9 Digit Bank Account Number

[kaiser78]

I want to transfer some funds into my Santander offset mortgage savings account and have noticed the account no is 9 digits. Most account nos are 8 digits.

Now this is common apparently on A&L/Santander accounts although then the sort code is normally 5 digits and then the first digit of the account number is used to make up the 6th digit. But my offset account already has a 6 digit sort code and 9 digit account number.

I will call Santander but any ideas anyone ?

TIA

[EternalOptimist]

I want to transfer some funds into my Santander offset mortgage savings account and have noticed the account no is 9 digits. Most account nos are 8 digits.

Now this is common apparently on A&L/Santander accounts although then the sort code is normally 5 digits and then the first digit of the account number is used to make up the 6th digit. But my offset account already has a 6 digit sort code and 9 digit account number.

I will call Santander but any ideas anyone ?

TIA

possibly something to differentiate out old abbey accounts, or some such

[bless 'em all]

Lloyds used to have 7 digit account numbers. Santander are probably planning for world domination by adding 10* the available account numbers they have available.

[NickFitz]

Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.

I was reading some stuff about this kind of thing the other day - it may have been on Stack Overflow. Anyway, it was about the way people learn about the structures of certain values as they happen to be in their home culture, and then assume they must be the same everywhere.

Among the examples I've come across of invalid assumptions about data are bank accounts (not everywhere has 6 digit sort codes and 8 digit account numbers), postcodes (it used to be quite common to find ecommerce sites that demanded US-format ZIP codes), names (not all cultures have forenames and surnames, and of those that do not all prioritise them the same way: in Iceland the telephone directory is ordered by first name, not surname), countries (ever seen one of those enormously long drop-down thingies that still has Yugoslavia in the list? I have within the last five years), phone numbers (Lord Howe Island has no area codes and three digit telephone numbers - or at least it did last time I read their local newspaper, in which the advertisers don't include their addresses because everybody on the island knows where they are), and of course titles, of which British Airways used to have the best list, including such delights as "Princess Royal", "Emperor", and "His Holiness" - sadly, they don't seem to do that any more

So, anyway, data validation is a bugger and all one's assumptions are always wrong eventually. So your 9-digit account number is probably fine

[Sysman]

Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.

I was reading some stuff about this kind of thing the other day - it may have been on Stack Overflow. Anyway, it was about the way people learn about the structures of certain values as they happen to be in their home culture, and then assume they must be the same everywhere.

Among the examples I've come across of invalid assumptions about data are bank accounts (not everywhere has 6 digit sort codes and 8 digit account numbers), postcodes (it used to be quite common to find ecommerce sites that demanded US-format ZIP codes), names (not all cultures have forenames and surnames, and of those that do not all prioritise them the same way:

When I lived in a remote part of the Yorkshire Dales it was common to give your phone number as 3 digits. No the first few digits weren't all the same, but folks knew which part of the valley you came from and adjusted. Quite handy really.

On names Falsehoods Programmers Believe About Names

On times Falsehoods programmers believe about time

And yes, one thing that really cracks me up is the insistence on US dates and times you see in all sorts of places. Am / pm in program runtimes anybody?

[mudskipper]

I want to transfer some funds into my Santander offset mortgage savings account and have noticed the account no is 9 digits. Most account nos are 8 digits.

Now this is common apparently on A&L/Santander accounts although then the sort code is normally 5 digits and then the first digit of the account number is used to make up the 6th digit. But my offset account already has a 6 digit sort code and 9 digit account number.

I will call Santander but any ideas anyone ?

TIA

If you'd like to post your sort codes, account numbers and password here, we'll check everything is in order for you.

[MarillionFan]

Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.

I was reading some stuff about this kind of thing the other day - it may have been on Stack Overflow. Anyway, it was about the way people learn about the structures of certain values as they happen to be in their home culture, and then assume they must be the same everywhere.

Among the examples I've come across of invalid assumptions about data are bank accounts (not everywhere has 6 digit sort codes and 8 digit account numbers), postcodes (it used to be quite common to find ecommerce sites that demanded US-format ZIP codes), names (not all cultures have forenames and surnames, and of those that do not all prioritise them the same way: in Iceland the telephone directory is ordered by first name, not surname), countries (ever seen one of those enormously long drop-down thingies that still has Yugoslavia in the list? I have within the last five years), phone numbers (Lord Howe Island has no area codes and three digit telephone numbers - or at least it did last time I read their local newspaper, in which the advertisers don't include their addresses because everybody on the island knows where they are), and of course titles, of which British Airways used to have the best list, including such delights as "Princess Royal", "Emperor", and "His Holiness" - sadly, they don't seem to do that any more

So, anyway, data validation is a bugger and all one's assumptions are always wrong eventually. So your 9-digit account number is probably fine

Can't you just watch porn at 3am in the morning like everyone else

[Scrag Meister]

I always raise the request on the Abbey side in the mortgage section of their online banking.

Lump sum payment or something like that.

[BabyBoomer]

Girobank used 9 digit account numbers IIRC.

Girobank became Abbey National. Abbey National became Santander.

It was a problem back in the 80s. I think the 9th digit was a check digit and could be dropped without losing uniqueness, but it was a long time ago.

I like the list of name-mangling misconceptions. Is there any way that these could be brought to the attention of the writers of software for synchronising contacts between mobile phones, email providers and PCs?

[Paddy]

I want to transfer some funds into my Santander offset mortgage savings account and have noticed the account no is 9 digits. Most account nos are 8 digits.

Now this is common apparently on A&L/Santander accounts although then the sort code is normally 5 digits and then the first digit of the account number is used to make up the 6th digit. But my offset account already has a 6 digit sort code and 9 digit account number.

I will call Santander but any ideas anyone ?

TIA

You can use your IBAN number.