# Dumb question concerning bank accounts **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337 "2007-06-25T16:39:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Originals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d26b3c/32.png) [@Psycho\_Originals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Originals)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/1 "2007-06-25T16:39:32Z")
Whenever i make a deposit or withdrawel at my bank i use the generic slips they have just sitting at this counter. Well, i need to find out my bank account number for something, how can i find it out? Is it on my checks or bank statements? Can i just ask for it? ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/2 "2007-06-25T16:41:48Z")
Here’s the [location](http://www.ksfcu.org/images/Check11272005141058.gif) of the account number on a check. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/3 "2007-06-25T16:43:00Z")
It should be on the bottom of your checks. On mine there are three sets of numbers and the account number is the middle set. And yes, you can just ask–they might want you to swipe your ATM card to bring up the account, though. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/4 "2007-06-25T16:43:18Z")
Every generic slip I’ve ever seen has a space for the account number. How does your bank allow you to skip this? ---
**Author:** ![Psycho\_Originals](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/d26b3c/32.png) [@Psycho\_Originals](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Psycho_Originals)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/5 "2007-06-25T16:44:03Z")
Isn’t that a bad place to have an account number? Can’t somebody use that for identify theft purposes? ---
**Author:** ![A.R.Cane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ee7513/32.png) [@A.R.Cane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A.R.Cane)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/6 "2007-06-25T16:45:14Z")
It should be printed on your check, probably across the bottom. There will be two sets of number w/ the first being your banks ID code followed by your acct. number. If you’re making the teller look up your acct. number every time, I’ll bet you’re not their favorite customer. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/7 "2007-06-25T16:57:52Z")
[QUOTE=Psycho Originals] Isn’t that a bad place to have an account number? Can’t somebody use that for identify theft purposes? [/QUOTE] Yes. That’s why you should be careful to whom you write a check. The number on the left is a routing/transit number, and that plus the account number is pretty much what you need to make an electronic withdrawal. But the same vulnerability exists every time you make a credit card purchase, too. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/8 "2007-06-25T17:27:07Z")
[QUOTE=Psycho Originals] Whenever i make a deposit or withdrawel at my bank i use the generic slips they have just sitting at this counter. Well, i need to find out my bank account number for something, how can i find it out? Is it on my checks or bank statements? Can i just ask for it? [/QUOTE] The danger is that if you are making a deposit, and they screw up and tell you the wrong account number, and you write the wrong account number on the deposit slip, and the person whose account number it is withdraws your money, then you are likely hosed. Spend the money for pre-printed deposit slips. And if you use a teller slip, check and double check the number against your own checks. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/9 "2007-06-25T17:39:39Z")
I don’t understand how you’re using the “generic” deposit slips without knowing your account number. Every bank I’ve ever been in, if you don’t have a preprinted deposit slip you have to fill in your account number and sort-code in the spaces on the deposit slip. Otherwise how is the teller meant to know where the deposit should go? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/10 "2007-06-25T18:37:29Z")
[QUOTE=Colophon] I don’t understand how you’re using the “generic” deposit slips without knowing your account number. Every bank I’ve ever been in, if you don’t have a preprinted deposit slip you have to fill in your account number and sort-code in the spaces on the deposit slip. Otherwise how is the teller meant to know where the deposit should go? [/QUOTE] “I don’t know my account number off hand, can you look it up” usually works. The teller takes the deposit slip, writes in the number and you never see it. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/11 "2007-06-25T20:02:43Z")
[QUOTE=Psycho Originals] Isn’t that a bad place to have an account number? Can’t somebody use that for identify theft purposes? [/QUOTE] But how could the checking system work **without** it? There has to be some unique identification of the account, so the checks can be processed against that account. And the name is certainly not unique enough – in my high school class alone, there were 3 ‘Dean Johnsons’. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2007, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-question-concerning-bank-accounts/409337/12 "2007-06-25T20:16:54Z")
So every single transaction you make at the bank, the teller has to look up your account number? And the teller never suggested that you write the number ahead of time? And do you never call the bank to get account information? (I don’t know why I’m surprised. I have a cousin who claims she’s never needed to know her Social Security number. And she actually collects Social Security.)