Skip to main content

Help

Registration and logging in

First visit

When your user account was created, you should have received an email containing your username; the email also explains how to register on the website. After completing the registration form (you will only be required to fill this form in on your first visit) and choosing your password, you will be given access to the search page.

Subsequent visits

On subsequent visits to sortingcodes.co.uk, the log-in process should be automatic, without the need to enter your username and password.

Please ensure that you click on the log-out button each time you have finished using sortingcodes.co.uk. Failure to do this may mean that you are unable to gain immediate access the next time you wish to log-in and conduct searches.

Automatic log-in and cookies

The automatic log-in facility uses cookies to enable us to identify your computer when you access our services or websites.

If the sortingcodes.co.uk cookie is deleted from your PC, you will need to re-enter your username and password to gain access to the site.

There is more information about how cookies are used on sortingcodes.co.uk in our privacy policy.

What do I do if I forget my password?

If you know your username, you can use the Forgot Password page to set a new password.

What do I do if I forget my username?

Please contact our Technical Helpdesk on +44 (0)1342 335962 or uksortcodeshelpdesk@accuity.com.

Can I change my password?

If you are able to log in and you know your existing password, use the Change Password page. Otherwise, use the Forgot Password page.

Search

Search

The main search allows you to search for a sort code and validate an account number using modulus checking.

To identify a sort code's bank and branch, enter the six-digit sort code into the sort code field.

You can use a wildcard (*) in place of up to two digits.

Adding an account number into the account number field will validate the account number using the modulus checking rules.

The validation can provide the following results:

  • Valid account number structure. Passes the defined modulus check for the given financial institution.
  • Account number does not pass the modulus check. The checksum found within the account number does not pass the modulus check for the given financial institution. You should confirm the details before proceeding.
  • Modulus checking cannot be performed. The financial institution has not made the modulus algorithm publicly known. This does not necessarily mean that the account number is invalid.
  • Account number length is not valid. Please check the length. Account numbers are normally eight digits. If you provide fewer than six digits, you will be asked to correct your input.
  • Account Number padded to correct length. If the account number you provide is six to seven digits long, it will be padded to the correct length with leading zeros.

Institution Name Search

Select a settlement member from the drop-down list or type an institution name. If you know which branch you need, add it to the branch title field.

Some institutions do not allocate sort codes to each physical branch office that they operate. If you cannot find the payment clearing information for a branch office, you should try conducting a search by institution name, leaving the the branch title field blank.

SWIFT/BIC Search

You can search by SWIFT/BIC. Simply enter the eight- or 11-character code into the relevant field.

Definition of Terms & Advice

The drop-down list of financial institution names includes banks that are either a settlement member for one or more clearings, or have a substantial number of branches.

Institution

Institutions included on this website comprise banks in the United Kingdom (including those that are included in the drop-down list of bank names), building societies, UK branches of foreign banks and other financial institutions.

Branch Title

The term "Branch Title" refers to the name used to identify the branch location for the financial institution in question. There is no standard naming convention for this. As a guide, a Branch Title will typically be one of the following:

  • Location: Most of the major banks allocate a sort code to each office in their branch network. The Branch title will be the name of the town or city where the branch is located, often including a street name or suburb when a town has more than one branch, for example, "London, Oxford Street".
  • Department or Function: Examples include: "Central Loans Unit", "Card Services", and "International Banking Centre".

Clearings

For the purposes of this website, there are four clearings. They are:

  • CHAPS Sterling: The sterling same day payments system. Abbreviated as CH£.
  • Faster Payments Service: Used for electronic payments that are typically made via internet or phone, processed in hours rather than days. Abbreviated as FPS.
  • Cheque and Credit Clearing: The paper clearings for cheques and giro credits. Abbreviated as C&CC(GB).
  • Bacs: The bulk electronic payments system used for salaries, direct debits, etc. Abbreviated as BACS.

The clearings abbreviations appear in the branch details pages, indicating in which clearings in the financial institution participates.

For CHAPS Sterling, Cheque and Credit Clearing and Bacs, offices are identified by a six-digit sort code. For Bacs clearing only, please check with the branch office to see in which of the Bacs services they participate.

Address

The addresses shown are the postal addresses to which correspondence should be directed. It should be noted that this is not necessarily the same as the physical location of the office concerned.

For the purposes of the clearings, the branch title and sorting code (or SWIFT/BIC) should be sufficient to identify the office.

If the address field on a branch details page has a message stating 'No clearing address available', this may be because the code is used solely for electronic clearing purposes or the bank does not require an address for the use of this code.

Sort Code

The six-digit sort code is used to identify the bank or financial institution and branch office. In CHAPS Sterling, Cheque & Credit Clears and Bacs, branch offices are identified by their six-digit sort code.s

 

Last update 29/06/2020 © 2020 Reed Business Information Limited.