Why Are Your Branch Number And Transit Number Important For Your Business?
The thing about numbers printed anywhere is that even when they seem non-sensical, they serve a purpose. Even those random numbers printed under barcodes serve a purpose. One such number that may overlook in your business operation is the branch or transit number. Most people ask themselves, “is transit number the same as branch number?” but fail to understand the concept.
But in reality, the branch number and transit number are much more relevant and valuable than you might think. To understand that, you first need to know what these numbers are and how they are helpful for your business transactions.
You must understand whether the branch number and transit number are identical. But don’t worry, we have you covered. Below, we discuss the role of this number and how you can better understand the branch and transit number.
Is Transit Number The Same As Branch Number?
Canada’s banks and financial institutions use a unique number to identify their branch. This unique identifier or number is called the transit number. Since the transit number helps to identify the bank branch, it is also called the branch number. So, if you were wondering, “is the transit number the same as the branch number?” you already got your answer.
A transit or branch number has five digits in it. And you may notice that the transit number often comes with a tailing institution number. You get the routing number when you combine the transit and institution numbers. So, now you know that the branch number and transit number are the same, let’s look at some of their characteristics.
Branch Number vs Transit Number
As we already mentioned, the branch number and transit number are the same. The transit or branch number shows the branch where you open or maintain your bank account. It is a 5-digit number and can help you have better insights into your cheque payments.
Institution Number
The branch number and transit number have five digits. The institution number only has three digits. Similar to how the transit number allows you to find the branch of your bank, the institution number identifies the bank.
Account Number
Now that we are talking about the branch number and transit number, it is also worth mentioning the account number. Your account number typically has seven to twelve digits. Additionally, you can use it to identify a unique or individual account.
Routing Number
Understanding the routing number is just as important as understanding the branch number and transit number. The routing number enables you to process cheques for your business transactions. Furthermore, you need the routing number for electronic fund transactions, including
- Fund transfers
- Direct deposits
- Bill payments
- Digital cheques
- Recurring loan
Also Read: How to Track Canada Post
How To Find The Branch Number And Transit Number?
As you saw above, the branch and transit numbers are the same. Therefore, there is no need to repeatedly discuss the branch number vs transit number. But what is worth discussing is how you can find a bank account’s branch number and transit number.
The good news is that you can find a bank account’s branch number and transit number using different methods. To be precise, there are generally three ways you can use to find the branch or transit number of an account.
- On a dedicated website
- Online banking
- Cheque, deposit slip, or bank statement
Finding The Branch Number And Transit Number On a Dedicated Website
Several dedicated websites help you find the branch number and transit number of bank accounts. You can use these websites to access a branch list or transit numbers for banks in Canada.
However, finding the branch number and transit number like this has several limitations. For instance, these websites typically only list the big banks in Canada. Hence, if you are looking to find the transit number of a local business account, you may not be able to find it this way.
Furthermore, it would be best if you had a clue of what you are looking for to find the branch number in this manner. Suppose you don’t have the branch number and transit number to cross-check against the list. In that case, you may look at a bunch of random numbers on a screen that does not make sense.
Finding The Branch Number And Transit Number Through Online Banking
You can use online banking if you are trying to find your bank account’s branch number and transit number. This method applies to any bank account you can access online banking credentials. You can log in to the bank’s online interface and access the transit number details.
Finding The Branch Number And Transit Number From Cheques
The most common and perhaps effortless approach to finding a bank account’s branch or transit number is using bank cheques. But before using the cheque to see the transit number, you must learn are transit and branch numbers the same because it can be confusing.
The advantage of finding the branch number and transit number using cheques is that you can find the branch for other accounts. In other words, as long as you have a bank cheque, you can find the relevant bank branch regardless of who writes the cheque.
If you have a bank cheque, you can find the complete account information at the bottom of the cheque. At first glance, the numbers at the bottom of the bank cheque may seem random. And it may surprise you to know that these numbers reveal the branch number and transit number, and other details.
How To Read The Cheque Number?
Typically, the bottom of the cheque has 15 digits, including the branch number and transit number. You can also notice that these numbers come in sets. The first set has three to five digits, the second one has three, and the final group has seven digits.
The first set of numbers at the bottom of the cheque gives you the branch number and transit number of the account you want to find. With the second set of numbers, you can find the institution number. And the final group of numbers with seven digits is the account number.
You may have to fill out forms with details, such as branch number and transit number and account number. But upon checking the cheque, you may realize that there are only six digits for the account number.
If that happens, you don’t need to worry. Just add a 0 in front of the number, and you are all set to go. The same logic applies to your branch number and transit number. If a digit is missing, you can add a zero before the number on any forms you have to fill. So the branch number 104 becomes 0104 or 00104 depending on the number of fields on the form.
Finding The Location Of A Branch Without The Branch Or Transit Number
There is an easy way to find the location of a branch, even without the branch number and transit number. However, you would still need to know the last or fifth digit of the bank branch or transit number. It can also work the other way around, where you can find the fifth digit of the transit number using the geographical location. You can use the following table to accomplish this.
| Geographical Location | 5th Digit Of Transit Number |
| British Columbia and Yukon | 0 |
| Western Quebec (Montreal and nearby area) | 1 |
| Ontario (Toronto and nearby area) | 2 |
| Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island | 3 |
| New Brunswick (Labrador) | 4 |
| Eastern Ontario (Ottawa and nearby area) | 5 |
| Eastern Ontario (Ottawa and nearby area) | 6 |
| North-Western Ontario and Manitoba | 7 |
| Saskatchewan | 8 |
| Alberta, Northwest Territories and Nunavut | 9 |
Also Read: USPS Tracking Not Updating in Transit
How And Why You Should Print Superior Quality Cheques For Your Business?
Some of us may have questions like whether is transit number the same as the branch number and has to look it up to find the answer. But for many business organizations, this is common knowledge because they use it regularly.
Several companies use bank cheques to find the necessary bank details for their transactions. In other words, they use the account number, branch number, and transit number from the cheques for business purposes.
You must print good-quality cheques for your business organization. The best way to ensure the accurate printing of cheques is to use an automated system like PostGrid. It provides all details in the cheque, including the branch number and transit number, is crisp, clear, and accurate. It can ensure the apparent endorsement of your cheques.
Automated Cheque Printing
Advanced automated solutions like PostGrid enable you to print your company’s business cheques with superior quality. Since the system is automated, every detail is accurate without any manual error. It ensures that all the cheque details, including the branch number and transit number, MICR are readable and accurate.
Companies can use PostGrid’s automated direct mail system for more than printing cheques. It is the perfect tool for bulk printing all materials, including direct mail advertising and business correspondence like invoices and business letters. Hence, using an automated cheque API system like PostGrid is more than printing the accurate branch number and transit number for your cheques.
