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Credit cards don’t have routing numbers. A routing number identifies a bank, and a credit card isn’t a bank account. It’s a line of credit from your card issuer.
The confusion usually starts when you pay your card bill. That form asks for a routing number, and it means the one for your bank account.
Do cards have routing numbers?
No. When you pay with a credit card, you’re borrowing from the card issuer, so your bank account isn’t involved. It only comes in later, when you pay your credit card bill. If your issuer’s payment page asks for a routing number, enter your bank’s, along with your bank account number.
Routing number means bank account. If a payment page asks for a routing number, it's pulling from your checking account, not a card. You'll find both numbers on a check or in your banking app. Issuers generally won't let you pay one card with another, which is why there's no card field here.
What is a routing number?
A routing number is a nine-digit code that identifies your bank or credit union. It’s how a payroll system, a biller, or another bank knows where to send money or where to pull it from. Many banks use one routing number for every branch. Larger banks may have several, depending on location or account type.
Together, your routing number and account number work like an address. The routing number is the street, and the account number is your house number.
Read more >> How to Read a Check: Routing Numbers, Account Numbers, and More
Credit card numbers vs. routing numbers
The individual digits in each number mean different things. On a credit card, the first digit points to the card network, the next several identify the issuer, and the last is a check digit that catches typos.
A routing number works the same way: the first four digits point to a Federal Reserve district and processing center, the next four identify the bank, and the ninth is a check digit.
Read more >> How Many Numbers Are on a Credit Card?
Bottom line
Credit cards don’t have routing numbers. Your card number routes purchases to your issuer, and your bank’s routing number only comes in when you pay the bill.
What those numbers don’t show is the rate. Two people can hold the same card with very different APRs, because issuers price on credit history. A Kikoff Credit Account adds on-time payments to your reports at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion before your next application. There’s no credit check to sign up, and plans start at $5 a month.
Frequently Asked Questions
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog post is meant for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.
