What is a Routing Number in Canada? Where to find it | Cansumer (2024)

What is a routing number?

Routing numbers (sometimes referred to as an “American Bankers Association” ABA routing number) are unique 9 (or 8) digit numbers that represent a particular financial institution and branch location and are used to route transactions to and from it.

In Canada, the routing number for electronic fund transfers (EFT) such as direct deposit from employers, pre-authorized debit (PAD), bill payments, bank to bank transfers and wire transfers is made up of your:

  1. A leading zero “0” – The U.S. uses 9-digit routing numbers, so this zero is used to get to 9 digits
  2. Institution number – 3 digits that represent the bank the account is with (eg. CIBC is 010)
  3. Transit number – 5 digits that represent the specific branch location the account is held

The one exception to this format is for much less common paper documents encoded with magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) encoded documents such as cheques where the routing number has 8 digits. Continuing the example above, the number would be:

  • Transit Number + “-” + Institution Number
  • 12345-010

They were implemented in 1910 to make transactions faster and more efficient. They are now relied on heavily for online banking and are required whenever transactions are coming or going directly from/to your bank account such as to setup recurring payments and get your paycheque automatically deposited. They are not required for debit or credit card purchases.

Routing numbers may change if the transit number portion changes due to the bank branch closing or moving or the bank goes through a merger, acquisition or consolidation. If this happens, you will likely be notified by your bank beforehand.

What is my bank account’s routing number?

If you know the address of the branch you opened your account at, you cansearch it in this PDF(orthis one sorted by city):

Transit number

Our full guide on how to find your transit number.

  • Cheque
  • Bank statement
  • Bank’s website or app
  • Deposit slips
  • Contacting your bank by phone or in person

Institution numbers

Our full guide on how to find your institution number.

Financial institutionInstitution number
Bank of Montreal (BMO)001
Scotiabank (The Bank of Nova Scotia)002
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)003
The Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD)004
National Bank of Canada006
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC)010
HSBC Bank Canada016
Canadian Western Bank030
Laurentian Bank of Canada039
Bank of Canada177
Alberta Treasury Branches219
Royal Bank of Scotland N.V. (Canada Branch)240
Bank of America, National Association241
The Bank of New York Mellon242
Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (Canada)245
BNP Paribas (Canada)250
Citibank Canada260
Deutsche Bank AG265
Mega International Commercial Bank (Canada)269
JPMorgan Chase Bank National Association270
Korea Exchange Bank of Canada275
Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. Canada Branch277
UBS Bank (Canada)290
Société Générale (Canada Branch)292
State Bank of India (Canada) Alberta294
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation of Canada301
Amex Bank of Canada303
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Canada)307
Bank of China (Canada)308
Citizens Bank of Canada309
First Nations Bank of Canada310
BofA Canada Bank311
J.P. Morgan Bank Canada314
CTC Bank of Canada315
U.S. Bank National Association318
Habib Canadian Bank321
Rabobank Nederland322
Capital One Bank (Canada Branch)323
President’s Choice Financial326
State Street327
Citibank N.A.328
Comerica Bank330
First Commercial Bank332
HSBC Bank USA National Association333
Pacific & Western Bank of Canada334
United Overseas Bank Limited335
Maple Bank336
Canadian Tire Bank338
UBS AG Canada Branch339
ICICI Bank Canada340
Bank West342
Dundee Bank of Canada343
General Bank of Canada344
Fifth Third Bank345
Société Générale (Canada Branch) Ontario346
Bridgewater Bank347
The Northern Trust Company Canada Branch349
DirectCash Bank352
Jameson Bank354
Shinhan Bank Canada355
M&T Bank357
HomEquity Bank358
Walmart Canada Bank359
Barclay’s Bank PLC Canada Branch360
MonCana Bank of Canada361
Community Trust Company507
The Canada Trust Company509
Laurentian Trust of Canada Inc.522
Effort Trust Company532
Investors Group Trust Co. Ltd.536
Manulife Bank of Canada540
CIBC Trust Corporation548
Montreal Trust Company of Canada550
Sun Life Financial Trust Inc.551
Peace Hills Trust Company568
Royal Trust Company570
Royal Trust Corporation of Canada580
National Trust Company590
Royal Bank Mortgage Corporation592
TD Mortgage Corporation597
TD Pacific Mortgage Corporation603
HSBC Mortgage Corporation (Canada)604
Scotia Mortgage Corporation606
CS Alterna Bank608
ING Bank of Canada614
B2B Bank (formerly B2B Trust)618
ResMor Trust Company620
Peoples Trust Company621
The Equitable Trust Company623
Industrial Alliance Trust Inc.625
Manulife Trust Company626
Household Trust Company630
Latvian Credit Union Limited803
Communication Technologies Credit Union Limited807
Arnstein Community Credit Union Limited808
Central 1 Credit Union British Columbia809
All Trans Financial Services Credit Union Limited810
La Confédération des Caisses Populaires et D’Économie Desjardins du Québec815
La Fédération des caisses populaires du Manitoba Inc.819
Central 1 Credit Union Ontario828
La Fédération des Caisses Populaires de l’Ontario Inc.829
Airline Financial Credit Union Limited830
Meridian Credit Union837
Atlantic Central839
Dundalk District Credit Union Limited840
Alterna Savings and Credit Union842
Goderich Community Credit Union Limited844
Ontario Civil Service Credit Union Limited846
Concentra Financial Services Association853
Golden Horseshoe Credit Union Limited854
La Fédération des Caisses Populaires Acadiennes Limitée865
Credit Union Central of Manitoba Limited879
Credit Union Central of Saskatchewan889
Alliance des caisses populaires de l’Ontario Limitée890
Credit Union Central Alberta Limited899

