What If My Bank Changes Its Routing Number?

The routing number your bank uses identifies that financial institution and makes it possible for financial transactions, such as direct deposits and automatic payments, to go through smoothly. If your bank is acquired by another financial institution, you may discover that your routing number has changed. It that happens, you need to adjust the information on your direct deposit instructions and update any automatic payment information as well. You'll likely be able to find your new routing number on the bottom of new checks, on the account details within the online banking portal and possibly on your bank's website.

Your routing number is printed on your checks. So if that number changes, you will need to order new checks. If your bank has been taken over by another financial institution, the new bank may send you replacement checks as a matter of course. If you do not receive new checks within a few weeks of the routing number change, contact your local branch to place an order for replacement checks.

If you have direct deposit set up for your paycheck or government payment, you will need to update those accounts with the new routing number for your bank. If your employer or the government agency attempts to deposit money into your account with the wrong routing number, the payment will be rejected, delaying your money and impacting your finances.

It is a good idea to go back through your most recent bank statements to locate any direct deposit payments. Then contact each of those payers and give them the new routing number for your bank.

Setting up automatic payments for your bills is very convenient. However, it can cause problems with payments getting through if the routing number is not correct. For example, if your Capital One routing number changed due to an account conversion, the bank says that domestic payments may still work for some time, but it mentions you'll still need to provide the new routing number moving forward as well as for international transactions.

Having payments fail due to a routing number change could result in late payments and associated charges, so it is important to update those accounts as soon as you receive notification of the routing number change. Locate each automatic payment on your bank statement then contact each company to revise your payment instructions.

If you have your bank's routing number written down with your financial records, it is important to update those records as soon as you learn of any change in the number. The typical consumer only uses the routing number occasionally. So, if you do not update your written records, you could find yourself using the wrong routing number the next time you need to set up a direct deposit or schedule a bill payment.

It is especially important to update your routing number if you have your tax refund deposited into that account. Pull out a copy of last year's tax return and post a sticky note on the form with the new routing number. This will help ensure you do not simply copy last year's information to this year's tax return and use the wrong routing number.