How to check IBAN numbers?

[McIntosh]

Hey everyone, quick question. I need to send payments to several suppliers overseas and they all gave me their IBAN numbers. Before I transfer any money, I want to make sure these IBANs are actually valid and active. How do you guys usually verify IBAN numbers? Is there some official way to check them?

 

[Korvin]

I think you can validate the format of an IBAN by checking if it follows the correct structure for that country. There are some formulas or algorithms for that. You could also contact the banks directly to confirm, but that takes time. Some banking software has built-in validation too.

 

[Landros]

Calling banks for every IBAN is a waste of time. And just checking the format doesn't tell you if the account is actually active or belongs to the right person. You need a proper validation tool that verifies both the format and whether the IBAN is real. Use, for example, this IBAN checker https://nimlab.eu/iban-checker/ . It shows you if the IBAN is valid, what bank it belongs to, and the account status.