United States bank code guide

Domestic payments

Ask whether the payment is an ACH transfer or a wire, then obtain the routing number for that payment type from the receiving bank.

International payments

The bank may require a SWIFT/BIC, a wire-routing number, account details and intermediary instructions. Use its instructions for the specific currency and route.

Important distinctions

• Keep all nine routing-number digits, including leading zeros.
• An ABA checksum can detect some typing errors; it does not confirm that a routing number is active.
• ACH and wire instructions can differ. Our inherited US routing snapshot is historical, not a live eligibility directory.

How to find and confirm the identifier

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

Directory coverage

Historical reference from Braintree’s MIT-licensed routing-number test dataset. It contains bank names and routing numbers, not current ACH/wire eligibility, branch addresses or live payment status. A matching checksum does not prove an account or routing number is currently active. Confirm with the bank.

Saved source date: 2020-04-06. Authority / source reference ↗

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