[Skye]

In the UK the details needed to transfer money into an account are on most bank cards (Account Number and Sort Code), so that's enough identifying info.

That would also mean someone can send you money if your card is blocked or cancelled. Account number and sort code don't change when you get a new card.

Also, "Faster Payments" is the name of the normal system to transfer money between accounts in the UK. It doesn't cost the sender anything other than the money they send. It's called "faster" because the old system was a lot slower (because it was based on paper I think?).

[Symbiote]

The old system (BACS) has been electronic since 1983, or possibly even 1968 when it was introduced. (Wikipedia is unclear, it seems transactions were recorded on magnetic tape for the first 15 years, before using phone lines.) It slowly replaces the paper based system: cheques.

The 2-3 days got the old system will have been a limitation of batch based computer processing from that time, and maybe moving the magnetic tapes around.

[Reason077]

I'm curious about this. I've always banked with NatWest so I'm only really familiar with their cards, but my bank account number is definitely not printed on the card (the sort code is).

Do some other UK banks really print the account numbers on their cards? Or is there some way to send a Faster payment to a debit card number?

[marksomnian]

I'm with Starling Bank, and along with the usual Mastercard numbers (card number, expiry, CVV etc.) it has the account number... though not the sort code, strangely. I guess you could look it up if you wanted to, but you'd need to know this 8-digit number with no label was the account number. Weird.

[tom_]

My personal Barclays debit card has sort code and account number. My RBS business debit card has sort code and company name only.

[deadbunny]

I think Natwest is the outlier in this case. I've always had my account number and sort code on all my cards with other banks (Barclays, Lloyds, Halifax).

Edit: Maybe also Monzo, no account number on that one.

[Skye]

In my case, I have two card from one bank has sort code and account number. I also have one card from a different bank has none of that.

[lavezzi]

Pretty sure my Natwest debit card has my account number and sort code on it.

[bosie]

Just checked my Halifax Visa Debit card... Contains my name, visa card number, sort code and bank account number.