have between 8 and 12 digits, though they can range from 5 to 17. To protect account numbers from fraud, financial institutions may also use multi-factor identification, two-step verification, and other security measures. So, for example, if you open a checking account and a savings account at the same bank, you’d have two different account numbers but just one routing number. If you have checking accounts at two different banks, each would have a unique account number and a unique routing number. An account number is a set of digits used to identify a specific bank account, such as a checking account or money market account. Even if you know the correct number for ordering checks, you might need to use a different number for wire transfers or electronic bill payments.

Editorial Integrity

You can typically find your sort code on bank statements and in your online or app banking. Many banks also print the sort code on the front or back of the bank card together with the account number. At Starling, we don’t display the sort code on our debit cards, because all of our customers share the same sort code, which is publicly available. Starling customers can easily find their sort code in the Starling app and on the online banking platform. If you have a checkbook, you can find your bank account number listed as the second series of numbers, usually digits, on the bottom of the check. If you can access your bank statements online or have paper copies, look for your account number printed at the top of each statement.

No matter why you need it, finding your bank account number is easy to do. There are several ways you can locate the number, so you can access it whether you’re at home or on the go. Don’t forget to take measures to keep your account number safe, such as properly storing and shredding documents that contain it. After he or she asks you a few security questions to verify your identity, the representative will give your account number over the phone. Specific costs or fees for a banking product or service received from Axos Bank may apply and will be provided in a separate disclosure to you. Digital account opening has made it faster and easier for consumers to acquire new accounts. At one time, account numbers were the state of the art in securing and authenticating financial accounts.

Method 2 Of 2:keeping Your Account Number Safe

While a routing number is specific to your bank or credit union, an account number is specific to you. Account numbers vary in length but typically only go up to 12 digits. She oversees editorial coverage of savings and mobile banking articles as well as personal finance courses. The clearinghouse is the designated financial intermediary that validates and finalizes transactions between a buyer and a seller. Every bank-related financial transaction requires a routing number and an account number. The account number (usually digits) refers to the client’s account. Knowing your bank routing number and account numbers is important if you ever need them for specific financial transactions.

That’s because many people hold credit cards from financial institutions outside of their banks. Bank accounts—including checking accounts, savings accounts and money market accounts—can offer convenient and secure ways to manage your money. While you may swipe your debit card or write checks without thinking twice, it’s helpful to know how banks keep track of your accounts. Routing numbers are most commonly required when reordering checks, for payment of consumer bills, to establish a direct deposit , or for tax payments.