A customer's IBAN differs by one digit from the one I have on file; how do I find the digit that differs?
Paste both numbers and choose the Characters level: the tool matches the two strings symbol by symbol and marks only the positions that differ, so you see exactly where the mistake is. Line comparison only tells you the whole line changed, which is no help with a 24-character number.
Why line comparison is not enough here
An IBAN is one line and one word. In line comparison the two numbers appear as a removed line and an added line, not even as a modified pair, because two lines are paired only when they share at least half of their words, and the whole number is one word that differs. Result: Added 1, Removed 1, of which modified 0. You are then left comparing 24 characters by eye.
Example: two digits swapped at the end
On file: SA0380000000608010167519.
Sent by the customer: SA0380000000608010167591.
Character comparison: Added 1, Removed 1, Unchanged 23.
Plain-text result: SA03800000006080101675[-1-]9{+1+}.
How to read it: everything matches up to '675', then a 1 that exists in your record is missing from the customer's number at that point, then a shared 9, then a 1 added after it. The customer swapped the last two digits and wrote 91 instead of 19. It is one of the most common hand-copying slips, and here you spot it in a second.
Steps
- Open Text comparison, paste the number on file in the first box and the customer's number in the second.
- Choose the Characters level.
- Look at the summary: if Unchanged is close to the length of the number, the error is in one or two positions.
- Read the position from the view or the plain-text result, then ask the customer to confirm.
Number split with spaces?
Many banks display an IBAN in groups of four. We compared SA03 8000 0000 6080 1016 7519 with the same number without spaces: no digit was added or removed, just 5 under 'Whitespace-only differences'. With 'Ignore whitespace differences' on, you get the identical message. So spaces do not hide a real mistake from you, but the option makes the result cleaner.
Number written in Arabic digits?
This is where a useful comparison breaks down: ٠ and 0 are different symbols. We compared the same IBAN written once in Western digits and once in Arabic digits and got 22 added and 22 removed, with only the letters SA unchanged. Convert the Arabic digits to Western ones with the Arabic/Persian/Western digit converter first, then compare.
A caution
The tool shows where the two numbers differ; it does not validate the IBAN or check which bank it belongs to. The correct number is the one the account holder or a bank statement confirms. The comparison runs in your browser, so the number is not sent anywhere.
Common questions
Does this work for other numbers?
Yes: order numbers, tracking numbers, discount codes, registration numbers, any short string you want to check position by position.
Does it tell the letter O from the digit 0?
Yes, they are different symbols and the difference will show.
Is character comparison suitable for long texts?
It is meant for short texts. For long ones use lines or words.