Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
ABA transit number

ABA transit number

7.9
A number that shows a United States bank's location and tells which bank it is
  • noun
  • /ˈeɪˌbiːˈeɪ ˈtrænzɪt ˈnʌmbər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : número de tránsito ABA
  • Every check issued by a bank in the United States shows its ABA transit number in the upper right corner.

Examples

  • Many online payment forms will request your bank's ABA transit number to ensure funds are routed properly.

  • To process wire transfers accurately, you need to provide the correct ABA transit number.

  • You need to provide your ABA transit number for the wire transfer.

  • The bank's ABA transit number is essential for processing transactions.

  • Every check issued by a bank in the United States shows its ABA transit number in the upper right corner.

  • Many online payment forms will request your bank's ABA transit number to ensure funds are routed properly.

  • To process wire transfers accurately, you need to provide the correct ABA transit number.

Synonyms

BIN
vsABA transit number
  • Specialized
15 8.3

A number that shows which bank issued a credit or debit card

is limited to US banks and savings associations rather than all financial institutions
bank identification number
vsABA transit number
  • Specialized
3.7

A code of digits that shows which bank or card company handles a payment

focuses on a two-part routing code for US banks and savings associations

Surface Forms

ABA transit number singular
ABA transit numbers plural

Morphology

ABA + transit + number

The term refers to a specific banking routing code (ABA = American Bankers Association) rather than a literal passage or voyage, so the constituent meanings 'ABA' (an unfamiliar acronym), 'transit' (passage), and 'number' (identifier) do not combine to give the banking sense. This is a technical, culture- and domain-specific label that a B1 learner who only knows the literal constituent words would not be able to derive.

Etymology

ABA transit number comes from the ABA, a group of bankers in the United States, and the old word transit, meaning 'to travel' or 'move'. It was a code that showed where a check should 'travel', so today the number tells banks where to send money and helps route payments.