If you are planning to receive money or send money to a building society, you may need a roll number to ensure the payment gets there safely.
Although banks and building societies primarily work in the same way and offer similar services and financial products, money transfers and payments can work differently.
Most people are used to dealing with payments to bank accounts with a 6 digit sort code and an eight digit account number.
However, Building Societies may also have a roll number which is a unique number used to identify an account.
Here’s how you can find roll numbers for a building society account.
In this article
Building society roll number
Not all building societies have them, but some older savings accounts and building society accounts may come with a roll number as well as a sort code and account number.
This roll number is very important if you want to receive a payment.
Although it’s known as a number, it’s actually a mix of letters and numbers and is unique to the account holder.
Important:
If you are making a payment online to any Building Society accounts, you must quote the roll number as the reference when you send any money.
You should not type anything else into the reference field.
Money sent will be automatically allocated to the account based on what’s included in the reference box.
Didn’t use a roll number? Sent money to the wrong place? Find out how long does it take for money to bounce back from a closed account.
How to find the number
Building society roll numbers are provided to you when you open an account.
Rather than hunting through old letters, the easiest way to find your reference code is to contact your building society directly, either over the phone or pop into your closest branch.
Although it’s just a roll number, you will need to pass security checks.
If it’s out of hours, look at any old letters to see if it’s written there.
Perhaps you have previous statements or a letter from a savings account update? Or maybe a passbook
You are looking for roll numbers, or a reference code with letters, that are usually 10 digits long but can be anywhere up to 18 digits long.
You could also look for it in your online account or banking app.
FAQs
Does my bank have a roll number?
Standard UK bank accounts have an account number and sort code. Only some Building Societies have a roll number for their accounts.
What are the main differences between a bank and building society?
You can find the difference between a bank and building society listed here.
Mostly, a building society is owned by its members. You can usually get a better rate on your savings, too, as there are no shareholders to split any profit with.
Want to keep your cash somewhere different? Here are some other places to keep your money instead of a bank.
- Where to find free perfume samples in the UK - 15th May 2022
- Free day out with Open Farm Sunday 2022 - 13th May 2022
- Motatos – new budget online only supermarket - 12th May 2022
Leave a Reply