IFSC code, short for Indian Financial System Code, is 11 digit character or alphanumeric code used in electronic fund transfer within the different banks and their branches in India.
The IFSC or IFSC code, as its widely known, is used for the identification of different banks and branches. Out of the 11 characters, the first four are bank codes, and the last six are branch codes. This leaves out the fifth character, which is currently designated as zero and is reserved for any future use.
IFSC codes in India are used for these three primary services. IFSC also helps in the Unified Payments Interface or UPI payment system as well.
An example of an IFSC Code will be SBIN0000AABB. Where the first four denote the bank, in this instance, SBI, and the last would be the branch.
IFSC Code | MICR Code |
---|---|
The purpose of IFSC code is to help facilitate electronic transfer of funds | MICR code's purpose is to process cheques faster through ECR |
IFSC codes has 11 alpha numeric characters | MICR has 9 digit code |
The first 4 characters of IFSC is the Bank's code | The bank is signified by the 4th, 5th and 6th digits of the code |
Let's Explore the Most Frequently Asked Questions on IFSC & MICR
Indian Financial System Code is the expanded form of the IFSC code.
We can identify the Bank from the first 4 characters of the IFSC code.
An IFSC code contains alphanumeric characters.
An IFSC code contains alphanumeric characters.
The major parts of the IFSC code are the bank code and branch code.
A SWIFT code is used for transferring funds on an International level.
The major electronic payment systems in India are NEFT, RTGS, IMPS, and UPI.
The Reserve Bank of India provides a unique 11-digit IFSC code to the banks.
There is no minimum amount you can transfer under NEFT under retail banking and corporate banking
The maximum amount you can transfer under NEFT under retail banking is INR 5 Lakhs and in corporate banking it is INR 50 lakhs for Vyapaar/trade and INR 500 crores under Vistaar.
INR 2 lakhs is the amount you can transfer under RTGS under retail banking.
The maximum amount you can transfer under RTGS under retail banking is INR 5 Lakhs and in corporate banking it is INR 50 lakhs for Vyapaar/trade and INR 500 crores under Vistaar.
In a vast country like India, there are numerous cities and towns with the same name, some of them even in the same district. Thus to correctly identify the right or the proper branch, IFSC codes can help out easily by dedicating a specific code for each branch.