Ask users for Bank details
This guidance is for government teams that build online services. To find information and services for the public, go to GOV.UK.
<h1 class="govuk-heading-l">Bank or building society account details</h1>
<div class="govuk-form-group">
<label class="govuk-label" for="name-on-the-account">
Name on the account
</label>
<input class="govuk-input" id="name-on-the-account" name="nameOnTheAccount" type="text" spellcheck="false" autocomplete="name">
</div>
<div class="govuk-form-group">
<label class="govuk-label" for="sort-code">
Sort code
</label>
<div id="sort-code-hint" class="govuk-hint">
Must be 6 digits long
</div>
<input class="govuk-input govuk-input--width-5 govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing" id="sort-code" name="sortCode" type="text" spellcheck="false" aria-describedby="sort-code-hint" inputmode="numeric">
</div>
<div class="govuk-form-group">
<label class="govuk-label" for="account-number">
Account number
</label>
<div id="account-number-hint" class="govuk-hint">
Must be between 6 and 8 digits long
</div>
<input class="govuk-input govuk-input--width-10 govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing" id="account-number" name="accountNumber" type="text" spellcheck="false" aria-describedby="account-number-hint" inputmode="numeric">
</div>
<div class="govuk-form-group">
<label class="govuk-label" for="roll-number">
Building society roll number (if you have one)
</label>
<div id="roll-number-hint" class="govuk-hint">
You can find it on your card, statement or passbook
</div>
<input class="govuk-input govuk-input--width-10 govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing" id="roll-number" name="rollNumber" type="text" spellcheck="false" aria-describedby="roll-number-hint">
</div>
<button class="govuk-button" data-module="govuk-button">
Continue
</button>{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}
{% from "govuk/components/input/macro.njk" import govukInput %}
<h1 class="govuk-heading-l">Bank or building society account details</h1>
{{ govukInput({
label: {
text: "Name on the account"
},
id: "name-on-the-account",
name: "nameOnTheAccount",
autocomplete: "name",
spellcheck: false
}) }}
{{ govukInput({
label: {
text: "Sort code"
},
classes: "govuk-input--width-5 govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing",
hint: {
text: "Must be 6 digits long"
},
id: "sort-code",
name: "sortCode",
inputmode: "numeric",
spellcheck: false
}) }}
{{ govukInput({
label: {
text: "Account number"
},
classes: "govuk-input--width-10 govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing",
hint: {
text: "Must be between 6 and 8 digits long"
},
id: "account-number",
name: "accountNumber",
inputmode: "numeric",
spellcheck: false
}) }}
{{ govukInput({
label: {
text: "Building society roll number (if you have one)"
},
classes: "govuk-input--width-10 govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing",
hint: {
text: "You can find it on your card, statement or passbook"
},
id: "roll-number",
name: "rollNumber",
spellcheck: false
}) }}
{{ govukButton({
text: "Continue"
}) }}When to use this pattern
Follow this pattern if you need users to provide their bank details so you can pay them.
Only ask for bank details securely within your service. For example, do not ask users to send their bank details by email.
This pattern does yet not cover asking users for bank details so they can pay by Direct Debit.
If your service lets users set up Direct Debit payments, first check if you can use GOV.UK Pay.
How it works
Include extra fields if your payment service provider needs additional information.
Do not ask users for their account type
Do not ask users if they have a bank account or building society account as not all users know this.
If your service does not support building society accounts, remove building society from the content and do not ask for a roll number.
Asking for building society roll numbers
Roll numbers are only used by some building societies for certain types of account, so make this field optional.
However, you need a user’s roll number when they have one. This is why the label says ‘(if you have one)’.
Allow different formats for the sort code
Let users enter their sort code in whatever format is familiar to them. Allow additional spaces, hyphens and dashes.
Use one input for the sort code. It allows users to enter their sort code more quickly, and avoids them needing to read and understand multiple input labels.
Use a branching question if users can choose how to get paid
Not everyone has a bank account or wants to share their account details online.
