Credit cards do not have routing numbers. Routing numbers are tied to bank accounts, not credit cards. If you’re looking for a routing number to pay your credit card bill, you need it from your checking or savings account, not from the credit card itself.
Why Credit Cards Don’t Use Routing Numbers
A routing number identifies a specific financial institution so that money can be moved between bank accounts. It’s used for direct deposits, wire transfers, bill payments, and other transactions that pull from or send to a bank account.
Credit cards work differently. When you use a credit card, you’re borrowing against a credit limit rather than moving money out of a bank account. The card issuer extends you a line of credit, and you repay it later. Because no bank-to-bank transfer happens at the point of sale, routing numbers aren’t part of the process.
Numbers That Are on Your Credit Card
Your credit card has its own set of identifiers, and understanding what each one does can clear up the confusion.
- Card number (PAN): The long number across the front or back of your card, typically 15 or 16 digits. The first six to eight digits are the bank identification number (BIN), which identifies the card network (Visa, Mastercard, etc.) and the issuing bank. The next set of digits is your unique account number. The final digit is a checksum, a built-in error-detection tool that helps verify the card number is valid.
- Expiration date: The month and year the card expires. Merchants use this alongside your card number to process transactions.
- Security code (CVV, CVC, or CID): A three- or four-digit code printed on the card. Merchants ask for it during online or phone purchases to confirm you physically have the card. Merchants are not allowed to store this code after a transaction is complete.
None of these numbers function like a routing number. They identify your credit account and help authorize purchases, but they don’t route money between financial institutions.
Where to Find a Routing Number for Paying Your Credit Card Bill
If you’re trying to pay your credit card bill online and the form asks for a routing number, it’s asking for the routing number of the bank account you want to pay from, typically your checking account. You’ll also need your checking account number. Together, these two numbers let the credit card company pull the payment from your bank.
You can find your bank’s routing number in several places:
- The bottom-left corner of a personal check (it’s the first string of nine digits)
- Your bank’s website or mobile app, usually under account details
- Your bank statement
- The American Bankers Association’s routing number lookup tool
- Your bank’s customer service line
The routing number is always nine digits. If you see a longer number, you’re likely looking at your account number instead.
What About Prepaid and Debit Cards?
Debit cards are linked to a checking account, so the bank behind that account does have a routing number. But the routing number isn’t printed on the debit card itself. You’d find it in the same places listed above: your checks, bank app, or bank statement.
Some prepaid cards can receive direct deposits, and setting that up does require a routing number plus an account number. The account number for direct deposit is usually different from the number printed on the prepaid card. To get both numbers, contact the prepaid card provider’s customer service line or check their app. Not all prepaid cards support direct deposit, so confirm that feature is available before trying to set it up.
Quick Way to Tell the Difference
If the number is nine digits and identifies a bank, it’s a routing number. If it’s 15 or 16 digits and printed on a plastic or metal card, it’s a credit card number. These serve completely different purposes. A routing number directs money between institutions. A credit card number identifies your credit account so a lender can authorize a charge against your credit line. You’ll never need a routing number to use your credit card at a store or online, and you’ll never use your credit card number to set up a bank transfer.