IFSC Code Validator
Validate IFSC format and look up the bank for common Indian banks.
Written by Anil Gautam · Updated
How is an IFSC code put together?
An IFSC (Indian Financial System Code) has 11 characters in three parts. The first four letters identify the bank, the fifth character is always the digit zero, kept by RBI for future use, and the last six characters identify the branch and can be letters or digits. In HDFC0001234, the sample the page opens with, HDFC is the bank code, 0 is the fixed fifth character and 001234 is the branch code, so the tool shows HDFC Bank with bank code HDFC and branch 001234.
Each bank branch that takes part in NEFT, RTGS or IMPS has its own IFSC. The code identifies the branch only, so a transfer also needs the account number, and the two must belong together.
Why does an IFSC code fail the format check?
A frequent slip is typing the letter O in fifth place: SBINO001234 fails because that position must be the digit 0, while SBIN0001234 passes. Length is checked too, and anything other than 11 characters gets a message with the count, which catches a dropped or doubled character; the box itself stops accepting input after 11. Lowercase input is converted to capitals, so sbin0001234 works as well.
A 9-digit number printed along the bottom of a cheque is the MICR code, a separate identifier used for cheque clearing, and it fails here. Your IFSC is usually printed near the branch address on the cheque leaf and on the first page of a passbook.
What does "Unknown bank" mean in the result?
The tool names banks from a built-in list of about 30 public, private and foreign banks operating in India, such as SBIN for State Bank of India, UTIB for Axis Bank and KKBK for Kotak Mahindra Bank. A code outside that list, common for co-operative, small finance and payments banks, passes the format check and shows "Unknown bank" with a note that the format is valid. That reflects a gap in the list, and the code may be perfectly correct.
The list still includes Dena Bank, Vijaya Bank and Andhra Bank. Dena and Vijaya merged into Bank of Baroda in 2019, Andhra Bank merged into Union Bank of India in 2020, and their old branches now use the merged banks' IFSC codes. A code copied from an old cheque book can pass here and still be refused by your bank's transfer screen, so take the current code from the bank's website or a recent statement.