To receive money safely into your bank account, you usually only need to share a few basic details – never your PIN, passwords, or one-time security codes.

Quick Scoop: The Basics

For most standard bank transfers, people sending you money will typically need:

  • Your full name (exactly as it appears on your bank account)
  • Your bank account number
  • Your sort code or routing number, depending on your country (e.g., sort code in the UK, routing number in the US)
  • Your bank’s name, sometimes also the branch address

For international transfers, they may also need:

  • SWIFT/BIC code (identifies your bank internationally)
  • IBAN (mainly in Europe and some other regions)
  • Your bank’s name and address, and sometimes your own address as registered with the bank

Again: you never give your card PIN, online banking password, SMS codes, or app login details to receive money.

Domestic vs International: What You Actually Give

Here’s a simple view of what you normally provide in different situations.

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Situation Details you give Notes
Domestic transfer (same country, e.g., UK) Your full name, 8-digit account number, 6-digit sort codeSometimes bank name and branch address may be requested.
Domestic transfer (US) Your name, account number, bank routing numberRouting number identifies your bank/branch.
International transfer (to your account) Your name, account number or IBAN, SWIFT/BIC code, bank name and addressSender may also need your address registered with the bank.
Online banking transfer from friend in same country Your name, account number, sort/routing codeThey may add a payment reference so you can recognise it.

Mini Walkthrough: How It Plays Out

Imagine a friend wants to pay you back for tickets:

  1. You send them:
    • “Account name: Alex Smith”
    • “Account number: 12345678”
    • “Sort code: 12-34-56”
    • (Optionally) your bank’s name, e.g., “Bank of Example”
  1. They open their banking app, tap “Pay someone new,” enter those details, and send.
  1. The money usually arrives same day or within a couple of days, depending on the country and payment type.

For someone sending from another country, you’d add your IBAN and SWIFT/BIC on top of those basics.

Safety: What You Should NOT Share

Banks and payment services stress that certain information must always stay private, even if you’re “just receiving” money.

  • Do not share:
    • Card PIN
    • Online banking passwords
    • One-time SMS codes or app codes
    • Full card details if they’re not needed (especially CVV on the back)
  • Do:
    • Share details through secure channels (e.g., trusted messaging apps, secure email if possible)
* Double-check the person you’re sending your details to is genuine (especially with “job offers”, unexpected winnings, or overpayments).

A common modern scam: someone “overpays” you, then pressures you to send money back while their original payment later bounces. Being careful who you share details with helps reduce your risk of being pulled into that kind of situation.

Tiny Story: A Clean Transfer vs A Messy One

  • Clean version:
    Sara sends her landlord her name, account number, sort code, and IBAN because rent is paid from another country. The landlord enters exactly those fields in their banking app, the payment lands on time, and both can see the reference “MARCH RENT” on their statements.
  • Messy version:
    Ben only sends his name and partial account number by mistake. The sender guesses the rest, the payment fails, and it takes a week of calls to sort out. When he finally resends all the required details correctly (full account number, sort code, and bank name), the payment goes through smoothly.

SEO Bits (for your post)

  • Focus keyword to weave into headings and text: what bank details do i give to receive money (used naturally a few times).
  • Other useful phrases: “bank details needed to receive money”, “safe way to share bank details”, “IBAN and SWIFT for international payments”.

A short meta description could be:

Learn exactly what bank details to give to receive money safely, when to use IBAN and SWIFT, and what information you must never share.

TL;DR:
To receive money, you normally give your full name, account number, and sort code or routing number; for international transfers, add IBAN and SWIFT/BIC, plus bank name/address – but never share passwords, PINs, or security codes.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.