One of the numbers you will need when making money transfers to your savings or chequing account is a bank institution number. Others include your account number and your bank transit number.
By entering these numbers correctly, you will avoid delays or cancellations when sending or receiving money transfers.
Since each Canadian bank has its unique institution number, it’s essential to know your existing bank institution number as much as you know your bank transit number and your account number.
In this article, you will learn about the Canadian bank institution numbers starting from the big banks to the other banks.
What is a Bank Institution Number in Canada?
A bank institution number simply refers to a unique number attributed to a bank or financial institution.
In Canada, a bank institution number has three-digit codes which can be found at the bottom of a cheque along with a transit number and bank account number.
The transit number, also known as “branch number” has five-digit codes and it indicates the branch of a given bank. On the other hand, bank account numbers in Canada have 7-11 digits.
When making transactions in Canada, you will need to enter both your bank institution number, transit number and account number.
Canadian Bank Institution Numbers of the Big Banks
Each Canadian bank or financial institution is identified by a unique institution number.
Here we shall examine the all Canadian bank institution numbers starting from the six big banks and some of the popular online banks:
| Bank Name | Institution Number |
|---|---|
| Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) | 003 |
| Bank of Nova Scotia (Scotiabank) | 002 |
| Bank of Montreal (BMO) | 001 |
| Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) | 010 |
| Toronto-Dominion Bank (TD) | 004 |
| National Bank of Canada | 006 |
| EQ Bank | 623 |
| Tangerine Bank | 614 |
Other Canadian Institution Numbers
The following are the Canadian institution numbers of other banks and financial institutions listed in alphabetical order.
| Bank/Financial Institution Name | Institution Number |
|---|---|
| Airline Financial Credit Union Limited | 830 |
| All Trans Financial Services Credit Union Limited | 810 |
| Alterna Savings and Credit Union | 842 |
| Amex Bank of Canada | 303 |
| ATB Financial | 219 |
| Atlantic Central | 839 |
| B2B Bank | 618 |
| Bank of America, National Association | 241 |
| Bank of Canada | 177 |
| Bank of China (Canada) | 308 |
| Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (Canada) | 245 |
| Bank West | 342 |
| Barclay’s Bank PLC, Canada Branch | 360 |
| BNP Paribas | 250 |
| Bridgewater Bank | 347 |
| Caisse Populaire Acadienne ltée (NB) | 865 |
| Caisse Populaire Alliance Limitée | 890 |
| Caisse Populaire Group Financier Ltée (MB) | 819 |
| Canadian Tire Bank | 338 |
| Canadian Western Bank | 030 |
| Capital One Bank (Canada Branch) | 323 |
| Central 1 Credit Union British Columbia | 809 |
| Central 1 Credit Union Ontario | 828 |
| CIBC Trust Corporation | 548 |
| Citibank Canada | 260 |
| Citibank N.A. | 328 |
| Citizens Bank of Canada | 309 |
| Coast Capital Savings Federal Credit Union | 382 |
| Comerica Bank | 330 |
| Communication Technologies Credit Union Limited | 807 |
| Community Trust Company | 507 |
| Concentra Financial Services Association | 853 |
| Credit Union Central Alberta Limited | 899 |
| Credit Union Central of Manitoba Limited | 879 |
| Credit Union Central of Saskatchewan | 889 |
| CS Alterna Bank | 608 |
| CTBC Bank of Canada | 315 |
| Deutsche Bank AG | 265 |
| DirectCash Bank | 352 |
| Dundalk District Credit Union Limited | 828 |
| Edward Jones | 701 |
| Effort Trust Company | 532 |
| Fifth Third Bank, National Association | 345 |
| First Commercial Bank | 332 |
| First Nations Bank of Canada | 310 |
| General Bank of Canada | 344 |
| Golden Horseshoe Credit Union Limited | 854 |
| Habib Canadian Bank | 321 |
| Haventree Bank | 381 |
| HomeEquity Bank | 358 |
| Home Trust Company | 627 |
| HSBC Bank Canada | 016 |
| HSBC Mortgage Corporation (Canada) | 604 |
| ICICI Bank Canada | 340 |
| Industrial Alliance Trust Inc. | 625 |
| Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Canada) | 307 |
| Investors Group Trust Co. Ltd. | 536 |
| J.P. Morgan Bank Canada | 314 |
| JPMorgan Chase Bank National Association | 270 |
| Korea Exchange Bank of Canada | 275 |
| La Caisse Centrale Desjardins Du Québec | 815 |
| La FéCaisse Desjardins Ontario Credit Union Inc. | 829 |
| Laurentian Bank of Canada | 039 |
| Laurentian Trust of Canada Inc. | 522 |
| M&T Bank | 357 |
| Manulife Bank of Canada | 540 |
| Manulife Trust Company | 626 |
| Mega International Commercial Bank (Canada) | 269 |
| Meridian Credit Union | 837 |
| Mizuho Corporate Bank Ltd. Canada Branch | 277 |
| Montreal Trust Company of Canada | 550 |
| Motus Bank | 374 |
| National Trust Company | 590 |
| Ontario Civil Service Credit Union Limited | 846 |
| Peace Hills Trust Company | 568 |
| Peoples Trust Company | 621 |
| President’s Choice Bank | 320 |
| Rabobank Nederland | 322 |
| President’s Choice Financial | 326 |
| Royal Bank Mortgage Corporation | 592 |
| Royal Trust Corporation of Canada | 580 |
| SBI Canada Bank | 294 |
| Scotia Mortgage Corporation | 606 |
| Shinhan Bank Canada | 355 |
| Société Générale (Canada Branch) | 292 |
| Société Générale (Canada Branch) Ontario | 346 |
| State Street | 327 |
| Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation of Canada | 301 |
| Sun Life Financial Trust Inc. | 551 |
| TD Mortgage Corporation | 597 |
| TD Pacific Mortgage Corporation | 603 |
| The Bank of New York Mellon | 242 |
| The Canada Trust Company | 509 |
| The Equitable Trust Company | 623 |
| The Northern Trust Company Canada Branch | 349 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | 318 |
| UBS AG Canada Branch | 339 |
| UBS Bank (Canada) | 290 |
| United Overseas Bank Limited | 335 |
| Vancity Community Investment Bank | 309 |
| VersaBank | 334 |
| Wealth One Bank of Canada | 370 |
| Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, Canadian Branch | 362 |
Note: If you want to access the postal code, branch address or routing number of your bank or credit union, visit Payments Canada.
Where to Find Your Canadian Institution and Transit Number
Your physical cheque or void cheque are the fastest and easiest place to get your bank’s institution number and transit number.
If you don’t have a physical cheque, you can easily get a copy of your void cheque by logging to your financial institution’s online banking platform.
The cheque will usually have your institution number (3 digits), transit number (5 digits) and account number as a series of numbers on the lower part as shown in the image below.
If you don’t have access to a cheque, then calling your bank’s customer care is another option.
Some FAQs on Canadian Bank Institution Numbers
Canadian banks have a three-digit institution number that serves as their identity.
Your bank institution number is located at the bottom of your cheque with a three-digit code. But if you don’t have a cheque, you can identify your bank institution number through any of the following ways: (a) Log in to the online banking portal of your bank or (b) Contact your bank or financial institution
No. An institution number identifies a bank or financial institution while a branch number identifies the branch of a bank. In Canada, institution numbers have three-digit codes while branch numbers have 5-digit codes.
Online banks have the same institution number as their parent bank. For example, EQ Bank shares the institution number 623 with its parent, Equitable Trust.
Final Thoughts on Canadian Financial Institution Numbers
The Canadian bank institution numbers identify the different banks in the country in no hierarchical order.
To setup direct deposits to your bank account, you must provide the right institution number as well as the correct transit number and your bank account number. Good news is that all the three numbers can be found in one place – at the bottom of your cheque.
If you don’t have a cheque, don’t hesitate to contact your financial institution or log in to the online banking portal of your bank.
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