Bank Details on Invoice: IBAN, SWIFT and Routing Number Guide

Quick answer: The bank details on an invoice should include the account holder name, bank name, and the identifiers your client's bank needs: a routing number and account number for US payments, a sort code and account number in the UK, an IBAN and BIC in Europe, and a SWIFT/BIC code plus IBAN or account number for international transfers. Add a payment reference, ideally your invoice number, so the payment can be matched.

This guide lists exactly which details to show by country, explains IBAN, SWIFT and routing numbers in plain English, shows a sample payment block, and covers the fraud risks every business should guard against. You can paste your details into the payment section of any invoice built with our free invoice generator.

Why bank details belong on the invoice itself

Clients pay faster when everything they need is on one page. If your bank details are buried in an old email or a supplier form, the client's accounts team has to go looking, and some will simply wait for you to chase. Putting payment details on every invoice also reduces the chance that a client pays into an outdated account, and it creates a clear record of where you asked to be paid. It is one of the basic fields in our guide to how to create an invoice.

Which bank details to include, by country

Where the payment is going	Details to include	Format example
United States (domestic ACH or wire)	Account name, bank name, routing number (ABA), account number, account type	Routing: 9 digits
United Kingdom (domestic)	Account name, bank name, sort code, account number	Sort code 12-34-56, account number 8 digits
Eurozone and SEPA countries	Account name, IBAN, BIC	German IBAN: 22 characters starting DE
United Arab Emirates	Account name, bank name, IBAN, SWIFT/BIC	UAE IBAN: 23 characters starting AE
Pakistan	Account title, bank name, branch, IBAN, SWIFT/BIC for foreign transfers	Pakistan IBAN: 24 characters starting PK
Any international transfer	Account name, IBAN or account number, SWIFT/BIC, bank name and address; for US accounts, routing number too	SWIFT/BIC: 8 or 11 characters

Our country presets set the right currency and tax ID labels: try the USA invoice generator, UK invoice generator, UAE invoice generator or Pakistan invoice generator, then add the bank details for that market.

IBAN, SWIFT, routing number and sort code explained

IBAN

The International Bank Account Number identifies one specific account. It starts with a two-letter country code and two check digits, followed by the bank and account identifiers. Length is fixed per country: 22 characters in the UK and Germany, 23 in the UAE, 24 in Pakistan. The check digits let banks catch most typos before money moves.

SWIFT / BIC

The SWIFT code, also called a BIC (Bank Identifier Code), identifies the bank, not the account. It is 8 or 11 characters: bank code, country code, location and optional branch code. International transfers outside SEPA nearly always need it.

Routing number (ABA)

US banks use a 9-digit routing number to identify the bank for domestic transfers. Some banks publish a different routing number for wires than for ACH, so label each one clearly. The US does not use IBANs; overseas payers sending money to a US account use the SWIFT code plus your account number.

Sort code

UK banks use a 6-digit sort code with an 8-digit account number for domestic payments. Overseas payers sending pounds to a UK account will usually need your IBAN and BIC instead.

Sample bank details block for an invoice

Keep the block short, labeled and copy-friendly. Here is an example for a UK business billing both domestic and overseas clients (all numbers are placeholders):

Payment by bank transfer
Account name: Northbrook Studio Ltd
Bank: Example Bank plc
Sort code: 12-34-56 · Account number: 12345678
IBAN: GB00 EXMP 1234 5612 3456 78 · BIC: EXMPGB2L
Reference: INV-2026-0213
Our bank details will never change by email. If you receive a message saying they have, call us on 020 7946 0000 before paying.

Using the invoice number as the reference makes reconciliation simple. For a field-by-field look at who pays which transfer charges abroad, see how to invoice international clients.

International transfer charges: OUR, SHA and BEN

On international wires, the sender usually chooses who pays the fees. OUR means the sender pays all charges, SHA means charges are shared, and BEN means the recipient pays. With SHA or BEN, intermediary and receiving bank fees can reduce what arrives. If you need the full amount, state on the invoice that bank charges are the payer's responsibility and agree it in your contract. Fees vary by bank and route, so check with your own bank what it charges for incoming transfers. For a comparison of US transfer types, read ACH vs wire transfer.

Protect clients from invoice fraud

The biggest risk with bank details is not that someone sees yours. It is that a fraudster sends your client a fake invoice, or a convincing email, saying your bank details have changed. This is often called invoice redirection fraud or business email compromise, and the money is frequently unrecoverable once sent. Practical safeguards:

1. Add a fixed warning line to every invoice stating that your bank details will not change by email.
2. Verify every change by phone using a number already on file, never a number in the email requesting the change. Encourage your clients to do the same, and do it yourself when a supplier says their details changed.
3. Use account-name checks where available. UK banks offer Confirmation of Payee, and EU payment providers now offer Verification of Payee for euro credit transfers, both of which check the account name against the account number before payment.
4. Send a test payment for large first payments or after a genuine change, and confirm receipt before sending the balance.
5. Secure your email account with strong passwords and two-factor authentication, since compromised mailboxes are the usual starting point.
6. Issue a formal notice for real changes. If you do switch banks, tell clients in advance through more than one channel and update your invoice template on a set date.

Where to put bank details on the invoice

Bank details belong in the payment section, usually at the bottom of the invoice below the totals, or in a clearly labeled box beside the amount due. A few layout habits make them easier to use:

• Give them a heading such as "How to pay" or "Payment by bank transfer," so they are easy to find at a glance.
• One detail per line with a label in front of each number. Long strings run together are easy to mistype.
• Group IBANs in blocks of four characters when displaying them; payers can still enter them without spaces.
• Use selectable text, not an image, so the client can copy and paste instead of retyping.
• Separate domestic and international details if you bill both, with a short heading for each.
• Keep the reference instruction prominent. "Please use INV-2026-0213 as your reference" matters as much as the account number.

If you bill clients in more than one currency, consider listing a separate account for each currency rather than asking clients to convert. Receiving in the client's currency into a matching account can avoid conversion costs on their side, which tends to mean fewer short payments on yours. Whatever you list, double-check it against a recent bank statement every time you update your template; one transposed digit can send a payment back days later.

Common mistakes with invoice bank details

• Account name that does not match the business name on the invoice, which can trigger name-check warnings.
• Missing SWIFT/BIC for overseas clients, or an IBAN with a typo.
• Using the ACH routing number when the client is sending a wire.
• No payment reference, leaving unmatched payments in your account.
• Old bank details left in a saved template after switching banks.

More billing slip-ups are listed in our guide to common invoice mistakes.

Offer a faster option alongside bank transfer

Bank transfers are often the cheapest way to get paid, but some clients prefer to pay by card. Listing both gives them a choice. See how to add a payment link to an invoice and our guide to accepting credit card payments if you want to add one.

Fraudsters often target exactly these details. Read how to spot invoice scams so you and your clients know how to verify a change of bank account.

Add your bank details to an invoice now

Open the invoice generator, choose a structured layout such as the Corporate invoice template, and paste your labeled bank details and payment reference into the payment section. Your draft is saved in your browser, so your bank details are ready for the next invoice on the same device.