Let users choose to get paid by an alternative method.
Adapt this question depending on what payment options your users need and what your service can support.
<div class="govuk-form-group">
<fieldset class="govuk-fieldset">
<legend class="govuk-fieldset__legend govuk-fieldset__legend--l">
<h1 class="govuk-fieldset__heading">
How do you want to be paid?
</h1>
</legend>
<div class="govuk-radios" data-module="govuk-radios">
<div class="govuk-radios__item">
<input class="govuk-radios__input" id="methodOfPayment" name="methodOfPayment" type="radio" value="bank-account-or-building-society">
<label class="govuk-label govuk-radios__label" for="methodOfPayment">
UK bank or building society account
</label>
</div>
<div class="govuk-radios__item">
<input class="govuk-radios__input" id="methodOfPayment-2" name="methodOfPayment" type="radio" value="non-uk-bank-account">
<label class="govuk-label govuk-radios__label" for="methodOfPayment-2">
Non-UK bank account
</label>
</div>
<div class="govuk-radios__item">
<input class="govuk-radios__input" id="methodOfPayment-3" name="methodOfPayment" type="radio" value="cheque">
<label class="govuk-label govuk-radios__label" for="methodOfPayment-3">
Cheque
</label>
</div>
<div class="govuk-radios__item">
<input class="govuk-radios__input" id="methodOfPayment-4" name="methodOfPayment" type="radio" value="none" aria-describedby="methodOfPayment-4-item-hint">
<label class="govuk-label govuk-radios__label" for="methodOfPayment-4">
None of the above
</label>
<div id="methodOfPayment-4-item-hint" class="govuk-hint govuk-radios__hint">
We'll contact you to arrange payment
</div>
</div>
</div>
</fieldset>
</div>
<button class="govuk-button" data-module="govuk-button">
Continue
</button>{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}
{% from "govuk/components/radios/macro.njk" import govukRadios %}
{{ govukRadios({
name: "methodOfPayment",
fieldset: {
legend: {
isPageHeading: true,
classes: "govuk-fieldset__legend--l",
text: "How do you want to be paid?"
}
},
items: [
{
value: "bank-account-or-building-society",
text: "UK bank or building society account"
},
{
value: "non-uk-bank-account",
text: "Non-UK bank account"
},
{
value: "cheque",
text: "Cheque"
},
{
value: "none",
text: "None of the above",
hint: {
text: "We'll contact you to arrange payment"
}
}
]
}) }}
{{ govukButton({
text: "Continue"
}) }}International bank account details
If you expect your users will have a non-UK bank account, you’ll need to:
- use different fields to sort code and account number - usually BIC code (also known as ‘SWIFT code’) and IBAN
- do research on other fields you may need to add for the countries your service supports
- only show the fields for the country your user selects
If you expect your users to have a non-UK bank account, give them an option to select this.
International bank accounts require different fields to sort code and account number.
Different countries ask for additional details. This guidance does not cover all possibilities. You will need to research what information is needed by the countries your service supports.
Only show the fields that relate to that country.
Most countries need the IBAN and BIC, sometimes known as the SWIFT code.
