About banks in New Zealand

New Zealand bank account numbers holding New Zealand Dollars (NZD) follow a standardised format of 15 or 16 digits:

• a prefix representing the bank and branch (six digits), otherwise known as the National Clearing Code (NCC);
• the body (seven digits); and
• the suffix representing the product/account type (two or three digits).

While the New Zealand format is similar to Australia's Bank State Branch (BSB), the two systems are not interchangeable. New Zealand bank account numbers in foreign currencies vary by bank.

Bank codes are coordinated by Payments NZ who administer the Bulk Electronic Clearing System (BECS).

What is a National Clearing Code (NCC)?

A National Clearing Code (NCC) is the six digit code used to uniquely identify a bank and branch in New Zealand. These are sometimes known as bank codes, sort codes or BSB numbers.

What is the account suffix used for?

The account suffix indicates the bank account or product type.

While the account suffix is three digits, most banks leave off the leading zero digit.