How to Read the Bank Numbers Off a Check

Checking accounts can be confusing, and checks can be mysterious themselves. Designed to facilitate the transfer of funds electronically, the bank numbers on a check are called routing numbers and are part of the system all banks use to track money coming in and going out of each account. It's not too difficult to decipher the bank numbers off a check, and you will need to know this information when you're setting up an automatic payment or deposit.

Instructions

1. Examine the numbers on the bottom of the check, noting that there are three groups of numbers with each group separated by a space.

2. Look at the nine numbers in the first group, on the far left. The first four numbers designate the Federal Reserve Bank branch where the check was printed; the next four numbers of this group are your bank's routing numbers. The final digit in this group is used for security purposes. The entire group is generally referred to as the "routing number."

3. Move on to the middle group of numbers, which can be any length, as it designates your account number. This group can be large, depending on the total number of accounts your bank has.

4. Read the third group of numbers, on the far right. This is the number of the individual check. Note that the same number appears in the top right corner of the check you're reading.

References

• Bargaineering: Routing Numbers

Resources

• Georgia: Check Fraud