# SWIFT code vs IBAN vs routing number: which details do you need to get paid?

An IBAN or account number identifies your account; a SWIFT code (BIC) identifies your bank. Payers in the US use a routing number and payers in the UK a sort code; payers abroad use an IBAN or account number with a SWIFT code.

By Pavel Skalin, Founder & CEO, Align · Updated 29 October 2026 · 4 min read · https://alignlabs.dev/guides/swift-code-vs-iban-vs-routing-number

## The short answer

An IBAN or an account number tells the payer's bank which account to credit. A SWIFT code, also called a BIC, tells it which bank holds that account. A US routing number and a UK sort code do the same job as the BIC, but only inside their own country's payment systems.

Which ones a payer needs depends on where they are and which rail they use: domestic payments use local details, and payments from abroad use an IBAN or account number with a SWIFT code.

## What each one identifies

| Identifier | Identifies | Format | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|
| SWIFT code (BIC) | A bank or other financial institution | 8 or 11 characters, ISO 9362, assigned by Swift | SWIFT wires; sometimes SEPA, when a non-EEA bank is involved |
| IBAN | One account | Country code, two check digits and the domestic account number: 15 characters in Norway, 22 in the UK and Germany, 23 in the UAE | SEPA, and SWIFT payments to the 89 IBAN countries |
| ABA routing number | A US bank, for the rails it receives on | Nine digits | ACH, Fedwire, FedNow and RTP, inside the US |
| UK sort code | A UK bank or branch | Six digits, with an eight-digit account number | Faster Payments, Bacs and CHAPS, inside the UK |

An IBAN carries the domestic details inside it. A UK IBAN is GB, two check digits, a four-letter bank code, the six-digit sort code and the eight-digit account number, so a UK payer can use the sort code and account number from it directly.

## Which details to give a payer

| Account currency | Payer in the same country | Payer abroad |
|---|---|---|
| USD, US account | Routing number and account number, for ACH or a wire | The bank's SWIFT code and the account number, by SWIFT wire |
| EUR, IBAN | IBAN and name, by SEPA or SEPA Instant | From a SEPA country: the same. From outside SEPA: IBAN and BIC, by SWIFT |
| GBP, UK account | Sort code and account number | IBAN and BIC, by SWIFT |
| AED, UAE account | IBAN | IBAN and BIC, by SWIFT |

**Inside SEPA.** The EU's SEPA Regulation stops a payment provider in the EU from requiring its customer to give the payee's BIC for a euro transfer, so an IBAN and a name are enough. The EPC's SEPA Credit Transfer rulebook makes one exception: the payer's bank can ask for the BIC when either bank is in a SEPA country outside the EEA, such as the UK, Switzerland or Monaco.

**The name matters too.** Since 9 October 2025, payment providers in the euro area have had to offer Verification of Payee, a check of the payee's name against the IBAN, on euro transfers. UK banks run Confirmation of Payee on the sort code, account number and name. Give payers your company's legal name exactly as the account holds it. [Named vs pooled virtual IBANs](https://alignlabs.dev/guides/named-vs-pooled-virtual-iban) explains why the account holder's name decides the result.

## How to check them before you pay

- **IBAN.** The two check digits are computed from the rest, so most typos make an IBAN fail the check. Confirm the length for the country too: Swift's IBAN registry lists it for each one.
- **US routing number.** Look it up in the Federal Reserve's E-Payments Routing Directory, which shows whether it's a FedACH or a Fedwire participant. [ACH vs wire vs FedNow](https://alignlabs.dev/guides/ach-vs-fedwire-vs-fednow) explains the difference.
- **UK sort code.** Pay.UK's sort code checker shows whether a sort code can receive Faster Payments. [UK payment rails](https://alignlabs.dev/guides/uk-payment-rails-faster-payments-chaps-bacs) covers Bacs and CHAPS.
- **SWIFT code.** Take it from the payee's bank letter or invoice, and confirm a new or changed one by phone. A valid-looking BIC for the wrong bank still sends the money there.

