IFSC Code

What is IFSC Code?

Making fund transfer online through various means such as NEFT, RTGS or IMPS is getting simpler and faster than before. In addition to information such as bank account number, the name of the bank and branch etc, an important piece of detail is the IFSC code. IFSC is the Indian Financial System Code that essentially is the unique identification of each bank branch in the country. Every branch of the same bank

What is IFSC Code?

Making fund transfer online through various means such as NEFT, RTGS or IMPS is getting simpler and faster than before. In addition to information such as bank account number, the name of the bank and branch etc, an important piece of detail is the IFSC code. IFSC is the Indian Financial System Code that essentially is the unique identification of each bank branch in the country. Every branch of the same bank will have its own unique IFSC code. In order to standardise the code, every IFSC has been made an 11-digit alpha-numeric code. The first 4 digit represents the bank name, while the fifth digit is always a zero. The rest six digits represent the branch code and are numerical in nature. For example, If the IFSC of a bank branch is ICIC0000091 ( only for illustration), the first 4 digits will that be of the bank and the last six will be unique to the branch of the bank. To know the IFSC number, one may contact the bank branch or locate it on the cheque leaflet. IFSC code is also printed on the passbook of the account holders. The use of IFSC arises at the time of making an online fund transfer to a beneficiary or while receiving funds online from a remitter.

IFSC Code Finder: IFSC Code Definition, Format, Meaning

Wondering about IFSC code meaning? IFSC code in India is a unique 11-digit alphanumeric code. IFSC code is required to identify a bank’s branch. To find out the IFSC code of your bank branch online, you need to use the IFSC Code Finder like this page. Be it SBI, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank, Bank of Baroda, Canara Bank, Axis Bank, Union Bank of India, Indian Bank, Yes Bank, or any other RBI-approved commercial bank in India, this IFSC Code Finder page of Financialexpress.com will help you search IFSC code within seconds.

Bank account holders are required to use IFSC code of their bank’s branch for making online fund transfers or sending money online from their account to another person’s account through NEFT, IMPS or RTGS facilities. IFSC Code is mandatory for fund transfer through NEFT, even when it is done offline by visiting a bank’s branch. The importance of IFSC code in India lies in the fact that it is mandatory for online money transfer from one bank account to another bank account. As per new RBI regulations, you can send money online from a bank account to the account of any other bank across India 24×7 on all days of the year.

However, for online fund transfers with the help of IFSC code, you first need to register the beneficiary. You will not be able to transfer money online without providing the IFSC code of the beneficiary’s bank branch. You can find bank IFSC code both online and offline. On this Financial Express IFSC Code Finder page you can search IFSC code of any branch of any bank situated anywhere in the country. The Search Bank by IFSC Code facility is available on this page.

How to find IFSC Code offline: Check IFSC Code on Cheque leaf

Several banks now display their respective IFSC Code on the cheque leaf. Hence, you can find IFSC Code of your bank’s branch on the cheque book.

Importance of IFSC Code: Why IFSC is required

IFSC is required for making online fund transfers. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), a bank branch can reject the request of a customer for funds transfer if the sending branch finds that the beneficiary details in the NEFT application Form are not adequate to identify the beneficiary. Beneficiary’s Branch IFSC is one of the essential elements for beneficiary identification. Other elements are the beneficiary’s name, branch name, bank name, account type and account number.

IFSC Code for Credit Card Payment

For making payments towards credit card dues through NEFT, bank customers are required to provide 16-digit Credit Card Number as the beneficiary account number, use ’52’ for beneficiary account type and IFSC of the branch responsible for handling the card bill payments as the IFSC. RBI suggests the card-issuing banks to designate a branch for accepting such payments and inform the IFSC of the designated branch to the credit cardholder.

IFSC Code Format: How to identify the IFSC code of a bank

A bank’s IFSC code contains 11 characters. The first four characters of the IFSC code are alphabets denoting the name of the bank. For example:

HDFC Bank IFSC Code starts with HDFC

SBI Bank IFSC Code starts with SBIN

ICICI Bank IFSC Code starts with ICIC

Axis Bank IFSC Code starts with UTI

Canara Bank IFSC Code starts with CNRB

Bank of Baroda IFSC Code starts with BARB

Indian Bank IFSC Code starts with IDIB

PNB BANK IFSC Code starts with PUNB

Bank of India IFSC Code starts with BKID

Kotak Mahindra Bank IFSC Code starts with KKBK

Union Bank of India IFSC Code starts with UBIN

Central Bank of India IFSC Code starts with CBIN

IDBI Bank IFSC Code starts with IBKL

Indian Overseas Bank IFSC Code starts with IOBA

Yes Bank IFSC Code starts with YESB

The fifth character in IFSC Code is zero, while the remaining six characters of the bank IFSC Code are digits or numbers denoting the branch code. The last six characters are a unique part of a bank’s IFSC code.

How IFSC Code is made?

The unique IFSC code is created and assigned to the bank by RBI. Each IFSC code is unique. That means, no two bank branches can have similar IFSC codes.

Does IFSC Code information changes on the transfer of account from one branch to another?

In case of transfer of bank account from one branch to another of the same bank, the IFSC code of the new branch should be used. This is so because the IFSC code is used as an identifier of the bank branch where the account is held by the customers.

How to search bank by IFSC Code online

You can search bank IFSC Code online on this page of Financial Express website.

How to get IFSC code of bank branch

IFSC Code of the bank branch can be obtained by doing a quick search on this page. All you need is to provide the name of bank, name of the state and the city in which your bank is located and the bank’s branch.

IFSC Code database: How many IFSC codes are in India

At present, around 130,000 IFSC codes have been assigned by the Reserve Bank of India to all branches of all banks. The RBI keeps a check on the IFSC code database and makes addition or deletion in the database as per the requirement.

IFSC codes of sublet branches/small banks/co-operative banks

The RBI has alloted IFSC codes to all branches of major banks of the country. However, separate IFSC codes are not provided to sublet branches. Sublet branches refer to small banks like cooperative banks and they have not been assigned IFSC codes that can be used to identify their names. These small cooperative banks depend on larger banks for processing IFSC codes.

IFSC Codes of Payment Banks

RBI has allotted individual IFSC codes to each payment bank. For example: IFSC Code of Airtel Payment Bank is AIRP0000001.