Although sort codes in both countries have the same format, they are regulated by different authorities as each country has its own banking system. Some branches have subbranches, also know as non-accounting branches. The IBAN was originally developed to facilitate payments within the European Union but the format is flexible enough to be applied globally and has now been adopted by many Middle Eastern countries as well as most European countries. The simple search facility enables you to check bank sort codes, branch addresses, contact details and BIC codes, as well as identifying which banks and institutions accept faster payments.
Banks in Northern Ireland can be part of either the British or the Irish clearing system, depending on their country of registration. ?? which acts as a one-stop-shop for the payments industry.