what is an iban transfer, and how does it work?

Question

can i walk into a bank like abbey and give them a specific number and they will transfer the money from my account to theres?

Answer 1

A bank transfer between banks in different european countries, using an account number which works throughout europe.

Answer 2

International Bank Account Number - IBAN, is a standard numbering system developed to identify bank accounts from around the world. It was originally developed by banks in Europe to simplify transactions involving bank accounts from other countries.

The IBAN number consists of a two-letter country code followed by two check digits and up to thirty alphanumeric characters known as the basic bank account number (BBAN). It is up to the banking association of each country to determine what BBAN will be set as the standard for that country's bank accounts. Currently, the IBAN is primarily used only by banks in Europe, but the practice is becoming popular in other countries.