IFSC & MICR Code Guide
IFSC codes, explained
Every bank branch in India that participates in electronic payments carries an eleven-character code called an IFSC (Indian Financial System Code), issued by the Reserve Bank of India. Read left to right, it packs in three pieces of information: the first four letters name the bank, a fixed "0" sits in the fifth spot as a separator, and the remaining six characters pin down the exact branch. Banking systems rely on this code, rather than a branch address, to route NEFT, RTGS, and IMPS transfers to the right place.
Finding your code
The fastest option is usually the one you're already using: type a bank name and city, a branch name, or the code itself into the search box on this page and you'll get the branch record directly.
If you'd rather confirm it another way, it's also printed on the first page of your passbook and along the bottom of every cheque leaf, and most banks list it in the branch locator on their own website.
Why it matters
Two branches of the same bank — even two branches in the same city — never share an IFSC, so the code is the one piece of routing information a transfer can't succeed without. Get the account number right but the IFSC wrong and the payment either bounces back or, worse, lands at an unintended branch. Entering it correctly is what lets NEFT, RTGS, and IMPS confirm a transfer in minutes rather than needing manual verification.
MICR: the cheque code
MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) solves a similar problem for paper cheques instead of electronic transfers. It's a nine-digit number printed in special magnetic ink so that cheque-sorting machines can read it optically without manual data entry, which is what lets banks clear large volumes of cheques quickly and with fewer errors.
| IFSC | MICR | |
|---|---|---|
| Used for | Online transfers — NEFT, RTGS, IMPS | Cheque clearing |
| Format | 11 characters, letters + digits | 9 digits |
| First part identifies | The bank | The city |
| Last part identifies | The branch | The branch |
NEFT vs RTGS vs IMPS
All three move money using the same IFSC, but they differ in when they run and what a bank is allowed to charge for them. Figures below are typical fee ceilings — your bank sets its own charges under these limits, and many banks now waive NEFT fees entirely for savings accounts, so treat this as a rough guide rather than a quote.
| Method | Available | Typical fee (up to ₹10k) | Typical fee (above ₹2L) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NEFT | 8 AM–7 PM, weekdays | ₹2–3 | up to ₹25 |
| RTGS | 9 AM–4:30 PM, weekdays | not applicable (₹2L minimum) | up to ₹50 |
| IMPS | 24×7, every day | ₹5–10 | up to ₹15 |
How a transfer is routed
When you send money, your bank's system reads the recipient's IFSC in two stages: the bank-identifying prefix tells it which clearing network to hand the payment off to, and once it arrives at that bank, the branch-identifying suffix tells that bank's internal systems which branch — and therefore which account — should receive it. That's the whole reason the code needs to be exact: a single wrong character can point a payment at a completely different branch.
Frequently Asked Questions
IFSC (Indian Financial System Code) is an 11-character alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies a bank branch participating in NEFT, RTGS, and IMPS electronic funds transfer systems in India. The first 4 characters identify the bank, the 5th is always "0", and the last 6 identify the branch.
The MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) code is a 9-digit code printed on your cheque leaf. You can also look it up by searching for your branch's IFSC code on this site — the branch detail page shows the MICR code alongside other branch details.
No. Each branch of a bank has its own unique IFSC code. Even branches of the same bank in the same city will have different IFSC codes.
Yes, the IFSC code is the same across NEFT, RTGS, and IMPS — but not every branch supports every mode. Check the branch detail page on this site for which transfer modes are available at a specific branch.
No. An IFSC code and a branch code are different things, though related. The branch code is usually the last 6 characters of the IFSC — a shorter identifier used internally by some banks — while the IFSC is the full 11-character code required for NEFT/RTGS/IMPS transfers.
A branch code narrows down a single location within a bank, the way a house number narrows down an address on a street. It's a shorter, informal identifier some banks use internally, separate from the full IFSC that online transfer systems actually require.
Your IFSC code is printed on your bank passbook and cheque leaf. You can also search for it on this site by bank name and city, or by branch name.
Yes. When banks merge, branches are usually migrated to the acquiring bank's IFSC codes over time, so an old IFSC code may stop working. Always verify the current IFSC code before making a transfer if the bank has recently been involved in a merger.