Bank Routing Number on Check

Order Routing Number on Check

If you are new to the world of checking accounts, it is possible that this is your first time encountering the term “bank routing number on check.” You might be wondering as to what this “routing number” is, its uses, and its importance. The bank routing number on check plays a very important role in your financial transactions when you make use of your checking account, so make sure that you take the time to learn more about these set of numbers. In this article, you will learn all about this bank routing number, where to find it, its uses, what the 9 digits it’s comprised of signify, and its importance.

What is the Bank Routing Number on Check?

Before it was known as the bank routing number, it was initially referred to as ABA numbers. The American Bankers Association established these set of numbers in the banking industry in the year 1910. Each of the banks and financial institutions were assigned with different and unique ABA numbers. Today, these ABA numbers are now more commonly referred to as the Routing Transit Numbers, or RTN for short. Most people who do not work in the financial industry refer to these numbers as the routing or the bank routing number on check.

The Main Uses of the Bank Routing Number on Check

As mentioned above, the bank routing number on check plays a major role in your financial transactions. Your bank routing transit number is used to identify not only the particular bank where you are a checking account holder, but also the specific branch where you have opened your account. Financial institutions can obtain this information by entering the routing number found on your check in online databases. The routing number can also be identified by these institutions as long as they have the knowledge of where the specific checking account was opened at.

The bank routing number on check is located at the lower part of the check itself. It is also found on the bottom area of deposit slips. This set of numbers are comprised of 9 digits, printed using magnetic ink, and are printed on either the center or the lower left side of the check. The bank routing transit number is generally followed by another set of numbers, which is your checking account number. Each of the 9 digits that the routing number is comprised of has its own unique importance. In some cases, financial institutions make use of separate routing transit numbers for ACH and wire transfers.

What the 9 Digits in the Bank Routing Number on Check Represent

You might now be wondering about what each of the 9 digits in the bank routing number on check represent. These 9 digits comprising your bank routing transit number are further divided into 5 categories. The following are what the set of numbers in the routing transit number that you can find in your bank checks signify:

• The First Four Digits – The first four numbers in the bank routing transit number were assigned by the Federal Reserve Routing System initially as a representation of the physical location of the bank where the checking account was opened at. However, because of bank mergers and acquisitions, these numbers now generally do not have any correlation to the physical and geographical location of the bank itself.

• The Fifth and the Sixth Digits – The fifth and sixth numbers that comprise the bank routing number on check represent which of the Federal Reserve bank the financial institution’s wire and electronic transfers will route and proceed through.

• The Seventh Digit – The seventh number on the bank routing transit number signifies which of the Federal Reserve check processing centers was assigned originally to the bank where the checking account was opened at.

• The Eighth Digit – The eight number on the bank routing number on check represents the Federal Reserve district where the bank is a member of.

• The Ninth Digit – The ninth number on the bank routing transit number provides a check sum. This check sum is actually a complex mathematical expression that makes use of the first eight digits of the bank routing number. If the sum is not equal to that of the check sum number, the financial transaction will be flagged and it will then be rerouted for a manual processing to be performed.

Importance of Knowing the Exact Bank Routing Number on Your Check

As you can already see, the bank routing number on check plays several different unique roles, seeing that each of the numbers it is comprised of are used for different purposes. This is why it is crucial for you to realize the importance of this set of numbers that you will encounter a lot of times as long as you are a checking account holder and as long as you are active in using your account in your financial transactions.

One of the importance of knowing the exact bank routing number on check is related to ordering and reordering a new set of checks. Whether you request the financial institution where you are an account holder with or a private online check printer for a new set of bank checks, you will be required to provide this information. The information that you will provide them will then be used to link your new set of bank checks with your checking account. So make sure to provide the correct details in order to avoid problems with your financial transactions in the future.