Transit number
The five-digit number that identifies the branch of a Canadian bank or credit union where an account is held.
In short
- Five digits, identifying the branch where the account is held.
- On a cheque it comes first, before the three-digit institution number.
- Electronic payments use 0 + institution number + transit number, nine digits with no dash.
A transit number (or branch transit number) is the five-digit code that identifies a specific branch of a Canadian financial institution. Together with the three-digit institution number and the account number, it tells a payer exactly where to send money.
Where to find it
- On a cheque: after the cheque number, the numbers along the bottom read transit number, then institution number, then account number. On a cheque from branch 12345 of RBC, the first two blocks read
12345-003. - In online banking: most banks show a direct deposit form or account details page with all three numbers, which is what an employer or supplier asks for.
- On a bank letter or statement: usually printed beside the account number.
The electronic routing number
Paper cheques put the transit number first. Electronic payments (direct deposit, pre-authorized debits, EFT) use a nine-digit routing number in the other order: a leading 0, the institution number, then the transit number. Branch 12345 of RBC becomes 000312345. Payments Canada's branch directory lists every bank branch in both formats, and bank transit numbers in Canada makes that list searchable, bank by bank. For a full walk-through, see bank routing numbers in Canada.
Is the branch number the same as the transit number?
Yes. The Government of Canada's direct deposit form calls the five digits the branch number, and other forms call them the transit number or branch transit number. On a cheque, they are the first five digits after the cheque number. See how to read a void cheque.
Worked example
Setting up a new supplier
A supplier's void cheque shows 12345-003-1234567. The transit number is 12345, the institution number is 003 (RBC) and the account number is 1234567. In a payment file that asks for a routing number, the same branch is entered as 000312345.