Bank code
 | This article relies largely or entirely on a single source. (December 2008) |
A Bank Code is a code assigned by a central bank, a Bank Supervisory Body or a Bankers Association in a country assigned to all its licensed member banks. The rules vary to great extent between the countries. Also the name of such a code varies. In some countries the bank codes can be viewed over the internet, but mostly in the local language.
Those countries that have International Bank Account Numbers mostly integrated the bank code into the prefix of specifying IBAN account numbers.
The term Bank Code is sometimes (inappropriately) used by merchants referring to the Card Security Code printed on a credit card.
Europe
The UK uses a six digit sort code. See also list of Sort Codes of the United Kingdom for the prefix that identifies the banking company.
Germany uses eight-digit routing codes where the first four digits define the banking company and the latter four digits are assigned to the branch. The first digit in the banking company identification sets one of eight clearing regions while the last digit (the fourth digit in the whole number) signals a bank company classification.
Austria a five digits bank code that is name Bankleitzahl just as in Germany.
In Switzerland the bank code is named Bankenclearing-Nummer that contains three to five digits for the bank company. The first number signals a classification group of the bank. The assigned BC-number does not include the branch which is given with a following four digit number.
In France there is a five digit „Code Banque“ for the clearing id of the bank company followed by a five digit „Code Guichet“ for the branch. Both numbers are only used as a combined prefix for the nationwide full account number.
In Italy a similar clearing system is used with a five digit „Codice ABI“ for the banking company followed by a five digit „CAB“ (Codice di Avviamento Bancario) for the branch followed by the rest of the account number.
North America
The American Bankers Association has since 1910 used nine-digit routing transit numbers to identify banks in the United States of America, which are used in the automated processing of cheques. The bank company is identified in the fifth to eight digit (the four digits before the last checksum digit). The bank company number is assigned with a regional prefix set to metropolitan areas and federal states.
Canada uses an 8 digit code (with a hypen after the fifth digit) called a bank transit number. The first five digits identify the branch; the last three digits identify the financial institution.
Asia-Pacific
Australia has a six-digit prefix to a bank account number that indicates the bank and branch of the account. The prefix is known as the "Bank State Branch" or BSB code.
- The BSB format is XXX-XXX
- New Zealand bank accounts use a somewhat similar format, but with only 4 digits; the overall number of account digits (routing + account number) is nearly equal for Australia and NZ
See also
External links
- List of Belgian Bank Codes
- Lookup German sort codes
- Lookup Swedish sort codes
- Lookup Swedish clearing numbers
- Lookup UK sort codes
- UK sort code and account number validator
- Lookup Australian sort codes
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