What bank details should you put on a UK invoice?
If you want a customer to pay by bank transfer, the invoice should give them enough information to send the money to the right account and identify the payment. For most UK bank transfers that means the account name, sort code, account number and a clear payment reference.
Last reviewed: 7 September 2026.
Are bank details legally required on a UK invoice?
Bank details are not listed in GOV.UK's basic statutory checklist of information that an ordinary UK invoice must include. They are payment instructions rather than one of the core identity, supply or amount fields.
That said, if bank transfer is how you expect to be paid, putting the details directly on the invoice removes an unnecessary extra step for the customer.
For the legal and practical invoice checklist, see what a UK invoice should include.
Bank details to include for a UK bank transfer
A simple payment section can show:
- Account name — the name held on the bank account
- Sort code — the six-digit UK sort code, commonly displayed as 12-34-56
- Account number — the eight-digit UK account number where applicable
- Payment reference — for example the invoice number, so you can match the payment to the correct invoice
Account name: North Street Design
Sort code: 12-34-56
Account number: 12345678
Reference: INV-1042
The example numbers above are fictional. Use only the payment details for the account you actually want the customer to pay.
Where should bank details appear on an invoice?
A dedicated payment section near the bottom of the invoice normally works well. Keep it separate from the customer address and invoice totals so the customer does not have to search through unrelated information to find out how to pay.
The total due and due date should remain prominent too. Good payment instructions answer three separate questions: how much is owed, when it is due and where the payment should be sent.
See our UK invoice payment terms guide for examples of clear due-date wording.
Should you use the invoice number as the payment reference?
Using the invoice number as the payment reference is often the simplest option because each invoice already has a unique identifier. It makes it easier to reconcile incoming payments without inventing a second numbering system.
If a particular customer requires a purchase order number, supplier code or another reference, make that requirement clear and use the reference that helps both sides identify the transaction correctly.
Be careful when bank details change
Unexpected changes to payment details can create fraud risk and confusion. If you genuinely change bank account, tell regular customers through a trusted channel rather than relying on a changed invoice alone, especially where the customer is used to paying a different account.
Before sending an invoice, check the sort code and account number carefully. A professional-looking invoice is not useful if it sends payment to the wrong place.
Do you need IBAN or BIC details?
For an ordinary UK domestic bank transfer, the account name, sort code and account number are usually the relevant details. International payments may require an IBAN, BIC/SWIFT code or other information depending on the banks and countries involved.
If you regularly receive international payments, confirm the exact details your bank expects before adding them to your invoice template.
How Klamic handles payment details
Klamic lets you save bank-transfer details for repeat use so you do not have to retype them on every invoice. The invoice can then keep payment instructions alongside the total and payment terms while preserving the details that applied when the invoice was finalised.
Create the invoice now — or let Klamic remember the repetitive parts.
The free invoice generator works without an account. If invoicing is a regular job, Klamic saves your business details, customers and common services and keeps your invoice history together.