What information do you need to provide for a bank transfer and what is its significance?

The law — specifically the Act of August 19, 2011 on payment services — specifies which data must be provided when making a transfer for the transaction to be valid. Practice, on the other hand, shows that banks require information to accept an order that they are not obliged to verify. Pragmatism shows that entering the data is not mere formality, but a real safeguard against mistakes and loss of money.

In this article, you will learn which details are necessary to make a transfer, why they are required, and what they mean in practice for the sender and recipient. We will also explain whether making a domestic transfer differs from sending an international one.

Key information in a nutshell:

• the recipient's account number serves as a unique identifier for the transfer;
• the recipient’s name and transfer title, although not always verified, help identify the payment and speed up processing;
• transfer titles should be clear, accurate, and compliant with AML regulations;
• the “address” field is optional but helps resolve any discrepancies;
• international transfers require additional data, such as IBAN, BIC, and specifications on costs and transfer type (SWIFT/SEPA).

What is the statutory “unique identifier” in a bank transfer?

The concept of “unique identifier” appears in the aforementioned Act on Payment Services. The legislator provides a rather complex explanation of this term. It is a “combination of letters, numbers or symbols defined by the provider for the user, which is supplied by one user in order to uniquely identify another user involved in the given payment transaction or their payment account.” What does this mean?

Something very simple — a bank account number. This is the most commonly used “unique identifier” because it allows the banking system to unambiguously point to the recipient of the transfer. For this reason, it is the primary piece of information required for placing a traditional bank transfer. Even if the other data, such as the recipient's name or surname, is incomplete or incorrect, the money will still reach the correct account.

Verifying the correctness of the account number before confirming a transfer is essential to execute the transaction correctly and minimize the risk of error or delay.

Is the account number always required for a transfer?

Referring to “traditional bank transfers” raises the question of “non-traditional” forms and whether an account number is also needed for these. For example, when making a BLIK transfer to a phone number, you do not need to enter the recipient's full account number — a phone number is sufficient. In the case of fast online transfersthe form is completed automatically.

In practice, behind each of these transactions, a unique recipient account identifier is used. It ensures that the banking system routes the money to the recipient’s account. The phone number or auto-filled form are simply convenient user interfaces.

Is the account number alone sufficient for a transfer?

One piece of information that must be provided when making a transfer is the amount. Without specifying the amount, the bank will not be able to process the transaction. It determines how much money will be withdrawn from your account, and even — whether the transfer will go through at all (it may be rejected if your account lacks sufficient funds). When shopping online, the accuracy of this field determines whether the transaction will be correctly posted and the goods shipped to you.

Recipient's name and transfer title — are they required when making a transfer?

Banks in Poland typically require more information than the account number and amount to accept a transfer order. The fields that usually must be completed include:

• recipient's name (full name or company name),
• transfer title.

Interestingly, current regulations allow that the recipient's name may not match reality. Banks do not verify it automatically — money will always go to the account number provided in the order, even if there’s an error and the person or company is not the intended recipient. Following the implementation of the EU’s Instant Payments Regulation (IPR), this will change. The banking system will automatically verify whether the name entered by the sender matches the data assigned to the account receiving the transfer. In Poland, this change is planned for July 2027, and for eurozone banks — from October 2025.

Meanwhile, the transfer title is often filled in automatically, e.g., “fund transfer.” So why bother filling in these fields manually with correct data? There are several practical benefits, such as:

• it allows the recipient to quickly and unambiguously identify the source and purpose of the payment;
• reduces the need to clarify payments;
• accelerates the posting of funds, e.g., for bill payments or e-commerce purchases;
• in case of recipient data errors, facilitates quick resolution and possible correction of transactions.

Additionally, banks and financial institutions monitor transfer titles for legal compliance and AML regulations (Anti-Money Laundering — preventing money laundering and terrorist financing). Titles suggesting illegal activity — e.g., “for buying drugs” or other crime-related transactions — may be immediately blocked and funds held for clarification. A seemingly harmless joke can result in legal consequences for the sender.

Titles should be unambiguous, free of unclear abbreviations or unnecessary special characters. They should allow the recipient to instantly identify the transaction.

Is the address necessary for a bank transfer?

At most banks in Poland, completing the “address” field is optional. Like the recipient's name, this information is also not automatically verified by the banking system and does not affect which bank account the funds will be sent to.

In practice, it's worth completing this field as an additional security measure to enhance the clarity and accuracy of the transfer. A correctly written address may, for example, speed up clarification in case of transaction discrepancies.

Required information for international transfers

To send a transfer to an account registered at a foreign bank, you must:

• choose whether it will be a SWIFT transfer (any currency) or SEPA (in euros within the EU and a few other European countries);
• for SWIFT transfers, specify who pays for the transfer costs: sender (OUR), recipient (BEN), or split (SHA). You must also indicate the transfer execution date;
• provide the recipient’s account number in IBAN format. For SWIFT transfers, you also need to provide the recipient bank’s BIC code.

What data must you provide for a bank transfer? Summary

The basic and mandatory element of every transfer is the recipient’s account number, which functions as the unique transaction identifier. Equally important is the amount — especially when paying bills or shopping online, it must be correct so that the payment is properly posted. Other details, such as the recipient’s name, transfer title, or address, although not always verified by the banking system, are practically essential — they allow unambiguous identification of the payment, speed up fund posting, and minimize the risk of errors.

Thanks to data auto-fill features, online transfers reduce the need to manually enter data and accelerate transaction processing, while also ensuring greater payment security.