What is a sort code and why should I check it?

Last updated: 23 April 2024

All UK and Republic of Ireland bank branches have a unique sort code which helps identify the branch. Sort codes are updated whenever a bank opens a new branch, closes a branch or a new bank begins operating and needs to have a sort code assigned.

There is a central organisation, BACS, that assigns UK and Northern Ireland sort codes, so there is always one up to date list that all banks can use to send money to one another when bank transfers are performed. Sort codes are also used in the Direct Debit and Direct Credit system, to identify the branch that needs to be contacted. Nowadays, this is all done automatically by computers, but prior to digitisation it was a manual process.

Where can I find my sort code?

The sort code will be the 6 digit number on your bank card. It's usually formatted in three pairs of digits, like "12-34-56". Alternatively, the sort code will be printed on your bank statements, or available in your online banking app under Account Details.

Converting sort codes to bank information

To convert a sort code to a physical bank branch you will need access to the BACS data, so that it's always up to date. Licensing this data can be an expensive outlay for many businesses, especially when considering the development and maintenance costs. Alternatively, using a service like Mintly can help as we keep our data in sync with BACS and offer a low cost API and easy to use interface to lookup the branch data from the sort code.

The following table can help you identify the owning bank from the first digits of the sort code: Sort Codes in the UK

The data from BACS also contains useful information, such as the supported payment schemes for the branch. Not all branches are connected to the Faster Payments or Direct Debit systems, so knowing this in advance is extremely useful if setting up payments. Mintly provides this data in an easy to consume way, helping you make payment requests that work first time.

Mintly uses the latest data from banks, as well as the latest algorithms for generating bank account numbers. Our services work quickly to provide you the data you need to confirm that a bank account is valid and will accept the payment type you need. Our secure servers provide 99.99% uptime and super-fast response times. Try out our service below for free!

Automating checks to save time and money

Checking sort codes and accounts one at a time is great, but takes time which could be spent elsewhere on more valuable things. By automating these checks your business will save money, and free up your staff to work on the truly challenging problems your business faces.

Mintly's API can process thousands of accounts per second and is very easy to integrate into existing platforms. Tools like Zapier and Power Automate can be used to connect to Mintly and check bank details in the background, simplifying customer onboarding or payroll checks.

We'd be happy to have a chat to understand the payment issues your business might be facing and let you know if Mintly can help.