Why check a list

Supplier files, payroll exports and customer forms collect bank codes typed by hand. One wrong character can send a payment back days later, with fees. Checking the whole column before a payment run catches typing mistakes in seconds.

What each line is checked against

BIC: 8 or 11 characters; letters in positions 1 to 6, letters or digits after that, following the 4!a 2!a 2!c [3!c] format in SWIFT's policy (SWIFT). An 8th character 1 marks a non-connected BIC; a branch of XXX means the primary office.
IBAN: 15 to 34 characters, starting with a two-letter country code and two check digits, and passing the modulo 97 test from the IBAN standard (ISO 13616). The tool does not check each country's exact length; see the IBAN page.

Lines longer than 11 characters, or starting with two letters and two digits, are treated as IBANs; the rest as BICs.

Interpreting the answer

The bar shows how many codes pass. The table gives the reason for each failure: wrong length, a digit where a letter belongs, or wrong IBAN check digits, which almost always means a typo. Export the table to fix the source file.

What it cannot tell you

A code that passes is well formed. It may still not exist, be closed or belong to someone else. For payments, confirm with the bank and, in the EU, use the payee name check described on verification of payee.