How to Verify a Routing Number Before Sending Money
Sending money to the wrong routing number can delay or misdirect payments. Here's how to verify any routing number before initiating a transfer.
Sending money with an incorrect routing number can cause payments to be rejected, delayed, or — in rare cases — deposited into the wrong account. The good news is that verifying a routing number takes less than a minute using the right tools. Here's how to do it before every significant transfer.
Step 1: Use the Federal Reserve Directory
The most authoritative source for routing number data is the Federal Reserve's E-Payments Routing Directory. Our routing number lookup tool pulls directly from this directory, so searching for any routing number here gives you the same result as querying the Fed's database directly.
Enter the nine-digit routing number and confirm: (1) the institution name matches the bank you expect, (2) the state listed matches your account's state, and (3) the transaction types supported match your intended payment (ACH, wire, check).
Step 2: Run the Checksum
Every valid routing number passes the ABA modulo-10 checksum. If you enter a routing number into our lookup tool and it fails to return a result, that's a red flag — the number either doesn't exist in the directory or fails the checksum. You can read more about how the checksum works in our guides section.
Step 3: Confirm With Your Bank
For high-value transfers — anything over $1,000 — it's worth taking the extra step of confirming the routing number directly with your bank via phone or in-branch. This is especially important for wire transfers, which are irrevocable once sent. Ask specifically: "What is the wire transfer routing number for my account?" rather than just "What is my routing number?"
Step 4: Check the Transaction Type
As discussed in our ACH vs wire guide, some banks maintain separate routing numbers for different transaction types. Before sending, confirm you're using the right number for the right payment type. Our lookup tool shows which transaction types each routing number supports.
Common Red Flags
- A routing number that returns no results in the Federal Reserve directory
- A routing number that doesn't match the bank name you expected
- A number fewer than nine digits (leading zeros are sometimes dropped accidentally)
- A routing number provided by someone who initiated unsolicited contact with you
For International Transfers
If you're receiving an international wire, ask the sender to confirm your SWIFT code and ABA routing number independently — don't rely solely on information they sourced from a third party. Browse institutions in our bank directory or look up routing numbers by state to verify what you've been given.
Taking two minutes to verify a routing number before sending can save days of delay and significant stress. Our free routing number lookup makes verification fast and reliable.