Routing number vs account number: how to find each on a check

What is the difference between a routing number and an account number?

Think of the routing number as the bank's address and the account number as your mailbox inside it. The routing number is shared by many customers of the same bank or region. The account number belongs to you alone.

Federal Reserve Regulation CC defines the routing number as the number printed on the face of a check in fractional form or in nine digit form, which is why some checks show both.

How do you find the routing number on a check?

Look at the MICR line, the row of magnetic ink characters along the bottom edge. The routing number is the nine digit group framed by two identical transit symbols, special characters that look nothing like digits. On most personal checks it is the first group on the left.

On many business checks, a group of digits appears to the left of the routing number. That is usually the check serial number, printed in an auxiliary field that only fits on wider checks. Do not mistake it for the routing number; count to find the group that has exactly nine digits between transit symbols. Our guide to the parts of a check labels each field.

How do you find the account number on a check?

The account number comes right after the routing number, ending with an on us symbol, another special character that marks the end of the account field. Wells Fargo describes its account number as sitting to the right of the routing number and to the left of the check number. Account numbers vary in length by bank, and some include leading zeros that matter.

If you do not have checks yet, find both numbers in online banking, on a statement or by asking your bank. Never take them from a third party website or an old document from someone else.

How is a routing number structured?

The nine digits follow a fixed pattern. The first four are the Federal Reserve routing symbol, the next four identify the institution, and the ninth is a check digit that catches typing errors.

• Digits 1 to 4: the Federal Reserve routing symbol, which points to a district and office
• Digits 5 to 8: the bank's institution identifier
• Digit 9: the check digit

For banks, the first two digits run from 01 to 12, one for each Federal Reserve district. The Federal Reserve's routing number key lists the four digit prefixes by district and office, and notes that in districts 1 to 9 routing numbers for thrifts and credit unions start with a 2, while in districts 10 to 12 they start with a 3. A sample number shows the pattern: 123456780 splits into routing symbol 1234, institution 5678 and check digit 0. It passes the test below, but it is a textbook sample, not your bank.

How does the routing number check digit work?

The ninth digit makes the whole number pass a simple test. Multiply the digits, left to right, by the repeating weights 3, 7 and 1, and add the results. A valid routing number gives a total that divides evenly by 10.

Worked example with 021000021, the routing number Chase lists for incoming domestic wires: (0 x 3) + (2 x 7) + (1 x 1) + (0 x 3) + (0 x 7) + (0 x 1) + (0 x 3) + (2 x 7) + (1 x 1) = 30. Thirty divides by 10, so the number is well formed. The test catches most single digit typos, but a number that passes can still belong to the wrong bank, so always confirm with your bank.

Is the routing number on your checks the same one used for wires?

Not always. Some banks publish one routing number for checks and ACH payments and another for incoming wires. Chase, for example, tells customers to give senders 021000021 to receive a domestic wire, which may differ from the number on checks for an account opened in another state. Large banks can also use different routing numbers by region. Direct deposit forms ask for the same two numbers as your checks, so the routing number on your checks is usually the right one for payroll deposits; if in doubt, use the number your online banking shows for direct deposit.

The rule is simple: put the number your bank assigns for checks on your checks, and confirm the wire number separately when someone asks to wire you money.

Is it safe to share your routing and account numbers?

Your routing number is public; banks publish it. Your account number is not. Together with your name, they are enough for a criminal to attempt counterfeit checks or unauthorized debits. FinCEN reported more than 680,000 check fraud reports from financial institutions in 2022, and stolen checks are a common source of this data.

Share both numbers only when needed, such as for payroll deposit or a check order, and only through secure channels. When you order checks, use a printer that collects bank numbers in a protected form, never by email. Voqado, for example, encrypts routing and account numbers separately from the cart before a check item is added.

What should you verify before ordering checks?

A single transposed digit prints on every check in the box. Use this list, then keep the business check order checklist for future orders.

• Routing number has nine digits and passes the 3, 7, 1 check digit test
• Routing number matches the one your bank assigns for checks, not wires
• Account number matches your statement, including leading zeros
• Account title matches the name you will print
• Starting check number follows your last check

For every other field a printer needs, see the information needed to order checks. When everything matches, order checks with protected bank details and approve the proof digit by digit. The check printing guide covers the other decisions in an order.