In today’s times, online banking, telephone payment systems, debit cards, credit cards, among other schemes, make it less and less necessary to have to go to a bank agency and even less have to use or memorize a bank account number.
However, you may need your bank account number to perform operations such as transfers, direct payment of online invoices, registration requests on portals, electronic purchases, registrations and operations of electronic wallets such as PayPal.
Knowing what the account number we need for day-to-day management is not that complicated, as long as the transaction is within the same country. International transactions complicate management somewhat more.
Nationally and internationally there are standard bank codes such as the ABA code, the SWIFT or the IBAN. Let’s see a little of each of them.
The ABA, is the “Aba Routing Number” or “Routing Transit Number” is the standard code set by the American Bankers Association and the Automated Clearing House, to identify any financial institution before the Federal Reserve Banks, has nine (09) digits and is used to nominate any savings or investment instrument in the United States.
The SWIFT, also called the BIC code, is associated with the International Financial Communications Network, is an international banking code that allows you to uniquely recognize any bank worldwide and its different agencies. It is alphanumeric and comprises a series between eight and eleven digits.
The IBAN, is the International Bank Account Number, according to the BBVA of Spain, is an international code of rigor in the European Union, set by the European Banking Standards Committee that uniquely identifies any current account in the single area of payments in euros or SEPA.
The IBAN code only adds four digits, two of them alphabetic with the initials of the Country or other identification and two other control numbers. Domestic account numbers between ten and twenty-four digits that are handled within the countries of the Euro Zone are added.
In Spain a domestic account handles twenty digits, to which the IBAN digits are added for recognition in the Euro zone. An account in Switzerland has seventeen digits and one in Norway only eleven.
Find your bank account number
Many people do not know this memory number, but there are several ways to find your account number. This is different and unique for each client of a bank. If you need to locate your own account number, you can use any of the following suggestions.
The first thing you should try to locate your account number is to search one of your checks. Most of these have three sets of numbers at the bottom.
The first, a nine-digit number that begins with a line and a colon, is the bank route number (ABA). The shortest number, a four-digit number that is usually the latter, is the check number. Your checking account number, which is 12 digits starting with three zeros, is usually between the routing number and the check number.
In most cases, you will only be asked to provide the last nine digits and you can skip the leading zeros.
Another option is to check your statement or bank statement, if you don’t have a check at hand. Unless you choose not to receive it, most banks send a statement each month. Your account number is usually at the top of this balance and is easily identified.
Another alternative is to call or visit your bank agency to get your account number if it is easier for you to find a check or balance. When visiting the bank, you will need a photo ID to receive your account number information.
Some banks will allow you to access your account number information through their online system, for which, you must be previously registered. Logically you must have your username and password on hand.
When accessing the online system of your bank you must go to “your account information” where you can find among other data, your searched account number.