How to Find the Checking Account Number

If you have just opened your first checking account and are new to banking system, you will need to know the checking account number, which is used in many transactions.

What is a Checking Account?

Checking accounts are money deposit accounts that an individual can open with any financial institution for the purpose of fast monetary transactions through multiple channels. These accounts are business accounts with a checkbook facility and no limits on the amount of transactions that can occur. Unlike a savings account, the purpose of depositing money is not for earning interest, but facilitate business transactions.

How to Find the Checking Account Number on a Check?

Every person holding a checking account with a bank has the facility to write checks to pay his dues. These checks are numbered for identification purposes. Every check provided to the account holder has information, which includes the account number and the routing bank's number. If you have opened a new checking account, chances are that you haven't memorized your associated number yet.

There are some online transactions or other banking transactions which require you to enter that account number. Internet banking requires the use of the account numbers, most of the time. When you don't have it memorized already, you can find it on a bank issued check for your account. If you look for the account number on a debit card, you won't find it there mostly, as it is rarely printed.

If you look carefully at a check issued by the bank you have your account with, you will notice that there are numbers printed there, separated by symbols. These are printed using magnetic ink and read by the MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) system. Within these numbers, your account number is placed.

Number Position On the Check

You can know your number by elimination method and knowledge about standard protocol regarding printing of those numbers. The string of numbers at the bottom of a check contains three important pieces of information. First part has the 'routing bank number', second part is the account number and the third part is the check number.

To know your account number, first write out the whole number series on a piece of paper and ignore the symbols in between. Count the first nine numbers of the whole string and circle them. This is the bank routing number. The last part in the set of numbers is the check number, which should match with the number on the upper right hand side of the check.

On the piece of paper, strike out the last part which identifies with the check number. Once you do that, what is left is your number. Include any zeroes that are written at the start or end as part of the number. The number length can vary to a maximum of 17 numbers. Most banks have the digits to be a string of 8 or 9 numbers.

It is a simple matter of reading it off the bottom of the check actually. You can also find the number listed on the documents that you receive after account opening or on the bank statements that you receive periodically. Make sure that you do not divulge your number unnecessarily and also keep your checkbook in safety. This will insulate you from check frauds and other such thefts.