If you want to find your routing number, the easiest way is to find one of your personal checks. There are a lot of numbers on a check.
Let me steal this image of a check from our post on how to fill out a personal check: See where it’s highlighted pink and green? Those weird symbols (one long thing and what looks like a semicolon) at the bottom?
That’s printed with magnetic ink and is part of MICR, or Magnetic Ink Character Recognition. The symbols tell a system to start reading. The first pink 9-digit number is the ABA routing number. The next one, in green, will be your account number followed by the check number. Sometimes the account number and routing number are reversed, but it’s in usually that order (if they are reversed, your account number won’t be 9-digits).
That’s the quickest way to find it. The next easiest is to go to your bank’s website look on the FAQ. You will need to know the state in which you opened your account, since many banks have many ABA numbers. The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card will give you 50,000 Chase Ultimate Reward points after you spend just $4,000 on purchases in the first three months.
That’s worth $625 in travel or $500 in gift cards. You also earn 2x points on travel and dining, 1x on everything else. No annual fee for the first year, then it’s just $95. Compare this card with others and see how you can get your next trip free! Take a look at the laundry list of ABA numbers for Chase , one of the largest banks in the world:. 075000019. There’s a reason why they have so many (and we’ll get to that in a minute if you care) but the important part is that you need to find the ABA routing number for the state in which you opened the account.
If you opened it in Florida, it’ll be 267084131. If you then moved to California, your ABA routing number will not change. Worst case scenario… you can always call and ask. Each bank and credit union is issued a 9-digit routing number, also known as an American Bankers Association (ABA) number or a routing transit number (RTN). This 9-digit ABA routing number makes it easy for the check processing system to identify the bank. They were created in the early 1900s when physical checks had to be sent back to the drawer’s (the person writing the check) bank.
Nowadays, after Check 21, everything is digital but the numbers remain. The ABA routing numbers are still used to identify banks for other transfers, like Automated Clearing House (ACH) deposits and bill payments. The American Banker’s Association partners with Accuity to manage the Official Routing Number Registrar. They assign the routing numbers and manage the whole system – publishing a semi-annual American Bankers Association Key to Routing Numbers.
This key lists all the assigned routing numbers. Why Do Banks Have So Many Routing Numbers? Some banks, especially the larger ones, seem to have more than one routing number. This happens when banks acquire or merge with other banks. Many of the larger banks have gotten that way through acquisitions, which explains why they have so many ABA routing numbers. Technically, each bank is permitted up to five ABA RTNs. Some have more than five because with mergers you may have different entities holding different numbers. This happens a lot across state lines.
What is the Bank Routing Number format? Of course, there’s a format! (I don’t know why but I love knowing this weird trivia stuff). The 9-digits are organized as follows – XXXXYYYC:. YYYY – ABA Institution Identifier. C – Check Digit (used as a checksum on the whole number).
Did you ever notice a small fraction and numbers located on your personal checks? That’s the ABA routing number too in another format, just in case the check gets damaged. That’s in this format – PP-YYYY/XXXX – except the PP isn’t used anymore.
It used to refer to the bank’s check processing location by city. 80 – Traveler’s Checks. For “thrift institutions,” like credit unions, assigned a number before 1985, add 20. So Boston is 21. They no longer do this, thrift institutions get the same numbers as commercial banks. For special purpose numbers used by non-bank payment processors, add 60. The third digit is the Federal Reserve processing center for the bank.
The fourth digit is based on the state the Federal Reserve district is in. 0 if it’s in the Federal Reserve city proper. For example, Chase’s ABA routing in California is 322271627. The Federal Reserve routing symbol is 3222 – which meant Chase likely acquired a thrift because 32 is San Francisco 912) plus 20.
We know this to be a fact because Chase acquired the banking business of Washington Mutual in 2008 after WaMu collapsed and went into FDIC receivership. Do You Checksum? Now we’re really getting into the weeds.
OK so the XXXX is the Federal Reserve number, the YYYY is for the bank – how do we calculate the checksum using C and thus verify that the number is properly formatted? You do this calculation, where Dx is the xth digit:. 3 ( D1 + D4 + D7 ) + 7 ( D2 + D5 + D8 ) + D3 + D6 + D9 mod 10 = 0. So for Chase in California’s ABA of 322271627, we have:. 3 ( 3 + 2 + 6 ) + 7 ( 2 + 7 + 2 ) + 2 + 1 + 7 mod 10 =. 3 ( 11 ) + 7 ( 11 ) + 2 + 1 + 7 mod 10 =
Jim Wang is a thirty-something father of three who has been featured in the New York Times, Baltimore Sun, Entrepreneur, and Marketplace Money. Jim has a B.S. in Computer Science and Economics from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.S. in Information Technology – Software Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as a Masters in Business Administration from Johns Hopkins University.
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It seems simple enough, but I can remember how confused I was the first time someone asked me for my routing number. April 4, 2018 at 8:25 pm. I always double check and triple check all the info whenever I send a wire transfer. A friend of mine made a mistake, and it took her a month to track down that money. I am not a financial adviser. The content on this site is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be construed as professional financial advice.
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In just under three years, Thomas eliminated $80,000 student loan debt by house hacking and saving 50% of his income. He works for a large engineering firm, lives in the Bay Area and is addicted to Personal Capital. Latest posts by Thomas Minter ( see all ). MaxRewards Review: Reward and Travel Hacking Made Easy – December 20, 2018. Banking isn’t always straightforward. In fact, more often it’s the opposite of that.
We may rarely think about the little numbers on our checks – but they’re pretty critical to the banking system. Ever tried making a payment online or over the phone, only to be asked what your Chase routing number is – and not having a clue where to find it? You know you’ve it written down somewhere, but… where?! 10 minutes of head scratching and rummaging through your dresser drawers – and you come to a realization that the only sensible solution is to give up.
