Australia's Bank State Branch Code
Table of Contents
TL;DR
BSB Number Definition and Origins
How Is a BSB Number Structured?
What Is a BSB Number Used For?
How to Find Your BSB Number
BSB Number vs SWIFT Code vs IBAN
BSB Numbers for International Money Transfers to Australia
TL;DR
A BSB (Bank State Branch) number is a six-digit code used in Australia to identify a specific bank and branch for the purpose of routing domestic electronic payments. It is required alongside the account number for any bank transfer within Australia, equivalent to the routing number in the US or the sort code in the UK. For international transfers into Australia, both the BSB and account number are required in addition to the SWIFT/BIC code of the receiving bank.
BSB Number Definition and Origins
The Bank State Branch (BSB) number is a six-digit numerical code assigned to every bank branch in Australia by the Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet), the self-regulatory body that governs the Australian payments industry. The BSB system was introduced in the 1960s as part of Australia's transition to automated cheque and electronic payment processing, providing a standardized identifier that the electronic clearing system could use to route payments to the correct bank and branch without ambiguity.
Every bank account held at an Australian financial institution whether at a major bank (Commonwealth Bank, ANZ, NAB, Westpac), a regional bank, a credit union, or a building society is associated with a BSB number that identifies the specific institution and branch at which the account is held or administered. The BSB number is a fundamental piece of payment routing infrastructure in Australia, as essential to domestic transfers as the account number itself.
How Is a BSB Number Structured?
A BSB number consists of six digits in the format XXX-XXX (three digits, hyphen, three digits). The first two digits identify the bank or financial institution. The third digit indicates the state or territory in Australia in which the branch is located: 0 for New South Wales, 1 for Victoria, 2 for Queensland (some ranges), 3 for South Australia, 4 for Western Australia, 5 for Tasmania, and so forth — though the state coding is not universally consistent across all institution ranges. The remaining three digits identify the specific branch within the bank's branch network.
For example, in a BSB of 062-000: 06 identifies Commonwealth Bank of Australia, 2 indicates New South Wales, and 000 identifies the specific branch. In practice, account holders rarely need to decode their BSB number — what matters is having the correct six-digit code for the account to which a payment is being sent or from which a payment is being received, as any error in the BSB number will result in a failed or misdirected payment.
What Is a BSB Number Used For?
BSB numbers are used in every form of domestic Australian electronic funds transfer. Bank-to-bank transfers initiated through internet banking or mobile banking apps require both the BSB and account number of the recipient. Direct Entry payments — Australia's equivalent of BACS in the UK — use BSB numbers to route bulk payroll payments, supplier payment runs, and Direct Debit collections to the correct institutions. The New Payments Platform (NPP), Australia's real-time payment infrastructure (PayID), uses BSBs as part of its underlying routing infrastructure even when a PayID alias (mobile number, email) is used as the transfer identifier at the user interface level.
BPAY — Australia's bill payment system — uses BSBs in the background routing of bill payments even though consumers interact with a Biller Code and Reference Number rather than a BSB directly. Cheques (increasingly rare but still in use) carry the BSB as part of the MICR-encoded routing information at the bottom of each cheque.
How to Find Your BSB Number
There are several reliable ways to find your BSB number. The easiest is through your online banking app or internet banking portal — the BSB is typically displayed alongside the account number on the account overview or account details screen. Bank statements — both paper and electronic — display the BSB and account number prominently on the statement header. A BSB lookup tool is also available through the Australian Payments Network's BSB directory at bsb.com.au, where you can search by bank name or branch address to retrieve the correct BSB. For receiving international payments, your bank's overseas transfers guide — typically available in the international payments section of their website — specifies the BSB, account number, and SWIFT code required for inward international wire transfers.
BSB Number vs SWIFT Code vs IBAN
The BSB number is a domestic routing code used within Australia's internal payment infrastructure. It does not function as an international bank identifier and is not used by SWIFT's international messaging network for cross-border transfers. For international payments into Australia, the recipient's Australian bank is identified by its SWIFT/BIC code (an 8 to 11-character alphanumeric code) while the specific account within that bank is identified by the combination of BSB and account number. Australia does not use the IBAN (International Bank Account Number) system used in Europe and parts of the Middle East — there is no single standardized Australian account identifier equivalent to an IBAN that combines the bank, branch, and account number into one code. This means senders of international transfers to Australia must provide three pieces of information: the receiving bank's SWIFT code, the BSB number, and the account number — compared to a single IBAN that encodes all three in countries using the IBAN system.
BSB Numbers for International Money Transfers to Australia
When sending money to Australia from the United States, United Kingdom, India, or any other country, both the BSB number and the full account number of the Australian recipient are required, alongside the SWIFT code of the recipient's Australian bank. For Remitly, Wise, or XE transfers to Australia, the transfer form will prompt for: recipient's full name, Australian bank name, SWIFT/BIC code (e.g., CTBAAU2S for Commonwealth Bank, ANZBAU3M for ANZ, NATAAU3303S for NAB, WPACAU2S for Westpac), BSB number (six digits), and account number (typically six to ten digits). Entering an incorrect BSB number is one of the most common causes of failed international transfers to Australia — double-checking the BSB against the recipient's bank statement or account details screen before submitting is always advisable.
FAQs
What is a BSB number in Australia?
A BSB (Bank State Branch) number is a six-digit code used in Australia to identify a specific bank and branch for domestic payment routing. It is assigned by the Australian Payments Network (AusPayNet) and is required alongside the account number for all electronic funds transfers within Australia, including payroll, bank transfers, and Direct Debits.
Where can I find my BSB number?
Your BSB number appears on your bank statements, in your online or mobile banking account details screen, on your cheques (in the MICR line at the bottom), and on your bank's website in the account information section. You can also look up a BSB number using the AusPayNet BSB directory at bsb.com.au by searching for your bank's name and branch location.
Is a BSB number the same as a routing number?
A BSB number is functionally equivalent to a US routing number (ABA number) in its purpose — both identify the financial institution and branch for domestic payment routing. They are not the same number and are not interchangeable across countries. US routing numbers are nine digits; Australian BSB numbers are six digits. Each country uses its own domestic routing code system, and international payments require the SWIFT/BIC code rather than domestic routing codes.
Do I need a BSB number for an international transfer to Australia?
Yes. International transfers to Australian bank accounts require both the BSB number and the account number of the recipient, in addition to the SWIFT/BIC code of the recipient's Australian bank. Australia does not use the IBAN system, so the BSB and account number together perform the function that an IBAN would serve in European countries. Providing an incorrect BSB number will result in a failed or misdirected transfer.
Can a BSB number be used to identify which bank an account belongs to?
Yes. The first two digits of a BSB number identify the financial institution. For example, BSBs beginning with 06 indicate Commonwealth Bank, 01 indicates ANZ, 08 indicates NAB, and 03 indicates Westpac. The full BSB directory is publicly available through the AusPayNet BSB lookup service, allowing anyone to verify which bank and branch a specific BSB number corresponds to before initiating a transfer.
