how a bank account number works
a bank checking account s number is located at the bottom of the paper check you ll see three sets of numbers in a computer readable font at the bottom of the check payroll processing offices use checking account numbers to set up direct deposit payments for employees protecting bank account numbersbank account numbers are vulnerable to identity theft and fraud this is why you have to answer questions about your mother s maiden name when you try to make routine changes to an account like your bank account the means of making it difficult for hackers to steal account numbers have in recent years taken the form of password managers along with multi factor authentication or mfa systems businesses now often employ a hard to hack master password to unlock an electronic vault of customers bank account numbers and other sensitive data consumers are becoming accustomed to multifactor authentication which adds another step before granting access to a bank account such as requiring a fingerprint voice activation or a time sensitive code sent to the cellphone number on record 2these are just some of the means of protecting users bank account numbers in an increasingly vulnerable online environment the traditional check layout applies to most personal checks but some business checks and bank printed checks have other formats account number vs routing numberon a paper check the nine digit routing number identifies specific financial institutions within the u s the number identifies the check as having been issued by a federal or state chartered bank that maintains an account with the federal reserve 1this system dates back to 1910 and was developed initially as a way to help bank clerks sort through piles of checks and assign them to the correct drawer 3 today electronic services use them in much the same way for wire transfers to draw a payment from a deposit at the correct institution the individual s bank account number works together with the routing number to identify the right account holder at the right institution 