Quick Answer
A building society roll number is a reference that identifies your account at a building society. You usually enter it in the payment reference box when paying in from another bank. Its length and format vary by society, and it can be numbers only or numbers and letters. Look in your passbook, statement, online account or app, and copy it exactly.
Key Takeaways
- There is no single format. The societies and official sources we read show 8 digits, 10 digits, and letter-and-number patterns, so never guess or pad a roll number.
- A roll number is not the same as an account number. Where a society asks for a roll number, it goes in the reference field, while the sort code and account number go in their usual boxes.
- Some societies no longer ask for one. Nationwide’s savings help pages we read mention only an 8-digit account number and 6-digit sort code for personal accounts.
What is a building society roll number?
Banks identify accounts with a sort code and an account number. Building societies were traditionally outside that system and needed their own method of identification, according to MoneySavingAnswers, which is where roll numbers come from.
Yorkshire Building Society (YBS) describes a building society roll number as “a number that helps to identify an account in a building society”, and says it must be used to make sure money goes to the right person’s account. Tipton & Coseley Building Society calls it a reference code that identifies a member’s account.
Not every account has one. The GOV.UK Design System’s bank details pattern labels the field “Building society roll number (if you have one)”, and says it is optional because only some societies use roll numbers, and only for certain account types.
Roll number vs account number
The roll number vs account number question trips people up because many societies also have an ordinary account number.
| Roll number | Account number | |
| Purpose | Identifies your account within the society | Identifies the account in the bank payment system |
| Where it goes | The payment reference field | The account number field |
| Format | Varies by society | 8 digits (YBS and Nationwide both give this) |
Tipton puts it plainly: “Your roll number is not the same as the account number.” YBS says the roll number is entered in the reference field, not the account number field. Our reading is that if a payment form offers a box for each, you should fill both, using the roll number only where the society asks for it.
What does a building society roll number look like?
It depends on the society. The format varies between societies, and MoneySavingAnswers says the number of characters varies.
Building society roll number example
These examples come from published sources and are patterns, not real accounts:
- Numbers only: “1234567891” (MoneySavingAnswers), a 10-digit pattern. YBS says its roll number is 10 digits, and Tipton uses an 8-digit roll number which it calls a personal account number.
- Letters and numbers: “ABC 1234567 XYZ” (MoneySavingAnswers). HMRC’s tax credits manual describes the Newcastle format as three letters and seven numbers ending in three letters, with a space between the letters and numbers.
How many digits is a roll number?
There is no single answer. YBS gives 10 digits and Tipton 8 digits. The HMRC manual lists others: seven digits for Newbury, ten for National Counties, and, for Nationwide products listed in that manual, thirteen or fourteen digits including an oblique or hyphens. That manual is an older internal document, so check that the formats are current with the society.
Alphanumeric building society roll numbers and building society reference number format
Alphanumeric building society roll numbers exist. NatWest’s guidance describes a roll number as a reference code containing letters and numbers, and Tipton says roll numbers can be numbers and sometimes letters. The GOV.UK Design System lets a roll number field hold up to 18 characters, including letters, numbers, hyphens, spaces, forward slashes and full stops.
That helps explain why the building society reference number format is hard to summarise. It is whatever your society issued, so copy it exactly, including any spaces or punctuation shown.
Building society roll number letters and numbers: is it case sensitive?
We found no source that says whether a roll number is case sensitive. The GOV.UK pattern allows letters but does not address case, and the building society pages we read do not either. If you are asked about a case sensitive building society reference, the safe route is to type it exactly as shown and ask your society if a payment is rejected.
Where to find it
Check these places, based on what societies say:
- Passbook: the inside cover (Tipton, MoneySavingAnswers).
- Statement: any savings or mortgage account statement (YBS).
- Online account or app (YBS, Tipton, MoneySavingAnswers).
- Welcome letter sent when the account was opened (Tipton).
- Your card: the GOV.UK pattern’s hint says you can find it on your card, statement or passbook.
NatWest says the building society you are paying should provide the roll number if one is required.
Using it for payments
When you pay into a building society from a bank account:
- Enter the payee name, sort code and account number the society gave you (YBS: the usual name, account number and sort code).
- Enter the roll number in the payment reference field, if the society requires one (YBS, NatWest).
- Type nothing else in that field. Tipton and NatWest both say not to add anything else to the reference.
Do not assume you need one. Nationwide’s savings help page says to enter an 8-digit account number and a 6-digit sort code when paying in from another provider, and says you can enter anything in the reference field. Its page on finding account details does not mention a roll number for personal accounts. For business savings accounts, it says the roll or reference number is the business account number followed by the company name. We could not confirm whether other societies’ current rules match older descriptions, so use the details your own society gives you.
Suffolk Building Society’s Confirmation of Payee page, as another example, asks you to use your unique mortgage or savings account number as the reference and your own name as the payee.
Missing roll numbers
If you cannot find yours:
- Check the places above first, especially the app, statement and passbook.
- Contact the society. Tipton lists phone, a contact form and branch. NatWest says contact the building society directly. MoneySavingAnswers suggests customer support, with social media as one option.
- Do not guess, reuse an old reference or use an account number in its place. We found no source that says a wrong roll number is safe, and YBS says the roll number must be used to make sure the money goes to the right account.
Safety
A roll number identifies an account, so treat it like other account details. Our reading is that it is useful to someone paying into your account, but not a password. We found no source that says roll numbers must be kept secret.
- Only use payment details from your society’s own app, website, statement or letter, not from an unexpected message.
- Watch the Confirmation of Payee result. UK Finance describes it as a name check for UK payments with four results: match, close match, no match or unavailable. Be cautious if anyone tells you to ignore a “no match”. UK Finance’s page does not say whether roll numbers are covered, so ask your provider.
- Confirmation of Payee is not available during the first 48 hours of a new account at the society we checked, so check details carefully then.
- UK Finance points readers to the Take Five to Stop Fraud site for scam advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a roll number and where is it?
A roll number is a reference that identifies your account at a building society. Look in your passbook, statement, online account, app or welcome letter. Not every society or account uses one, so ask your society if you cannot find it.
What does a building society roll number look like?
It varies. Some are numbers only, such as 8 or 10 digits, and some mix letters and numbers, such as three letters, seven numbers and three more letters. Copy yours exactly, including spaces or punctuation.
How many digits is a roll number?
There is no standard length. Yorkshire Building Society says 10 digits and Tipton says 8. Others use letters, hyphens or obliques. The GOV.UK pattern allows 1 to 18 characters. Check your own society’s format.
Is a roll number the same as an account number?
No. The account number identifies the account in the bank payment system and is usually 8 digits. The roll number identifies your account within the society and normally goes in the payment reference field instead.
Can I pay a building society without a roll number?
Sometimes. Some societies, such as Nationwide for personal savings, ask only for sort code and account number, and say you can enter anything in the reference. Others require the roll number. Follow your society’s instructions.
Is a building society reference case sensitive?
We found no source that says. Type it exactly as shown, including capitals and spaces, and contact the society if a payment is rejected or the name check fails.
