What Is A Routing Number? (& Where To Find It!)
Have you tried to make an online payment and been asked to type in a routing number? Every bank and credit union has one. A routing number is a specific string of numbers to identify a financial institution. This is a useful number for merchants to know where your money is coming from.
Originally, routing numbers were invented to identify check processing endpoints and process checks faster. This change was brought on in 1910 by the American Bankers Association. Today, the routing number has evolved to be used for automatic clearinghouse (ACH), electronic funds transfers, and online payments.
Where To Find It
By Check
Since the origin of routing numbers revolved around checks, it is pretty simple to find a routing number on them. At the bottom of your check, you will see a series of numbers.
- The left-most number is the routing number. It is a 9-digit number printed with an odd-looking font in magnetic ink character recognition (MICR). This special ink allows financial institutions, like credit unions, to validate and process checks more easily. If you have multiple accounts at the same institution, they will all have the same routing number.
- The next number is usually the account number or MICR. This is another unique number that tells financial institutions which account you want the funds withdrawn from.
- The last number printed at the bottom is the check number. This number tells you how many checks you have written and allows you to record and track the expense. Note: Many institutions start check numbers at a number other than 1. Your check number may be 1042 but that doesn’t mean you have actually written that many checks.
Note: Business checks are formatted differently.
By Online Account Access
Most financial institutions these days, banks and credit unions, have an online portal that allows you to see an overview of your accounts with other features such as online bill payments, electronic funds transfers, and more. Usually, for your convenience, the routing number is located somewhere on the portal as well.
By Contacting Your Financial Institution
If you are struggling to find the routing number through your online account access and don’t have checks, you can always contact your financial institution by visiting a branch or calling their customer support line. Some institutions will also list this on their public website, in the footer or contact/about pages.
By Using ABA Routing Number Lookup
Through the American Bankers Association, you can use this lookup tool to find a financial institution’s routing number. Note: You can only look up routing numbers with this tool twice a day or ten times a month. Plus, you have to agree to the ABA’s terms of service before using the tool.
Knowing more about the ins and outs of your financial institution, like knowing where to find their routing number, will make future transactions easier to process in the future.