What is a SWIFT code, and how can I check an IBAN?
Read time: 3 minsLet's break this down into two separate questions, firstly what is SWIFT?
SWIFT is the organisation that helps connect banks all over the world, and facilitates payments between them. They curate the SWIFT directory, a list of all banks, their branches and the unique codes that SWIFT issue to identify them.
All UK bank branches should have a SWIFT code, and that allows them to participate in international money transfers. You can usually find your own bank's SWIFT code in your online banking app or on your regular bank statements.
IBAN is an International Bank Account Number, and each country that participates in the system has their own format for generating an IBAN, using the country code, the bank/branch identifier and the account number. There is also a check digit computed to ensure that typing errors are detected.
IBAN checking can be performed using a simple MOD 97 algorithm, but doing this only tells you that the IBAN is valid. Many countries have separate account check digits within the IBAN, which require their own algorithms.
At Mintly, we have algorithms to validate all IBAN numbers, including the country specific check digits. Using our services helps you quickly perform these checks with a single API call. For UK and Republic of Ireland IBAN, we also use our extensive database of bank branches to find the address and payment types that the branch supports.
Take your account checking to the next level by using Mintly. To find out more, please get in touch; we're happy to help you solve your business problems.