When you set up direct deposit, authorize a pre-authorized payment, or send a wire transfer in Canada, you need to provide two separate pieces of banking information: a routing number and an account number. Many people use these terms interchangeably, but they refer to different things and serve different purposes.
Routing Number: Where Your Bank Is
Your routing number identifies your financial institution and branch within the Canadian payment system. In Canada, this is not a single number but two numbers used together:
- Institution number — 3 digits identifying your bank (e.g., 004 = TD, 003 = RBC)
- Transit number — 5 digits identifying your specific branch
Together they form an 8-digit routing reference: transit + institution.
What the routing number tells a payment system:
- Which bank to send the funds to
- Which branch of that bank to route the payment through
Analogy: The routing number is like a postal code and city for your bank branch. It narrows down the destination to the right “location” in the banking network.
Account Number: Your Specific Account
Your account number is a unique identifier (7–12 digits depending on the bank) that identifies your specific account at that branch or institution.
What the account number tells a payment system:
- Which specific account within the bank to credit or debit
Analogy: If the routing number is the address of a building, the account number is the apartment number inside it.
Account numbers are unique within a bank (or sometimes within a branch), but two different banks can issue the same account number to different customers. That is why both numbers must always be used together.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Routing Number | Account Number | |
|---|---|---|
| What it identifies | Your bank and branch | Your specific account |
| Format in Canada | 5-digit transit + 3-digit institution | 7–12 digits (varies by bank) |
| Required for direct deposit? | Yes | Yes |
| Required for wire transfers? | Yes (domestic) | Yes |
| Changes when you switch branches? | Yes — transit number changes | Sometimes — depends on the bank |
| Changes when you switch banks? | Yes | Yes |
| Found on a cheque? | Yes (bottom left/middle) | Yes (bottom right) |
Do You Ever Provide Just One Without the Other?
Almost never. The transit number, institution number, and account number are always provided as a set for any domestic electronic payment. You will rarely be asked for just one of these in isolation — they work together to uniquely identify a single account in Canada.
The one exception is international wire transfers, where your bank’s SWIFT/BIC code replaces the transit and institution numbers as the institution identifier.
Where to Find Both Numbers
On a personal cheque (MICR line at the bottom)
Reading left to right on the bottom of a Canadian cheque:
⑈ TTTTT ⑈ III ⑈ AAAAAAA
Transit Inst. Account
TTTTT= 5-digit transit numberIII= 3-digit institution numberAAAAAAA= account number
In online banking
| Bank | Where to find |
|---|---|
| RBC | Accounts → Account Details |
| TD | Accounts → Manage → Direct Deposit Info |
| BMO | Accounts → Account Details |
| Scotiabank | My Banking → Account Details |
| CIBC | Accounts → Account Details |
| Tangerine | Accounts → Account Details |
| EQ Bank | Accounts → Account Details |
Most banks also let you download a pre-filled direct deposit form (PDF) that includes all three numbers — this is the easiest option if you don’t have cheques.
When You Switch Banks or Branches
Switching banks: Both your routing information and account number change. Update your banking information with every payer (employer, CRA, etc.) separately. Keep your old account open for at least one pay cycle to catch any deposits sent to the old account.
Switching branches within the same bank: Your transit number changes, but your account number may stay the same depending on the bank. TD and RBC, for example, generally maintain the same account number when you transfer to a different branch — but confirm with your bank.