To set up direct deposit, you need three pieces of banking information: your bank’s nine-digit routing number, your account number, and whether that account is checking or savings. Most employers and payers also ask you to sign an authorization form and attach a voided check or a letter from your bank confirming the account. That’s the whole list. Everything else on the form (your name, address, signature) is standard paperwork, not banking data.
The Three Core Numbers
Every direct deposit setup asks for the same core details, whether you’re being paid by an employer, the Social Security Administration, or anyone else.
The routing number is a nine-digit code that identifies your bank or credit union within the electronic payment network. The American Bankers Association created the numbering system, and every U.S. financial institution has at least one.1American Bankers Association. ABA Routing Number
The account number is the number tied to your specific checking or savings account. It tells the bank exactly which account should receive the money. Account numbers vary in length from one bank to another.
The account type is simply whether the deposit should land in a checking or savings account. Getting this wrong can delay the payment or cause it to bounce back.
Those three details are what actually move your money. Payments travel through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network, which routes each transaction to the correct bank and account using those identifiers.2Nacha. How ACH Payments Work
Where to Find Your Routing and Account Numbers
The quickest place to look is the bottom of a personal check. The routing number is the first set of nine digits on the left, and your account number follows.
If you don’t have checks, log into your bank’s website or mobile app. Most banks show both numbers under account details or account information. You can also call your bank or stop by a branch.
One note of caution: a routing number can differ depending on what the payment is for. Some banks use one routing number for paper checks and another for ACH transfers or wires. When you look it up in your bank’s app, use the number listed for direct deposit or ACH, not the one on the check, if the two are shown separately.
The Authorization Form
Whoever is paying you will hand you a direct deposit authorization form, either on paper or through an online portal. Along with the three banking details, the form typically asks for your name, address, and a signature authorizing the organization to deposit funds electronically. Some forms also ask for the bank’s name and the last four digits of your Social Security number to verify your identity.
Check every digit before you submit. A single transposed number in the routing or account field can send your money to the wrong place. If the routing number doesn’t match a valid bank, the payment system rejects it. If the account number happens to match someone else’s real account, the deposit still goes through, and getting the money back becomes your problem. The IRS warns that when a tax refund lands in the wrong person’s account because of an input error, you may need to file a trace request and wait up to 120 days, with no guarantee of recovery.3Internal Revenue Service. Refund Inquiries
Voided Check or Bank Letter
Most employers ask for a voided check as backup verification. To void a check, write “VOID” in large letters across the front, keeping the printed numbers along the bottom readable. That prevents anyone from cashing it while still showing the routing and account numbers payroll needs.
No checkbook? Your bank can issue a direct deposit authorization letter or a pre-printed form with your account details, usually for free. Most banks will generate one at a branch or through online banking, and payroll departments accept these documents in place of a voided check.
How You Submit the Information
Employer Payroll
Most workplaces handle enrollment through a self-service HR portal. You enter your banking details and upload a voided check or bank letter. The portal encrypts the data, so your account numbers aren’t sitting in someone’s email inbox. If your workplace doesn’t have a portal, you’ll hand the completed form and voided check to payroll or HR directly.
Worth knowing: giving your employer your routing and account numbers does not let them view your balance, see your transaction history, or pull money out. Those numbers only authorize deposits into the account.
Federal Benefits
If you receive Social Security, Veterans Affairs benefits, or other federal payments, you can enroll through your personal my Social Security account at ssa.gov or through the Go Direct website at godirect.gov.4Social Security Administration. Direct Deposit You can also call the Treasury’s Electronic Payment Solution Center at 1-800-333-1795.
As of late 2025, the federal government stopped sending paper checks for most benefit payments. Federal benefits are now required to be paid electronically, either by direct deposit to a bank account or onto a Direct Express prepaid debit card.5Go Direct. Go Direct – Home
If You Want to Split Deposits
You’re not limited to one account. Most payroll systems let you split your pay between two or more accounts, sending, for example, a fixed dollar amount to savings each pay period while the rest goes to checking. You can usually choose a fixed dollar amount or a percentage for each split. To add another account, you fill in the same three pieces of information (routing number, account number, account type) for each one.
What Happens After You Submit
Expect one to two full pay cycles before electronic deposits actually begin. Your first paycheck after enrolling will likely still arrive the way you were being paid before.
The delay exists because payroll typically sends a “pre-note” first, a zero-dollar test transaction, to your bank. It verifies that the routing number, account number, and account type are valid and that the account can receive credits. If anything is off, the test fails quietly rather than fouling up a real paycheck.
Once the pre-note clears, deposits on payday are fast. ACH payments are generally available in your account by 9 a.m. on the scheduled date. When payday falls on a weekend or holiday, payroll deposits typically arrive on the prior Friday.2Nacha. How ACH Payments Work
Updating Your Information When You Change Banks
When you switch banks or close an account, updating your direct deposit is one of the first things to do. If a payment is sent to a closed account, the bank returns it with a “closed account” code, and your employer has to reissue the payment, which can leave you waiting days for your money.
Keep your old account open until at least one direct deposit successfully lands in the new one. Update your banking details with payroll, wait through the one-to-two pay cycle verification window, confirm the deposit arrives, and only then close the old account. Rushing to close the old account before the new link is confirmed is where most people run into trouble.
For federal benefits, update your banking information through your my Social Security account or by calling the Treasury’s Electronic Payment Solution Center. Same rule applies: don’t close the old account until you’ve confirmed the switch.