What is the bank identification code, and which number do they mean?

Working out which number is being asked for

1. If the form is American, it means the routing number. U.S. Bank's own definition covers it: "An ABA routing number is a nine-digit code assigned by the American Banker Association (ABA) that is used to identify financial institutions." Nine digits, printed on checks, and issued to the institution rather than to you.
2. If the payment is coming from abroad, it may mean the BIC. A bank outside the United States asking for a bank identification code means the SWIFT/BIC code, because BIC literally expands to bank identifier code in common usage. The two are not interchangeable and a payment sent with the wrong one is usually returned days later.
3. If it is a wire, ask which routing number. Banks often use one routing number for checks and ACH and another for incoming wires. PNC publishes the wire figure separately: "To set up an incoming wire transfer, you'll need to provide your account number and the following PNC Bank Routing Number: 043000096." Assuming the check number works for a wire is a common and expensive mistake.

Four names for the same nine digits

PNC lists the aliases in one sentence: "Routing numbers are nine digit numbers that can also be referred to as banking routing numbers, routing transit numbers, RTNs, and ABA numbers." Add bank identification code, which is what a large share of people actually type, and you have five labels for one field. None of them is a different number; a form asking for any of them wants the same nine digits, with the wire caveat above.

Where it sits, physically

U.S. Bank describes the layout without ambiguity: "The routing number is the nine-digit number printed in the bottom left corner of each check. It is followed by your account number in the bottom middle and then by the check number in the bottom right." That ordering matters because the three numbers are printed in the same machine-readable font and are easy to confuse; the routing number is always the leftmost and always exactly nine digits, which is the quickest way to tell them apart.

Why the same bank has several

Routing numbers were issued regionally and stayed attached to the bank and state where an account was opened, and mergers carried the old numbers forward rather than renumbering customers. A national bank may therefore hold dozens, and a search for a specific nine-digit code frequently returns a city the account holder has never lived in. That is normal and is not a sign of fraud; what matters is whether the number your bank shows you today matches the number on the form.

Questions people ask

Do UK banks have a bank identification code?

They have two things that answer to the description: a six-digit sort code for domestic payments and a SWIFT/BIC code for international ones. Neither is nine digits, so a UK bank cannot give you a US-style routing number.

Where do I find mine?

Bank of America states the route for its customers: "You can find your ABA routing number and your Bank of America account number in Online Banking or on the mobile app." Wells Fargo says the same: "Routing numbers and account numbers are available in Wells Fargo Online."

Is it safe to share?

Routing numbers are published by the banks themselves and appear on every check you write, so the number alone is not sensitive. The pairing with your account number is what enables a debit, which is why an unexpected request for both, in a hurry, deserves a phone call to a number you already had.

The same question in the other market

• Sort code checker across the index
• SWIFT code across the index
• Bank identification code across the index
• Account number across the index
• IBAN number UK across the index