How to Find Your Routing Number

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Contributor, Benzinga
January 15, 2020
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How to Find Your Routing Number 

You may be asked for your bank’s routing number in various situations. For instance, maybe you’re making an online payment or setting up payment information through a new employer. This 9-digit number identifies where you originally opened your bank account. Your routing number may also be referred to as a routing transit number, an ABA routing number or an RTN. Read on to learn more about how this seemingly random combination of figures plays a specific role for banks — and for you.

How to Find Your Routing Number on a Check

It’s relatively easy to find your routing number on one of your bank checks. It’s the 9-digit number in the lower-left corner of the check under the memo field where you note the purpose of the payment. 

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Source: Key Bank

How to Find Your Routing Number Online

It’s easy to find your routing number online. First, log into your bank’s website. From there, navigate to the specific account for which you need the number. The specific process will vary from here depending on your bank. Look for a tab that offers account information, information and services or something similar. From there, you’ll be able to access your routing number.

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Huntington Bank

Looking for a shortcut as you find your routing number? Try Googling the name of your bank, the city where you opened the account and the term “routing number.” While we can’t guarantee this will work for every bank, it can prove a quick alternative to logging into the website to find the number.

How to Find Your Routing Number on a Bank Statement

Some institutions such as Huntington Bank explain how their routing number works on a bank statement (the 3rd and 4th digits of a customer’s account number map to a routing number for Huntington Bank). Other banks do not include routing numbers on their statements. 

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 Huntington Bank

How to Find Routing Numbers for Different Banks

Banks also provide direct links to resources for routing numbers. We’ve listed the links connected to routing number information for some of the country’s biggest commercial banks.

  • Credit Karma
  • Ally Bank
  • Bank of America
  • Chase
  • Citibank
  • Charles Schwab
  • HSBC
  • PNC Bank
  • TD Bank
  • U.S. Bank
  • Wells Fargo

You can just put your bank information into the American Bankers Association website to find your routing number.

Routing Number Versus Account Number

Routing numbers and account numbers have some similarities:

  • They are assigned when you open your account.
  • They work in conjunction to help identify customers.
  • They’re both required when you set up payment information such as direct deposit from your employer.

However, there are many key ways in which they differ.

Routing numbers:

  • Are a 9-digit figure that proves a bank is legitimate in that it maintains a Federal Reserve account and is either state or federally chartered.
  • Are typically based on where you open your bank account.
  • Small banks usually have a single routing number, while larger institutions typically have several.
  • Differ whether you’re using them for check payments or wire transfers.
  • Are usually required when you’re paying bills, signing up for direct deposit, arranging for tax payments or reordering checks.

Account numbers:

  • Run between 8 and 12 digits.
  • Refer to your bank as well as your specific account.
  • Function much like a fingerprint — that is, they’re unique to each individual account holder.
  • Are required along with a routing number any time you make an electronic funds transfer.
  • Differ with each account, unlike routing numbers.

Your routing number and account number both form the identification that ties you to your bank account. A routing number is fairly easy to find but an account number is not. It should be safely guarded for your financial safety.

What is the Purpose of Routing Numbers?

Whether you’re arranging wire transfers, direct deposit or auto payments for bills, you need to be able to rely on your bank account.

Bank routing numbers are key to this purpose. They map transactions to your particular bank and ensure that money flows in the direction it’s meant to go. For example, when you make a wire transfer to a customer at HSBC, you want to be able to trust that the money will go to the right bank and the right customer. That’s why no pair of banks share the same routing number — they’re differentiated so transactions are accurate.

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