Everyday financial tools

India bank code guide

When to use 11-character IFSC, what to request from the bank, and how to interpret directory results.

Domestic payments

For NEFT, RTGS or IMPS, use the beneficiary account details and IFSC provided by the receiving bank.

Obtain the bank’s inward-remittance instructions, which may include SWIFT/BIC, IFSC and intermediary-bank details.

An IFSC contains four bank letters, a zero in position five, and six branch characters.
Do not substitute a MICR code for an IFSC. They serve different purposes.
A merger or branch change may affect the code. Confirm the current IFSC using the bank or RBI reference.

Ask the recipient to obtain payment instructions from their bank’s official app, statement or website.
Match the country, identifier type and institution. Keep leading zeros and do not substitute a different code type.
For a changed bank or branch, verify the replacement instructions directly with the bank. A similar name is not enough.

Use the linked authority and the receiving bank for current records.

Saved source date: See authority publication. Authority / source reference ↗