<div class="govuk-form-group">
<label class="govuk-label" for="bic-code">
BIC or SWIFT code
</label>
<div id="bic-code-hint" class="govuk-hint">
Must be between 8 and 11 characters long. You can ask your bank or check your bank statement
</div>
<input class="govuk-input govuk-input--width-10 govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing" id="bic-code" name="bicCode" type="text" spellcheck="false" aria-describedby="bic-code-hint">
</div>
<div class="govuk-form-group">
<label class="govuk-label" for="iban">
IBAN
</label>
<div id="iban-hint" class="govuk-hint">
You can ask your bank or check your bank statement
</div>
<input class="govuk-input govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing" id="iban" name="iban" type="text" spellcheck="false" aria-describedby="iban-hint">
</div>{% from "govuk/components/button/macro.njk" import govukButton %}
{% from "govuk/components/input/macro.njk" import govukInput %}
{{ govukInput({
label: {
text: "BIC or SWIFT code"
},
classes: "govuk-input--width-10 govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing",
hint: {
text: "Must be between 8 and 11 characters long. You can ask your bank or check your bank statement"
},
id: "bic-code",
name: "bicCode",
spellcheck: false
}) }}
{{ govukInput({
label: {
text: "IBAN"
},
classes: "govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing",
hint: {
text: "You can ask your bank or check your bank statement"
},
id: "iban",
name: "iban",
spellcheck: false
}) }}Error messages
Error messages should be styled like this:
<div class="govuk-form-group govuk-form-group--error">
<label class="govuk-label" for="sort-code">
Sort code
</label>
<div id="sort-code-hint" class="govuk-hint">
Must be 6 digits long
</div>
<p id="sort-code-error" class="govuk-error-message">
<span class="govuk-visually-hidden">Error:</span> Enter a valid sort code like 309430
</p>
<input class="govuk-input govuk-input--width-5 govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing govuk-input--error" id="sort-code" name="sortCode" type="text" spellcheck="false" value="12" aria-describedby="sort-code-hint sort-code-error" inputmode="numeric">
</div>{% from "govuk/components/input/macro.njk" import govukInput %}
{{ govukInput({
label: {
text: "Sort code"
},
classes: "govuk-input--width-5 govuk-input--extra-letter-spacing",
hint: {
text: "Must be 6 digits long"
},
value: "12",
id: "sort-code",
name: "sortCode",
inputmode: "numeric",
spellcheck: false,
errorMessage: {
text: "Enter a valid sort code like 309430"
}
}) }}Make sure errors follow the guidance in error message and have specific error messages for specific error states.
If the name on the account is empty
Say ‘Enter the name on the account’.
If the sort code is empty
Say ‘Enter a sort code’.
If the sort code is not in the correct format
Say ‘Enter a valid sort code like 309430’.
If the account number is empty
Say ‘Enter an account number’
If the account number is not in the correct format
Say ‘Enter a valid account number like 00733445’.
If the account number is too long or too short
Say ‘Account number must be between 6 and 8 digits’.
If the building society roll number is too long
Say ‘Building society roll number must be between 1 and 18 characters’.
If the building society roll number uses characters that are not allowed
Say ‘Building society roll number must only include letters a to z, numbers, hyphens, spaces, forward slashes and full stops’.
Research on this pattern
This pattern was originally contributed by a team at the Ministry of Justice.
It has not been tested in user research yet. It’s closely based on the pattern used by GOV.UK Pay, and patterns used by the following government services.
Department for Work and Pensions
Universal Credit
Get Jobseeker’s Allowance
Get your State Pension
HM Revenue & Customs
Register your anti-money laundering supervision
Tax-Free Childcare
Office of the Public Guardian
Claim a power of attorney refund
Ministry of Justice
Claim for costs of a child’s funeral
If you’ve used this pattern, get in touch to share your user research findings.
Next steps
The team that developed this pattern only found one service, Claim power of attorney refund, that warns users their bank details will be hidden for their security.
But GoCardless says to display a user’s bank details again before the user submits them.
Some users with older bank or building society accounts might have account numbers that are 9 or 10 digits long. Research is needed to confirm that these users know how to shorten their account number to fit into the field.
More research is also needed on:
- how to ask users for their bank details in the context of setting up Direct Debit payments
- whether bank details should be shown or not on a ‘Check your answers’ page and how that affects this pattern
- how to handle international bank accounts so users are only asked for information that’s needed based on the location of their bank account
- the information required to pay credit union accounts and how to ask credit union members for that information
Help improve this pattern
To help make sure that this page is useful, relevant and up to date, you can:
- take part in the ‘Bank details’ discussion on GitHub and share your research
- propose a change – read more about how to propose changes in GitHub
Tell us if your service uses this pattern
Take part in our usage survey (opens in a new tab) to help us improve this pattern to better meet the needs of the services that use it.
Need help?
If you’ve got a question about the GOV.UK Design System, contact the team.