Glossary

Account Number

Financial institutions employ a variety of features to ensure that transactions are conducted smoothly. One such feature is the account number. An account number is assigned to an individual account, such as a bank account. It is often thought that the bank account number was invented by the ancient Romans in the 4th century B.C. The earliest written record we have of a check being used to direct funds to an account comes from a Persian traveler in the 11th century. There have been considerable developments in the business and financial world since then, from online banking to credit card processing.

The account number is a key element in financial transactions, from credit card processing and banking to the maintenance of a merchant account or a customer account. When a customer makes a purchase using a credit card such as Discover or Visa, credit card processing is necessary. For this processing to take place, an account number is essential.

The answers to several questions will help merchants and other individuals to fully understand just what an account number is:

How is an account number used?

The account number is used in conjunction with a routing number to ensure the successful completion of any account transaction. While routing numbers direct electronic deposits to the appropriate banking institution, an account number identifies the individual (or corporate) possessor of the account.

Can two entities have the same account number?

Each account number is unique, at least within the financial institution (for instance, a bank) where the account is held. If two individual merchants or consumers possess the same account number, it can only be because they hold their accounts at different institutions.

Who uses account numbers?

Account numbers may be assigned to a merchant account in order to conveniently identify the merchant and facilitate transactions. Credit cards, checking accounts, and savings accounts also feature identifying account numbers.

Are there any challenges in using account numbers?

Many errors in credit card processing occur because a cardholder’s account number was not entered correctly, and thus it is important to check numbers carefully when entering them by hand.