For now, anyway. Sounds familiar? Well, then this post is for you. Today, I’m addressing Chase Bank customers – but any bank user will find it useful. Without knowing your bank routing number, you can forget about transferring money electronically between financial institutions – or through the Automated Clearing House network. Yup, it’s pretty important. Lucky for you, today I’ll explain what your Chase routing number is, why it’s important to know it, how it works – and where to find it. So, you can stop wasting your time trying to find that piece of paper you once wrote it on – and spend it on better, more exciting things.
Got no patience to look? Then you’ll love this simple solution. Your Chase routing number is on every check you write, on the bottom left corner of the check. Yup – it’s been there all along. Your routing number is the nine-digit number surrounded by the weird symbol that looks like a long-lost relative of a semi-colon. Or a happy face…Maybe an angry face?
This number is printed on every check issued by all banks. Three numerical strings will appear on every check – and they will usually be printed in MICR (also known as magnetic ink), which makes it easy to read for computers. The second number to the right is your nine-digit checking account number, followed by a four-digit check number. Note that these two numbers can sometimes appear in a reversed order!
Now, if the last time you saw a checkbook is years ago – don’t worry. If you don’t have a check handy, there are other pretty easy ways to find your Chase routing number. Step 1: Sign in to your online account by entering your username and password.
If you haven’t used your checking account online, then you may need to enroll first by clicking on “Not Enrolled? Sign Up Now”
Step 2: Once you’re all signed in, click “See statements”. Open one of those statements as a PDF, and you will see your account number at the top right corner of the page. . Step 3: To find out checking account routing number, you will need to click in the last four digits of your account number. Voila! Your Chase routing number will depend on WHERE you opened your bank account with Chase. There are actually 24 (way too many!) different routing numbers across the US – but that’s to help keep the accounts organized. . And if you’re still not sure – call Chase bank and kindly ask them to tell you what it is.
Also, note that your bank routing number won’t change when you move. For example, if you opened your account in West Virginia, but then moved to Oregon – your bank routing number will remain the same.
To put it simply – it’s your key to knowing where to receive and send money. You will need your Chase routing number in many situations. For example, if you are making a payment online or by phone, or making automatic bill payments. You’ll most likely be asked for your account number along with your routing number. Similarly, if you’re transferring money internationally, or processing checks – you’ll be asked to provide your bank routing number.
Note: your check routing number may be different from the routing number needed for performing a wire transfer – but we’ll get to that. Let’s get to the bottom of it – what is this magic routing number, and how does it work? A routing number is also known as an ABA (American Bankers Association) number or a routing transit number (RTN). It is a number which tells financial institutions where a transaction needs to be processed.
Imagine you need to deposit a check in an ATM. You’ve been written a check for $500 you made (thanks to a helpful article I previously wrote on the topic) – and you can’t wait for it to hit your account! Well, the routing number’s job is to make it easy to identify the financial institution on which the check was drawn (or where the bank account was opened), this way making it easier to process the financial transaction.
The first four numbers are the Federal Reserve identifiers: the first two indicate the Federal Reserve Bank district out of the 12 in which your bank is located; the next two identify the district branch (i.e., check processing center) assigned to your bank. The next four numbers are assigned like your checking account number – and identify your bank.
The last digit is calculated using an algorithm – and validates the eight-digit routing number’s authenticity. To sum up:. First 4 digits: Federal Reserve Routing Symbol, one of the 12 Federal Reserve banks;. The next 4 digits: An assigned number to identify your bank;
This is where it gets really fun. Chase Bank routing numbers will differ for different types of accounts. For instance, if you’re receiving or making a domestic wire transfer, you’ll need to know the specific number code for that particular transaction.
If you’re making an international wire transfer, on the other hand, you will need the bank identification code. Which is also known as the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) code.
In simple terms, that’s the code that your recipient’s bank will use to receive wire transfers. Since a SWIFT code is international, it helps identify financial institutions globally – and is also known as the bank identifier code. If you are looking to receive money from overseas, they will need to know your SWIFT code. The best way to find your SWIFT code is to look it up online – or to continue reading this post!
If you’re waiting to receive money from another country (who isn’t?), you will also need to supply some specific information to your bank. This information is your account number (you’ll find it on the bottom left side of your check):
You will also need to provide them with your name, as it appears on the account.
Now, if you’re transferring money to someone else’s account abroad, the recipient will also need to follow these steps and know their bank routing number to receive the money. Phone: For service on existing accounts: 1-800-935-9935.
Call support representatives are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For faster service and secure access to your account information, enter your debit card number and the same PIN you use at the ATM. Outside the U.S.: 1-713-262-3300. Email: Chase customers should sign in to Chase OnlineSM and use the Secure Message Center. In person: Chase offers easy access to more than 5,100 branches and 16,000 ATMs nationwide.
Find a Chase branch or ATM near you. Your Chase routing number is a 9-digit number which identifies the location where your account was opened;. You need to know it to be able to complete financial transactions (e.g., payments online or by phone, automatic bill payments, wire transfers);. You can find your Chase routing number on a) your check b) your bank statement online c) by calling the bank.
That was everything you need to know about how to find your Chase routing number – I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! + GET CHAPTER 1 of my Bestselling Book FINANCIAL FREEDOM! Email Address. We use this field to detect spam bots. If you fill this in, you will be marked as a spammer.
In just under three years, Thomas eliminated $80,000 student loan debt by house hacking and saving 50% of his income. He works for a large engineering firm, lives in the Bay Area and is addicted to Personal Capital.
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