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What is a Routing Number in Canada? Where to find it | Cansumer (5)

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What is a Routing Number in Canada? Where to find it | Cansumer (2024)

FAQs

What is a Routing Number in Canada? Where to find it | Cansumer? ›

Look at the bottom of the cheque and notice the three groupings of numbers. On the far left will be the individual cheque number. The routing number

routing number
A routing number is the term for bank codes in Canada. Routing numbers consist of eight numerical digits with a dash between the fifth and sixth digit for paper financial documents encoded with magnetic ink character recognition and nine numerical digits without dashes for electronic funds transfers.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Routing_number_(Canada)
is in the middle, which is broken up into the branch number and institution number. On the right is your account number.

How to find Canadian routing number? ›

How do I find my routing number? The routing number is found at the bottom of the cheque. The first three numbers are the cheque number, the next five numbers make up the transit number and the final three are the institution number. Combine the transit and institution numbers to get your routing number.

Where will I find my routing number? ›

You can quickly and easily find your bank's routing number by looking for the nine-digit number in the bottom-left corner of your physical checks. If you don't have any checks, you could also check your bank's online portal or mobile app, as well as any account statements you may have access to.

Is routing number same as Swift code in Canada? ›

Swift codes are used for international transactions. This involves transfers across different countries and continents. Routing numbers, on the other hand, are specific to the United States and are meant to facilitate domestic transactions within the country.

What is the 9 digit transit number in Canada? ›

If you have a Canadian bank account, you can find your transit code on check in the bottom left corner of your check. It should be a 9-digit number that identifies the branch where you opened your account. This number is also sometimes referred to as the branch transit number or routing number.

What is an example of a Canadian routing number? ›

For example, the routing number of a TD Bank branch with the branch number 1795 situated in Scarborough, Ontario, is 000417952 : 0 [Start off] 004 [institution number] 1795 [branch number] 2 [because the branch is in Ontario].

Is the routing number the same as the swift code? ›

In function, the routing number system used by U.S. financial institutions is very similar to the international SWIFT system. The biggest difference is that routing numbers are used for transfers domestically instead of the internationally used SWIFT code.

Does Canada bank have a routing number? ›

What is a routing number? In Canada, banks and other financial institutions use routing numbers to identify individual bank branches. A routing number is a combination of a five-digit transit number (also called a branch number) and a three-digit financial institution number.

Why can't I find my routing number? ›

Bank statement: You might find the routing number on your monthly paper or electronic bank statement, although not all banks include it. Call the bank: You can ask a customer service representative to give you the routing number or confirm the one you found online.

How do I find my routing number without a bank account? ›

If you have a checkbook, the easiest way to find your bank's routing number is by looking at a paper personal check. No matter which bank you use, you'll find the routing number on the bottom left-hand side of the front of the check. It's the first nine digits in a long string of numbers.

Do banks in Canada have a SWIFT code? ›

All banks have a SWIFT code, but not all banks have unique codes for each of their branches. Find your bank's SWIFT code here.

What is a bank transit number in Canada? ›

A bank transit number is a unique five-digit number used to identify the bank branch where you opened your account in Canada. That's why the transit number is sometimes called a branch number.

Do I need a SWIFT code to wire money to Canada? ›

Depending on the country or territory you're sending money to, the following information may also be necessary: Canada: the 3-digit Canadian financial institution number and 5-digit branch transit number of the recipient's account, as well as the Swift Code or BIC.

What does a Canadian bank account number look like? ›

Find the number associated with your deposit or Personal Line of Credit account which appears in the format xxxxx-yy-yyyyy: the first 5-digit number [xxxxx] is the transit number and the last 7-digit number [yy-yyyyy] is the bank account number. Check your CIBC account eStatement.

How many digits is a Canadian bank account number? ›

When you send money to and from a Canadian bank account, you will need to have three account details at hand: Financial Institution number (3 digits), Branch Transit Number (5 digits), and Account Number (7-12 digits).

How many digits is a Canadian account number? ›

Pattern. A Canada Bank Account Number is 7 or 12 digits. A Canada bank account transit number is: five digits.

Do Canadian accounts have routing numbers? ›

In Canada, banks and other financial institutions use routing numbers to identify individual bank branches. A routing number is a combination of a five-digit transit number (also called a branch number) and a three-digit financial institution number. The institution number - three digits - identifies your bank.

Is ABA routing number used in Canada? ›

If you are asked for the 'ABA Routing Number' in the software, Canadian customers will enter the Institutional Number (proceeded by a zero if only three digits) followed by the five-digit Branch Transit Number. These two entries should equal 9 characters.

Can you find routing number online? ›

How do I find my routing number in online banking. Find your routing number via online banking by logging into online banking and selecting the applicable account. In the top box, you'll see the account nickname, the last four digits of your account number and the routing number.

What is the format for Canadian bank details? ›

When you send money to and from a Canadian bank account, you will need to have three account details at hand: Financial Institution number (3 digits), Branch Transit Number (5 digits), and Account Number (7-12 digits). Here are a couple options to help you find this information.

References

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