NZ bank account numbers: A Full Guide 2024
When you open a bank account in New Zealand, or anywhere else in the world, you’ll be issued with a bank account number. This number is unique to your account, and is used to identify your account among all of the other accounts held by the bank. This means you’ll often need your bank account number if you’re receiving a payment, making an enquiry about your account with the bank, logging into your online banking system or setting up a direct debit for example.
This guide walks through what you need to know about New Zealand bank account numbers, including how they’re structured, when they’re used, and how to read yours.
List of popular NZ bank codes
So – New Zealand bank account numbers are crucial for anyone wanting to receive a payment to their account, or set up regular services like a direct debit to pay your rent or utilities. Your bank account number helps the bank identify your account to process a transaction. In fact, New Zealand bank account numbers can also give you a bit of extra information, if you can decode them – including the bank you’re with, the branch you opened your account at, and the type of account you hold.
Let’s start with an overview of some popular New Zealand Bank codes – we’ll unpick how they’re structured in just a moment.
If you’re paying a Wise account registered in New Zealand, it has a 04 prefix and the account is provided by ANZ.
| Bank name | Bank account number – prefix | Bank account number – branch range |
|---|---|---|
| ANZ | 01,04,06 and 11 | 0001 – 5699 |
| BNZ | 02 | 0001 – 1299 |
| The Co-operative Bank | 02 | 1242, 1245 – 1250 |
| Westpac | 03 | 0001 – 1999 |
| Heartland Bank | 03 | Provided by Westpac |
| NZCU | 03 | Provided by Westpac |
| Rabobank | 03 | 0001 – 1999 |
| SBS | 03 | Provided by Westpac |
| China Construction Bank | 05 | 8884 – 8889 |
| ASB | 12 | 3000 – 3999 |
| TSB | 15 | 3900 – 3999 |
| Citibank | 31 | 2800 – 2849 |
| Kiwibank | 38 | 9000 – 9499 |
| Bank of China | 88 | 8800 – 8805 |
The New Zealand bank account number format
All New Zealand bank accounts are issued in a standard format. This helps the bank find the right account, and helps a bank arranging a transfer find your account more easily to facilitate the deposit.
The format of a bank account number in New Zealand is as follows:
BBbbbbAAAAAAASSS
Here:
- BB is the 2 digit bank number
- bbbb is the 4 digit branch number showing the branch which holds your account
- AAAAAAA is the 7 digit account number, which is unique to you
- SSS is a suffix, showing the type of account. Some banks use a 2 digit suffix, which will be shown with a leading 0, making the format 0SS
We’ve looked at some popular bank and branch numbers above. If you have been given an account number with a different bank number which isn’t on the list of current New Zealand bank numbers, it may belong to legacy or non-transactional bank, for example:
- Bank number 08 – National Australia Bank
- Bank number 10 – Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
What is a NZ bank number or prefix?
The first 2 digits of a bank account number in New Zealand are the bank number, also called the prefix. These 2 digits show which bank your account is held with. For example, if you have an account with BNZ your account number will begin with 02, while Westpac accounts start with 03.
If you think of this as a postal address, this would be like a postcode, which gets the mailman to the right general area to make his delivery. The bank number is used for guiding a domestic payment to the right bank for deposit.
What is a NZ bank branch number?
After the 2 digit bank number, the next 4 digits represent the branch number. This shows you the branch which holds your account – usually the one in which you opened the account in the first place. This detail helps your own bank direct a payment once your money has arrived.
Back to our postal address analogy, you can think of the branch number like the street name – it’s not quite enough on its own – but it will get your mail (or your money) very close to where it needs to go.
What is the account number?
Your account number comes next. This is a 7 digit number, which is unique to your own account.
If this was a postal address, the account number is the house number or name – it;’s the last little detail that allows the mailman (or in our case, the bank sending a deposit to you), to get the delivery where it needs to be.
What is the NZ bank account suffix?
There’s one final bit of information in a New Zealand bank account number – the last 3 digits which are known as the suffix. These digits show the type of account, such as a savings account or an everyday checking account. In some cases, a bank will use a 2 digit code here, in which case there’s a leading 0 added to the number, to keep consistency in formatting.
Does New Zealand use the IBAN?
IBAN stands for international bank account number. This is an account formatting standard which is used in Europe and some other countries and regions. New Zealand does not use the IBAN.
If someone is sending you a payment and asks for your IBAN you’ll need to give them your full account number, including the bank and branch code and suffix, instead. If it’s an international payment, you’ll also usually need to give them the BIC/SWIFT code for your bank.
Sending money to and from New Zealand: A cheap option
If you need to send or receive international payments, a Wise account might make life easier and cheaper.
Open your Wise account online or in app, to send fast or even instant payments to 160+ countries from New Zealand, with the mid-market exchange rate and conversion and transfer fees from just 0.33%. You’ll be able to pay using a local payment method like POLi, your bank account or card, and your money will be deposited to your recipient’s bank account directly. Over 60% of transfers arrive in seconds, and 90%+ are there in 24 hours.
Wise can also help if you’re receiving payments in NZD. Have the person sending you money from overseas arrange a Wise transfer to your bank account – or open a Wise account to receive payments in NZD and 8+ other currencies, with local account details. You can hold your balance in NZD or any other supported currency, send money to others, withdraw to your bank, or get a Wise card to spend at home or abroad.
FAQ:
- What are NZD account details?
New Zealand account details include an account number which is made up of a bank number, branch number, account number and suffix. This information is crucial when receiving a payment, to guide your money to the right place for deposit.
- What is a bank prefix?
The first 2 digits of a bank account number in New Zealand are the bank prefix. These 2 digits show which bank your account is held with.
- What is a branch number?
After your bank number, the next 4 digits in your New Zealand bank account number are the branch number. This shows the branch which holds your account – usually the one in which you opened the account in the first place.
- What happens if I use the wrong bank account?
If you send money to the wrong bank account number it may be delayed, rejected, returned, or deposited in the wrong account altogether. Double check all the details you have before you initiate a payment to avoid any problems down the line.
