Text Banking Commands: Short Codes, Replies, and Alerts

Text banking commands are short keywords you send by SMS to your bank’s dedicated short code to check a balance, pull recent transactions, or run a few other basic account tasks. A reply comes back within seconds. The service runs over plain SMS, so it works on any cell phone, no smartphone or data plan required. Most banks charge nothing beyond whatever your carrier bills for a text.

The Core Commands

The exact list varies by bank, but a common set shows up almost everywhere:

  • BAL returns the available balance on your primary linked account. With more than one account enrolled, add the nickname, like BAL CHK, to pick which one.
  • BAL ALL returns balances for every enrolled account in a single reply.
  • HIST pulls recent transactions, usually the last five entries. Wells Fargo uses ACT for the same purpose.1Wells Fargo. Text Banking Commands
  • DUE shows payment due dates and minimum amounts for credit cards or loans.
  • TRA, at banks that support it, moves money between your own checking and savings. Wells Fargo is one of them.1Wells Fargo. Text Banking Commands
  • HELP sends back the list of supported commands and contact information.
  • STOP cancels text banking entirely.

Individual banks add their own keywords. Chase includes NICK, which lists your account nicknames, and COMMAND, which returns the full menu. The reliable way to see what your bank supports is to text HELP to its short code after you enroll.

Enrolling So the Commands Work

Nothing works until you enroll. Log in to your online banking account, find the mobile or alerts settings, enter your cell phone number, and confirm the number by replying to a verification text. Some banks let you do this in the mobile app instead.

During setup you pick which accounts to make accessible by text. Checking, savings, or both. Most banks ask you to assign a short nickname to each account so you can call it up quickly in commands. CHK and SAV are fine.

Skip the verification step or type your number wrong and the bank won’t send messages to that device. Enrollment also serves as your consent to receive automated texts, which banks are required to obtain before sending them.2Federal Communications Commission. One-to-One Consent Rule for TCPA Prior Express Written Consent Frequently Asked Questions

Short Codes for Major Banks

Commands go to a five- or six-digit short code your bank leases through the Short Code Registry (formerly the Common Short Code Administration). Confirmed codes at some of the largest banks:

Banks change codes and use several at once for different message types, so verify the current number on your bank’s website or in its SMS terms rather than trusting one you saw somewhere else.

What the Replies Look Like

Responses arrive within seconds. A balance reply reads something like “BAL: Checking (CHK) $1,200.50 as of 06/15.” A history reply lists recent entries in reverse order with amount, date, and a short merchant description. Formatting is terse on purpose. SMS carries 160 characters per message, and banks try to fit a full response into a single text.

Send a command the system doesn’t recognize and it replies with an error pointing you to HELP. Send STOP and the bank sends one final confirmation, then goes silent. Re-enrolling later means running through setup again.

Automatic Alerts

Text banking isn’t only commands you send. Most banks also let you set up automatic alerts that push out whenever a trigger is met: a balance falling below a threshold you pick, a deposit posting, a transaction over a certain amount, a payment coming due.

You configure these in online banking or the mobile app. Choose the account, pick the alert type, set your threshold, and select text as the delivery method.7Bank of America. Setting Alerts A low-balance alert set at $200 texts you the moment checking dips below that number. An unexpected charge shows up as an alert before you think to look.

What Text Banking Can’t Do

Commands cover a narrow slice of what a full banking app or website handles. At most banks you can’t pay bills, deposit checks, send money to other people, dispute transactions, or open new accounts by text. Wells Fargo’s transfer command is the exception, and even it is limited to moves between your own Wells Fargo accounts.

Carriers matter too. Some prepaid plans and smaller carriers don’t support third-party short codes. T-Mobile notes that “non-T-Mobile self-service short codes are not supported on select plans.”8T-Mobile. Self-service and Short Codes If you’re on a budget prepaid plan and nothing is going through, your carrier is likely filtering them. Call to ask about short code support.

Short codes are also country-specific, so a U.S. bank’s code won’t work while your phone is roaming abroad.8T-Mobile. Self-service and Short Codes Switch to the mobile app over Wi-Fi when you travel.

And SMS isn’t encrypted. Balances and transactions travel in plain text over the cellular network. Fine for a quick check, less fine on a shared device, and a reason to treat text banking as a convenience layer rather than your main way in.

Watch for Fake Bank Texts

Scammers send messages designed to look like bank alerts, often claiming suspicious activity or a locked card, with a link or callback number that leads somewhere other than your bank. The FCC advises against clicking links in unexpected texts, replying to unknown numbers, or even sending STOP to messages you didn’t sign up for, because a reply confirms your number is active.9Federal Communications Commission. Avoid the Temptation of Smishing Scams If a text looks like it came from your bank and you’re not sure, ignore its links and phone numbers. Go to the bank’s website directly or call the number on the back of your card.