# UK Sort Code & Bank Account Validator (`sterlingverify/uk-sortcode-checker`) Actor

Validate UK sort code and account number pairs with the official Vocalink (Pay.UK) modulus checking rules, including all exceptions, before you set up Direct Debits, payouts or Faster Payments.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/sterlingverify/uk-sortcode-checker.md
- **Developed by:** [Luke Mangan](https://apify.com/sterlingverify) (community)
- **Categories:** Business, Developer tools, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

$1.00 / 1,000 account checkeds

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## UK Bank Account Validator

**UK Bank Account Validator** is a bulk UK sort code and account number checker: it runs the official Vocalink (Pay.UK) modulus checking rules, including all exceptions, so you can catch mistyped bank details before Direct Debits, payouts or Faster Payments.

**Best for:** Direct Debit and payout onboarding, payroll and supplier payment files, CRM and billing data cleansing.

### How to validate UK sort codes and account numbers

1. Add accounts to **Accounts**: `"08-99-99 66374958"` or `{"sortCode": "200915", "accountNumber": "41011166"}`.
2. Click **Start**.
3. Filter on `valid` and read `reason` for any failures.

### How it works

Downloads the latest Vocalink valacdos.txt and scsubtab.txt rules each run, with a bundled copy as fallback. It implements MOD10, MOD11 and DBLAL plus exceptions 1-14, and passes all of Vocalink's published test cases. 6- and 7-digit account numbers are zero-padded; 9/10-digit formats are not supported yet.

### Output

`sortCode, accountNumber, valid, modulusChecked, methods, exceptions, reason, tableSource`

### Pricing (pay-per-event)

- `account-checked`: **$0.001** per result ($1 / 1,000). Platform usage is included; you pay only for results.
- Example: 10,000 accounts cost $10.00.

### Example input

```json
{
  "accounts": [
    "08-99-99 66374958",
    {
      "sortCode": "200915",
      "accountNumber": "41011166"
    }
  ]
}
```

### Example output

Real output for `08-99-99 66374958` (a run on 15 Oct 2026). Failed or unchecked accounts also include a `reason`, e.g. when a foreign currency account cannot be modulus-checked.

```json
{
  "input": {
    "sortCode": "08-99-99",
    "accountNumber": "66374958"
  },
  "sortCode": "08-99-99",
  "accountNumber": "66374958",
  "methods": [
    "MOD10"
  ],
  "exceptions": [],
  "valid": true,
  "modulusChecked": true,
  "tableSource": "live"
}
```

### Use it via API, schedules and integrations

Run it in Apify Console, or call it from your own code with the Apify API or the Python and JavaScript clients. Save an input as a task and add a schedule to run it regularly, and send results to Slack, email, webhooks, Zapier, Make or n8n with Apify integrations. AI agents can find and run it through the Apify MCP server.

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("sterlingverify/uk-sortcode-checker").call(run_input={"accounts": ["08-99-99 66374958"]})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

### FAQ

#### Does a pass mean the account exists?

No. A modulus pass means the number is well-formed, not that the account exists, is open or belongs to the payee. Use Confirmation of Payee for that.

#### Which account number formats are supported?

8-digit numbers, with 6- and 7-digit numbers zero-padded. 9- and 10-digit formats are not supported yet.

### Disclaimer

A modulus pass means the number is well-formed, not that the account exists, is open, or belongs to the payee; use Confirmation of Payee for that. Sort codes absent from the table can't be checked and are returned as valid, per Vocalink guidance. Uses Vocalink's publicly published modulus checking data; not affiliated with Vocalink or Pay.UK. No bank-name lookup (the EISCD is not public).

### Related sterlingVerify tools

Part of the sterlingVerify UK payments, KYB and data toolkit on Apify Store:

- [IBAN Validator](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/iban-validator): offline bulk IBAN validation and parsing
- [BIN Lookup](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/bin-lookup): bulk BIN lookup for scheme, type, issuer and country
- [UK Company Check](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/uk-company-check): Companies House, VAT and UK sanctions KYB check in one call
- [EU VAT Number Validator (VIES)](https://apify.com/sterlingverify/eu-vat-vies-validator): bulk EU VAT number checks against VIES

# Actor input Schema

## `accounts` (type: `array`):

List of {"sortCode":"089999","accountNumber":"66374958"} objects, or strings like "08-99-99 66374958".

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "accounts": [
    {
      "sortCode": "08-99-99",
      "accountNumber": "66374958"
    },
    {
      "sortCode": "107999",
      "accountNumber": "88837493"
    }
  ]
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `results` (type: `string`):

All results in the default dataset

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "accounts": [
        {
            "sortCode": "08-99-99",
            "accountNumber": "66374958"
        },
        {
            "sortCode": "107999",
            "accountNumber": "88837493"
        }
    ]
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("sterlingverify/uk-sortcode-checker").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = { "accounts": [
        {
            "sortCode": "08-99-99",
            "accountNumber": "66374958",
        },
        {
            "sortCode": "107999",
            "accountNumber": "88837493",
        },
    ] }

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("sterlingverify/uk-sortcode-checker").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "accounts": [
    {
      "sortCode": "08-99-99",
      "accountNumber": "66374958"
    },
    {
      "sortCode": "107999",
      "accountNumber": "88837493"
    }
  ]
}' |
apify call sterlingverify/uk-sortcode-checker --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,sterlingverify/uk-sortcode-checker"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/jtRUdLSnkwLvkUozu/builds/UmpCKeKe0x6AwFXuP/openapi.json