How to Find Your Building Society Roll Number
Short answer: your building society roll number is usually printed on your passbook, statement, or shown in your online or mobile banking. It's the reference your society uses to identify your account, and you'll need it when someone pays money in.
This guide walks through every place to look, what a roll number looks like, and what to do if you still can't find yours.
At a glance
- What it is
- Your account reference
- Who uses it
- Building societies
- Where to find it
- Passbook, statement, app, online banking
- If you can't find it
- Contact your society
🏦 Paying into a building society · pick your provider
To pay into your Yorkshire Building Society account by bank transfer, set it up as a new payee with these details:
Where to find your number: your passbook, any YBS savings or mortgage statement, or the YBS app.
Also covers YBS brands such as Chelsea and Norwich & Peterborough, which run on YBS systems.
Details verified against each provider’s official “paying in” page in 2026. Always double-check the current sort code, account number and reference in your provider’s app, passbook or latest statement before sending money — collecting accounts can change, and the reference must be exact or the payment may be returned.
Key Takeaways
- A roll number is a building society's own reference for your account, used before or alongside a sort code and account number.
- The most common places to find it are your passbook, statements, and online or mobile banking.
- Formats vary between societies, so read yours from your own paperwork rather than assuming a pattern.
- If you can't find it anywhere, contact your building society directly — don't guess when giving out payment details.
What is a building society roll number?
A roll number is a unique reference that building societies use to identify an account. It dates back to before sort codes and account numbers became standard across all savings accounts.
Today, some societies still use one, often alongside a shared sort code and account number for receiving payments.
Where to find your building society roll number
Here are the main places to look, in rough order of ease.
On your passbook
If you have a passbook account, the roll number is often printed inside the front cover or on the first page, near your name and account type.
On your statements
Paper and digital statements usually show the roll number near your account details, often labelled "roll number" or "account reference".
In your mobile banking app
Open the account and look under "Account details" or "Account information". The roll number is typically listed there.
In online banking
Log in and view the account summary or details page. The roll number is shown with your other account information.
On your card or original paperwork
Some societies print a reference on a savings card, and your welcome letter or account certificate will show it too.
What does a roll number look like?
There's no single format. A roll number can be a run of digits, sometimes with letters or a slash — for example a block of numbers followed by more numbers.
Because the format differs between societies and even between account types, the safest approach is to read yours directly rather than assume. If in doubt, check with your society.
How to use your roll number for payments in
When someone pays money into your account, they'll usually:
- send the payment to the society's sort code and account number (often a shared incoming-payments account), and
- enter your roll number as the reference.
That reference is what links the money to your specific account. To understand how the payment itself travels, see is Bacs the same as a bank transfer.
You may also be asked for the account name.
What to do if you can't find your roll number
If you've checked everywhere and still can't find it:
- Contact your building society by phone, secure message or in branch.
- Have ID ready — they'll need to verify who you are.
- Don't guess or reuse an old number from a different account.
Your society can confirm the exact roll number, sort code, account number and reference to give out.
Does your provider even use a roll number?
Not all do. Banks like Halifax, Barclays and NatWest use a sort code and account number instead, and even Nationwide has largely moved away from roll numbers.
Societies like Yorkshire, Coventry, Leeds and Skipton still use them for some accounts.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I find my building society roll number?
On your passbook (often inside the cover), your statements, or in your society's online or mobile banking under account details. Your welcome paperwork will show it too.
What does a roll number look like?
There's no single format — it's usually a string of digits, sometimes with letters or a slash. Read yours from your own paperwork rather than assuming a pattern.
What if my account doesn't have a roll number?
Then it's identified by a sort code and account number instead. Many banks and newer building society accounts don't use roll numbers at all.
What should I do if I can't find my roll number?
Contact your building society directly and verify your identity. They can confirm the exact details you need to receive a payment.
General information only, not financial advice. Check with your bank or building society for your exact details.
