Bank validation API

Sort code and bank account number validation

Postcoder validates UK bank account details and auto-fills payment and Direct Debit forms. Reduce customer frustration, payment errors and bank charges by adding bank validation to your website and app.

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Bank account validation

- Result Valid bank account
- Bank BANK OF ENGLAND
- Branch HEAD OFFICE
- Direct debits accepted
- Chaps
- Bacs
- Sort code 100000
- Account number 31510604

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Bank validation API

Postcoder bank validation works by querying the extended industry sort code directory (EISCD) to gather the most up-to-date and detailed information from the UK's financial institutions.

Validates UK sort codes and account numbers
Converts details into the required BACS format
Auto-fills UK bank and branch details

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POST /pcw/PCW45-12345-12345-1234X/bank?format=json
{
	"sortcode": "10-00-00",
	"accountnumber": "31510604"
}
----
{
	"valid": true,
	"stateid": 0,
	"sortcode": "100000",
	"accountnumber": "31510604",
	"directdebits": true,
	"fasterpayments": true,
	"chaps": true,
	"bacs": true,
	"bankbic": "BKENGB33",
	"branchbic": "XXX"
	"bankname": "BANK OF ENGLAND"
	"branchname": "HEAD OFFICE"
	"addressline1": "Threadneedle Street"
	"addressline2": ""
	"addressline3": ""
	"addressline4": ""
	"posttown": "London"
	"postcode": "EC2R 8AH"
	"phone1": "020 34614717"
	"phone2": ""
}

Sort code

10-00-00

Account number

31510604

Submit details

"1 in 40 sort codes and account numbers are entered incorrectly."
Source: Unified Software

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Validate, format and auto-fill

Unlock efficiency with Postcoder bank validation

Validate UK sort codes and account numbers
Postcoder enables you to instantly verify sort code and account number combinations, and identify whether an account supports Direct Debits, CHAPS and Faster Payments (FPS).
```
{
	...
	"valid": true,
	"directdebits": true,
	"fasterpayments": true,
	"chaps": true,
	"bacs": true,
	...
}
```
Convert details into the required BACS format
People fill in their bank account details with additional spaces and hyphens in different places. Postcoder automatically transposes these details into the precise format expected required by BACS.
Sort code
10-00-00
Account number
31510604
{ ... "sortcode": "100000", "accountnumber": "31510604" ... }

Auto-fill UK bank and branch details

Postcoder provides the Bank Identifier Code (BIC), the Branch Identification Code (Swift Code), the bank and branch names, and the address and telephone numbers to use for BACS enquiries.

{
	...
	"bankbic": "BKENGB33",
	"branchbic": "XXX",
	"bankname": "BANK OF ENGLAND",
	"branchname": "HEAD OFFICE",
	"addressline1": "Threadneedle Street",
	"addressline2": "",
	"addressline3": "",
	"addressline4": "",
	"posttown": "London",
	"postcode": "EC2R 8AH",
	"phone1": "020 34614717",
	"phone2": ""
	...
}

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Simplify payments

Exceed expectations and reduce costs

Reduce fraud
Strengthen your KYC and KYB checks and protect your organisation by ensuring people provide valid details.
Avoid failed payments
Verify bank accounts and check whether they support direct debits, faster payments and CHAPS.
Minimise admin costs
Avoid unnecessary bank charges and internal admin associated with re-processing failed payments.

Enhance customer experience
Validate customer details in real-time and avoid the risk of asking them to correct their details later.
Improve employee satisfaction
Reduce payroll issues and salary delays by validating employee bank details as soon as they're provided.
Autocomplete bank forms
Automatically fill in direct debit forms and bank forms with all required details, quickly and accurately.

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Highly rated by customers

An award-winning API with top-tier performance, easy admin and great support

Customers love Postcoder according to independent user reviews on the world's most trusted software marketplace. Start a free trial and find out what you've been missing.

Simple, straightforward and easy to integrate

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100% developer-friendly

An optimised developer experience

Get up and running with bank validation in minutes using the quick start guide, sample code and API docs.

Handles spaces and non-numerics
Works with single request/response
Includes free multi-channel support

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bank.js

bank.py

bank.php

bank.cs

// Prepare request URL
let url = `https://ws.postcoder.com/pcw/${key}/bank`

// Return JSON ♥
url += `?format=json`;

// Tag request for easy reporting
url += `&identifier=dd_setup`;

// Prepare request body
let body = {
	sortcode: `${user_sort_code}`,
	accountnumber: `${user_account_number}`
};

POST /pcw/PCW45-12345-12345-1234X/bank?format=json&identifier=dd_setup

{
	"sortcode": "10-00-00",
	"accountnumber": "31510604"
}
----
{
	"valid": true,
	"stateid": 0,
	"sortcode": "100000",
	"accountnumber": "31510604",
	"directdebits": true,
	"fasterpayments": true,
	"chaps": true,
	"bacs": true,
	"bankbic": "BKENGB33",
	"branchbic": "XXX",
	"bankname": "BANK OF ENGLAND",
	"branchname": "HEAD OFFICE",
	"addressline1": "Threadneedle Street",
	"addressline2": "",
	"addressline3": "",
	"addressline4": "",
	"posttown": "London",
	"postcode": "EC2R 8AH",
	"phone1": "020 34614717",
	"phone2": ""
}

Simplified admin

Buy credits, check usage and configure security with ease

Use the feature-rich admin area to set up and manage your account. It is natively mobile and desktop-friendly so whether you're updating a setting on the go or doing a deep-dive at your desk, it will be the same seamless experience. It supports dark mode too.

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Postcoder helps organisations in the UK and worldwide achieve measurable improvements in their form conversions and data quality. After integrating Postcoder, many of them report increased onboarding numbers, faster form completion, and a surge in quality leads. Postcoder captures contact details you can rely on.

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