UBA Bank Sort Codes
UBA • Bank identifiers
UBA Bank Sort Codes: The Complete Guide
Your payroll file wants a sort code. A foreign client asks for your branch details. A form with a free box says “bank code” and you hold an account with United Bank for Africa. Which number goes where? This guide explains every UBA number in plain words, shows where to find the one you need, and helps you avoid the mistakes that get payments rejected.
The short version
UBA’s bank code is 033. A UBA branch sort code is a 9-digit number that starts with 033 and identifies one branch. Your account number is 10 digits. Most ordinary transfers only need the bank name and your account number, and the system fills in the rest. Check your branch sort code on your cheque book or statement, or ask your branch.
In this guide
1. What a sort code is • 2. The numbers people confuse • 3. UBA’s codes • 4. How a branch sort code is built • 5. Finding yours • 6. Sending to UBA • 7. Receiving in UBA • 8. Forms and business use • 9. International payments • 10. Mistakes and fixes • 11. Safety • 12. Five real situations • 13. Questions answered
1. What a sort code is
A sort code is a number that tells the payment system where to send money. In the United Kingdom it is six digits written in pairs and it identifies a bank branch. Nigerian banks use the same phrase, but the word can mean two things depending on the form in front of you.
Sometimes people use “sort code” to mean the bank code, the short number for the bank as a whole, such as 033 for UBA. Other times they mean a branch sort code, a longer number that points to one particular branch. Forms use the words loosely, and that is the main reason people get confused. The first job is to read the form carefully and work out whether it wants the bank or the branch.
Whichever one it wants, the sort code does only half the work. It names the bank or branch. Your account number names the customer. A payment needs both.
2. The numbers people confuse with a sort code
| Name | What it is | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Bank code | Short code for the bank, such as 033 for UBA | Choosing the receiving bank |
| Branch sort code | A 9-digit code for one branch, starting with the bank code | Forms that ask for branch details |
| Account number (NUBAN) | 10 digits that identify your account | Telling the bank whom to credit |
| SWIFT or BIC code | An 8 or 11 character international identifier | Receiving money from abroad |
| USSD code | A short code like *919# that opens a phone menu | Banking by phone. Never a bank identifier |
| BVN | An 11-digit identity number | Identity checks. Never a payment identifier |
| PIN and OTP | Private codes that approve your actions | Authorising payments. Never share them |
The mix-up that causes the most rejected payments is the USSD code. *919# opens the UBA menu on your phone. It does not identify UBA to another bank, and a payment form will refuse it.
3. UBA’s codes explained
| Code | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bank code | 033 | Identifies United Bank for Africa |
| Branch sort code | 9 digits starting with 033 | Different for each branch |
| Account number | 10 digits | Printed on your statement and shown in the UBA app |
| SWIFT/BIC | UNAFNGLA | Used for international payments into UBA Nigeria accounts |
| USSD code | *919# | Opens the UBA phone menu |
Together these cover nearly every situation. A domestic transfer needs the bank name and account number. A form with a branch field needs the 9-digit sort code. An overseas payment needs the SWIFT code and account number.
4. How a branch sort code is built
A UBA branch sort code has nine digits. The first three are the bank code, 033. The remaining six identify a branch. That is why every UBA branch sort code starts the same way, and why two customers with accounts at different branches have different sort codes.
| Part | Digits | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Bank code | First 3 | UBA |
| Branch part | Next 6 | A single UBA branch |
You will sometimes see this written with spaces or dashes for readability. Enter it as nine digits unless the form says otherwise.
5. How to find your branch sort code
Check your cheque book
If you have one, the branch code is usually printed on each cheque.
Look at your statement
Account details on a statement or account confirmation letter may show it.
Ask your branch
Call or visit the branch where you opened the account and ask for the sort code.
Use the UBA app or official support
If you cannot reach the branch, ask UBA through the app or its official channels.
If you have never needed one, you may not have it written down anywhere. Do not guess, and do not copy a code from another branch. A wrong branch code can delay a payment.
6. How to send money to a UBA account
For an ordinary transfer you need only the receiver’s 10-digit account number and the bank name.
Open your banking app
Choose transfer to another bank.
Enter the account number
Type the 10 digits carefully or paste them.
Choose United Bank for Africa
Pick it from the list. The bank code 033 is filled in for you.
