What happens if I use the wrong routing number?
Providing an incorrect nine-digit routing number on an electronic payment, direct deposit, or check transaction causes the transaction to fail or misroute. Automated clearing house systems and bank processing centers use routing numbers to identify the specific financial institution handling the transfer. If the routing number does not exist, the transaction is rejected instantly and returned to the originating source. If the mistyped routing number matches an entirely different, valid bank, the funds are misdirected there, requiring formal trace requests, bank intervention, and processing time to recover and correctly redirect the money to the intended recipient account.
Related FAQs
The routing number for the First National Bank of Gillette, Wyoming, is 102301050.
A SWIFT code, which is also commonly referred to as a Business Identifier Code, can be validly formatted as either an 8-character or an 11-character code depending on whether it points to a specific bank branch or the main institution headquarters.
Setting up an electronic direct deposit—such as receiving payroll wages from an employer, government benefits, or tax refunds—requires providing both the financial institution's routing number and your unique personal account number.