If a payment comes back, [why international payments get returned](https://alignlabs.dev/guides/why-international-payments-get-returned) lists the codes and what they mean.

## What Align gives you

Align's accounts come with the details each currency's payers need, in your company's name:

- **USD:** a US account number and routing number for ACH and wires, through Align's US banking partner, and a named account for SWIFT payments from abroad. ACH and wire access is requested separately, and the partner runs its own review. See the [USD business account](https://alignlabs.dev/accounts/usd-business-account).
- **EUR:** a named IBAN for SEPA and SEPA Instant. See the [EUR IBAN](https://alignlabs.dev/accounts/eur-iban-business-account).
- **GBP:** UK account details for Faster Payments. See the [GBP account](https://alignlabs.dev/accounts/gbp-business-account).
- **AED:** an AED account for IPP and UAEFTS, for companies outside the UAE.

## Sources

- European Payments Council, [2025 SCT rulebook, version 1.1](https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/sites/default/files/kb/file/2025-09/EPC125-05%202025%20SCT%20Rulebook%20version%201.1.pdf) (October 2025): the BIC definition, and the BIC rule for non-EEA SEPA countries
- Swift, [IBAN registry](https://www.swift.com/swift-resource/11971/download) (accessed October 2026)
- Regulation (EU) No 260/2012, [consolidated text](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX%3A02012R0260-20240408) (as amended to April 2024)
- European Payments Council, [Verification of Payee scheme rulebook, version 1.1](https://www.europeanpaymentscouncil.eu/sites/default/files/kb/file/2026-03/EPC218-23%20v1.1%202026%20Verification%20Of%20Payee%20Scheme%20Rulebook_0.pdf) (March 2026)
- American Bankers Association, [Routing number](https://www.aba.com/about-us/routing-number) (accessed October 2026)
- Federal Reserve Financial Services, [E-Payments Routing Directory](https://www.frbservices.org/EPaymentsDirectory/search.html) (accessed October 2026)
- Pay.UK, [Faster Payment System](https://www.wearepay.uk/what-we-do/payment-systems/faster-payment-system/) and [Confirmation of Payee](https://www.wearepay.uk/what-we-do/overlay-services/confirmation-of-payee/) (accessed October 2026)

## Common questions

### Is a SWIFT code the same as a BIC?

Yes. SWIFT code is the everyday name for the Business Identifier Code (BIC), an 8 or 11 character code defined in ISO 9362 and assigned by Swift to identify a financial institution in a payment. It names the bank, not your account, so a payer always needs your account number or IBAN as well.

### Does the US use IBANs?

No. The US isn't in Swift's IBAN registry. A US account is identified by its bank's nine-digit ABA routing number and the account number. A payer outside the US sends a SWIFT wire to the bank's SWIFT code, with your account number and name.

### Is the routing number for ACH the same as for wires?

Not always. The Federal Reserve's E-Payments Routing Directory lists FedACH and Fedwire participants separately, and some banks give different routing numbers for each. Ask your bank, or your provider, which number to use for which rail before you put it on an invoice.

### What do I give a customer who wants to pay me in euros from the UK?

Your IBAN and your company's legal name, exactly as registered. The UK is part of SEPA, so a UK bank can send a SEPA credit transfer to a euro IBAN; because the UK is outside the EEA, the payer's bank may also ask for your bank's BIC.

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This guide is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Rules and providers' terms change; check the sources linked above and take advice on your own situation.

## Related guides

- [Named vs pooled virtual IBANs: what's the difference and why it matters](https://alignlabs.dev/guides/named-vs-pooled-virtual-iban)
- [Which countries are in SEPA? All 41, with their IBAN codes and currencies](https://alignlabs.dev/guides/sepa-countries-list)
- [ACH vs wire (Fedwire) vs FedNow: which US payment rail to use](https://alignlabs.dev/guides/ach-vs-fedwire-vs-fednow)
- [Why international business payments get rejected or returned](https://alignlabs.dev/guides/why-international-payments-get-returned)