Check the name
The account name should match the person you are paying.
Confirm with your PIN or token
Keep the confirmation until the money is settled.
If you send by USSD from another bank, the same logic applies. You pick UBA from the bank list in your own bank’s menu. You do not dial *919# to send to a UBA account from another bank.
7. How to receive money in a UBA account
To get paid, give the sender your 10-digit UBA account number, the bank name United Bank for Africa and your account name. Ask them to check that your name appears on their screen before they confirm. You will get an alert, and the balance updates in your UBA app.
Large payments or payments from platforms can take a little longer. If it does not appear, wait, check your history and ask the sender for the reference. Do not ask them to send again until the first payment is settled or reversed.
8. Forms, payroll and business use
◆ Choose the bank by name in a dropdown where you can.
◆ If a file asks for a code, copy it from the platform’s own bank list.
◆ If a form asks for a branch sort code, use the 9-digit code from your cheque book or branch.
◆ Send a small test payment before a large batch.
◆ Confirm that the resolved account name matches the staff member or supplier.
◆ Keep a record of the codes you used and the date.
A business account has its own account number and may sit at a different branch. Always check the code and number for the specific account you are using.
9. International payments
International payments use the SWIFT or BIC code. UBA’s is UNAFNGLA. The sender may also need your 10-digit account number and your account name. A branch sort code may be asked for on some forms, so keep yours handy. Ask UBA which details it recommends for an incoming foreign payment, and ask the sender’s bank to check theirs.
An international payment sent with wrong details can be returned with fees taken, so check before you send.
10. Common mistakes and how to fix them
| Mistake | What happens | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Using *919# as a bank code | Form rejects it | Use 033 or choose UBA by name |
| Entering 033 where a 9-digit code is needed | Form rejects it | Use your full branch sort code |
| Entering a 9-digit code where only the bank code is needed | Bank not found | Use 033 or choose UBA by name |
| Using a UK sort code | Not recognised | Use Nigerian codes |
| Mixing up SWIFT and sort codes | Payment returned | Use SWIFT only for foreign payments |
| Copying a code from a message | Possible scam | Take codes from your branch or the UBA app |
11. Stay safe around bank codes
Bank codes are not secret. What matters is what people ask you to do next. Anyone who needs only your account number and bank details does not need your PIN, OTP, card details or BVN. If someone asks for them, it is a scam.
◆ Never share your PIN or OTP, even with someone who says they work for UBA.
◆ Check the account name on every transfer before you confirm.
◆ Use only the UBA app, your branch or official channels for help.
◆ If you sent money to the wrong account, contact UBA straight away and keep the reference.
12. Five real situations
A freelancer is paid by an overseas client
The client’s bank asks for your bank, account number, account name and a SWIFT code. You give United Bank for Africa, your 10-digit number, your name exactly as it appears on the account, and UNAFNGLA. If the form also asks for a branch code, you give your 9-digit sort code. You do not give your PIN, OTP or BVN, because no payment needs them.
A company uploads a payroll file
The payroll platform has a bank column. Use the platform’s own bank list to copy the code for United Bank for Africa, which should match 033, instead of typing it from memory. Run a small test payment first, check that the names match, then upload the full file.
A landlord asks for a direct debit
A direct debit form usually wants the branch where your account is held. Take the 9-digit sort code from your cheque book or statement, add your account number and sign. If you cannot find the code, ask your branch before you submit the form, because a wrong code delays the first collection.
A friend says the transfer shows a different name
Ask them to stop and read out the account number. Compare it with the one in your UBA app digit by digit. A single wrong digit sends a payment to a stranger’s account, or the system returns a different name. Wait until the name matches before they confirm.
A message asks you to confirm your sort code and PIN
Do not reply. A genuine payment needs your account number and bank name, never your PIN. Delete the message and contact UBA only through the app, your branch or its official channels.
13. Questions answered
A quick checklist before you pay
✓ The account number is 10 digits and copied, not retyped.
✓ The bank is United Bank for Africa, chosen from the list.
✓ You have the right code for the field: 033, a 9-digit branch code or SWIFT.
✓ The name on screen matches.
✓ You have not shared your PIN, OTP, card details or BVN.
✓ You have saved the confirmation.
Pick UBA by name, match the code to the field, check the name and protect your PIN.