Your account number is found at the bottom of a check. It’s the second set of numbers, between the nine-digit routing number and the check number.
What is the account number on a check?
The account number listed on a check for your checking account is used to identify the unique bank account that the money is coming from.
Without the right account number, paychecks can get delayed or fees may be charged for missing bills due to checks not going through.
Each account has its own account number. So if you have multiple checking accounts (such as a personal and business accounts) they all have unique account numbers. Though a routing number is specific to your bank or credit union, an account number is specific to each account. Account numbers vary in length but typically only go up to 12 digits.
Other ways to find your account number
Find your account number on a paper statement
Your account number should be listed on the top if you have a paper bank statement or an electronic (PDF) version of it. Look for “account number,” followed by a series of numbers.
Find your account number through online banking
Sign into your bank account through the bank’s online portal. The account number may be displayed in the account information or account summary sections, but some banks and credit unions may cloak part of it. If so, there’s likely a prompt that says “show” or “reveal” to display all the digits. Savings accounts don’t usually have checks, but they, too, have an account number.
Call your bank and ask for your account number
A customer service representative at your bank can provide you with your account number. The representative will likely ask a few security questions to verify your identity before providing the information.
What is the routing number on a check?
Though the bank account number indicates the unique account you use to fund the check, the routing number identifies the bank itself. Routing numbers are required for many types of financial transactions, including check processing and wire transfers.
Like the account number, the routing number can be found at the bottom of a check. It is the first set of numbers, nine digits long, on the left.
A money market account might also offer checks and your account number will be in the same place.
When do you need your account and routing numbers?
You’ll need your account and routing numbers for various banking transactions such as:
- setting up direct deposits
- ordering checks
- performing electronic transfers
- paying bills
- paying taxes
These numbers identify your bank and your individual account, respectively. Always verify these numbers before use to avoid errors in transactions.
Bottom line
At its core, your account number is a unique identifier for your bank account. It’s important because it tells the bank or credit union exactly which account to take money from and which one it belongs in. The account number is needed to enroll in direct deposit and setting up electronic payment services, such as online bill pay.
–Bankrate’s Matthew Goldberg contributed to updating this article. Anna Baluch contributed to a previous version of this article.
FAQs
Your account number is found at the bottom of a check. It's the second set of numbers, between the nine-digit routing number and the check number.
How many digits is an account number? ›
How many digits is a bank account number? Bank account numbers typically consist of eight to 12 digits, but some account numbers could even contain up to 17 digits.
How do I find my account number? ›
How Do You Find Out Your Account Number? You can find your bank account number on your bank statements, printed at the bottom of a paper check, or by logging on to the bank's website. If you can't find it in these ways, try visiting a bank branch in person.
What is the routing number and account number? ›
While the routing number identifies the financial institution's name, the account number—usually between eight and 12 digits—identifies your account. If you hold two accounts at the same bank, the routing numbers will, in most cases, be the same, but your account numbers will be different.
What is an example of a bank account number? ›
Be sure to include the 01 when referring to the Checking account, avoiding spaces or hyphens, so the account number is a total of ten digits. In this example, the Checking account number is 0112345678 — with 01 indicating Checking, 1234567 indicating the base account number, and 8 indicating the Checking suffix.
Which part of my check is the account number? ›
What are the numbers on a check? At the bottom of a check, you will see three groups of numbers. The first group is your routing number, the second is your account number and the third is your check number.
Do the zeros in front of an account number matter? ›
Any zeroes appearing to the left of the first non-zero digit (of any integer or decimal) do not affect its value, and can be omitted (or replaced with blanks) with no loss of information.
Which number is my account number? ›
Your account number is a unique eight-digit code that identifies your personal bank account. You can find it in lots of places, including on your debit card and in the mobile banking app, your bank statements and on printed cheques.
Where can I find my 7 digit account number? ›
Check the number at the bottom of your cheque
This number contains your account's information. The transit number is 5 digits. The institution number is 3 digits. The account number is 7 digits.
How can I get my bank account number? ›
A chequebook contains all crucial details like your name, mobile number, address, bank account number, etc. Also, you can find your current or savings bank account number digits on every cheque leaf.
You can find your account number as the “middle” set of numbers on your paper check, between the routing number and check number. Or, you can also log into your online banking portal.
How long is an account number on a check? ›
Where is the account number on a check? You can find your account number at the bottom of your checks, the second set of numbers from the left that is between 9 and 12 digits. This number lets the bank know which checking account to take the funds from.
How to read a bank account number? ›
How to read an account number
- The first two digits tell you the bank – Kiwibank is 38.
- The next four digits tell you the branch – for Kiwibank this ranges anywhere between 9000-9499.
- The next seven digits tell you the account number.
- The last two digits tell you the account suffix – this will be different for each account.
Look at a check. Your account number (usually 10 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.
How many digits are in an account number? ›
For segregation, banks use different codes at the beginning of the account number. In India, public sector banks have their pattern and usually follow an 11 digit pattern. However, private sector banks use either a 12 digit account or a 14 digit account number.
How does an account number look like in the USA? ›
Locating Your Account Number
The first series of numbers printed on the left-hand side of the bottom of a check is the bank's 9-digit routing number. The second series of numbers, usually 10-12 digits, is your account number. The third and shortest series of numbers printed at the bottom is the check number.
Is your account number 9 or 10 digits? ›
Routing vs Account Number
A routing number is nine digits that identify the financial institution that holds your account, while an account number is the unique 9 to 12 digit number that identifies your specific account within that financial institution.
Is account number 8 or 10 digits? ›
Your account number is a unique eight-digit code that identifies your personal bank account. You can find it in lots of places, including on your debit card and in the mobile banking app, your bank statements and on printed cheques. Find out more about account numbers below.
Are all account numbers 7 digits? ›
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.
Is bank account number 12 digits? ›
Usually, a Bank account in India consists of 11-16 digits. Public sector banks such as SBI, follow 11 digits pattern for their account number, starting from 2. It has 17 digits, in the case of the online SBI portal which starts with six zeros, making it the longest in banking history.
