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BloodTypeCalc.com

Blood Type Compatibility Chart

Who can donate blood to whom?

Compare donors and recipients for all eight blood types. Use the interactive chart, read the quick-reference table, or check one donor-to-recipient pair.

By BloodTypeCalc.comPublisher: Bobby LitmonPublished · Updated Suggest a correctionMethods & limits
Red blood cell compatibility: donor (rows) to recipient (columns)
Recipient
DonorO−O+A−A+B−B+AB−AB+
O negative donor to O negative recipient: compatibleO negative donor to O positive recipient: compatibleO negative donor to A negative recipient: compatibleO negative donor to A positive recipient: compatibleO negative donor to B negative recipient: compatibleO negative donor to B positive recipient: compatibleO negative donor to AB negative recipient: compatibleO negative donor to AB positive recipient: compatible
O positive donor to O negative recipient: not compatibleO positive donor to O positive recipient: compatibleO positive donor to A negative recipient: not compatibleO positive donor to A positive recipient: compatibleO positive donor to B negative recipient: not compatibleO positive donor to B positive recipient: compatibleO positive donor to AB negative recipient: not compatibleO positive donor to AB positive recipient: compatible
A negative donor to O negative recipient: not compatibleA negative donor to O positive recipient: not compatibleA negative donor to A negative recipient: compatibleA negative donor to A positive recipient: compatibleA negative donor to B negative recipient: not compatibleA negative donor to B positive recipient: not compatibleA negative donor to AB negative recipient: compatibleA negative donor to AB positive recipient: compatible
A positive donor to O negative recipient: not compatibleA positive donor to O positive recipient: not compatibleA positive donor to A negative recipient: not compatibleA positive donor to A positive recipient: compatibleA positive donor to B negative recipient: not compatibleA positive donor to B positive recipient: not compatibleA positive donor to AB negative recipient: not compatibleA positive donor to AB positive recipient: compatible
B negative donor to O negative recipient: not compatibleB negative donor to O positive recipient: not compatibleB negative donor to A negative recipient: not compatibleB negative donor to A positive recipient: not compatibleB negative donor to B negative recipient: compatibleB negative donor to B positive recipient: compatibleB negative donor to AB negative recipient: compatibleB negative donor to AB positive recipient: compatible
B positive donor to O negative recipient: not compatibleB positive donor to O positive recipient: not compatibleB positive donor to A negative recipient: not compatibleB positive donor to A positive recipient: not compatibleB positive donor to B negative recipient: not compatibleB positive donor to B positive recipient: compatibleB positive donor to AB negative recipient: not compatibleB positive donor to AB positive recipient: compatible
AB negative donor to O negative recipient: not compatibleAB negative donor to O positive recipient: not compatibleAB negative donor to A negative recipient: not compatibleAB negative donor to A positive recipient: not compatibleAB negative donor to B negative recipient: not compatibleAB negative donor to B positive recipient: not compatibleAB negative donor to AB negative recipient: compatibleAB negative donor to AB positive recipient: compatible
AB positive donor to O negative recipient: not compatibleAB positive donor to O positive recipient: not compatibleAB positive donor to A negative recipient: not compatibleAB positive donor to A positive recipient: not compatibleAB positive donor to B negative recipient: not compatibleAB positive donor to B positive recipient: not compatibleAB positive donor to AB negative recipient: not compatibleAB positive donor to AB positive recipient: compatible
Compatible: donor red blood cells can be transfused to recipient Not compatible
Universal red cell donorO negative
Universal red cell recipientAB positive

Transfusion decisions require compatibility testing by qualified medical professionals.

Highlight a blood type

O− red cells can go to

  • O−
  • O+
  • A−
  • A+
  • B−
  • B+
  • AB−
  • AB+

O− can receive red cells from

  • O−

O negative is the universal red cell donor.

Blood donation chart: who can give and receive?

Find your type in the first column. Read across for compatible red cell donors and recipients under the standard ABO/RhD model. Plasma follows different rules.

Red blood cell donors and recipients for all eight blood types
Your blood typeCan receive red cells fromCan donate red cells to
O− blood typeO−O−, O+, A−, A+, B−, B+, AB−, AB+
O+ blood typeO−, O+O+, A+, B+, AB+
A− blood typeO−, A−A−, A+, AB−, AB+
A+ blood typeO−, O+, A−, A+A+, AB+
B− blood typeO−, B−B−, B+, AB−, AB+
B+ blood typeO−, O+, B−, B+B+, AB+
AB− blood typeO−, A−, B−, AB−AB−, AB+
AB+ blood typeO−, O+, A−, A+, B−, B+, AB−, AB+AB+

This is an educational chart. Blood-bank testing and crossmatching are still required for transfusion decisions.

Check a specific donor and recipientView the plasma compatibility chartExplore all eight blood types

Worked examples: red cells vs plasma

Read each pair as donor → recipient. Changing the blood component or reversing the pair can change the answer. These examples use the same standard ABO/RhD rules as the calculator.

O− donor → A+ recipient

Red blood cells (ABO/RhD)
Compatible in this model
Plasma (ABO only)
Not compatible in this model

O red cells have no A or B antigens, but O plasma contains anti-A antibodies that can react with an A recipient's red cells.

Try this red-cell exampleTry this plasma example

A+ donor → O− recipient

Red blood cells (ABO/RhD)
Not compatible in this model
Plasma (ABO only)
Compatible in this model

Reversing the donor and recipient reverses the ABO result: A red cells carry the A antigen, while A plasma is ABO-compatible with an O recipient.

Try this red-cell exampleTry this plasma example

O+ donor → O− recipient

Red blood cells (ABO/RhD)
Not compatible in this model
Plasma (ABO only)
Compatible in this model

Even with the same ABO group, RhD changes the red-cell result. The plasma comparison uses ABO group only and does not use the positive or negative sign.

Try this red-cell exampleTry this plasma example

Compatibility in a simplified chart does not establish donation eligibility or the suitability of a blood unit. A transfusion service must assess the patient and product. Read the plasma explanation or see the UTMB blood component chart (opens in a new tab).

Personalized comparison

Compare one specific donor and recipient

The compatibility calculator checks a single donor-to-recipient pair for red cells or plasma and explains the ABO and RhD reasoning.

Open the compatibility calculator
Important: This chart shows general ABO and Rh compatibility for transfusions. It is provided for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for crossmatching or clinical judgment. Always rely on laboratory testing and the guidance of qualified healthcare professionals for transfusion decisions.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is O negative the universal red cell donor?
O negative red cells carry no A, B, or RhD antigens, so a recipient's anti-A, anti-B, and anti-D antibodies have nothing to react against. That makes O− red cells usable for recipients of any ABO/Rh type in the simplified model, which is why they are stocked for emergencies. Other blood group systems and crossmatching still apply.
Why is AB positive the universal red cell recipient?
AB positive people have A, B, and RhD antigens on their red cells and therefore no anti-A, anti-B, or (typically) anti-D antibodies. They can generally receive red cells from any ABO/Rh type.
What about Rh factor and compatibility?
Rh-negative recipients should generally receive Rh-negative red cells to avoid forming anti-D antibodies. Rh-positive recipients can receive either. Plasma compatibility does not depend on Rh in the same way.
Why is plasma compatibility the opposite of red cells?
Red cells carry antigens; plasma carries the antibodies against the antigens a person lacks. AB plasma has no anti-A or anti-B antibodies, so under ABO rules it can be given to recipients of any ABO group. Type O plasma contains both antibodies, so it is generally only given to type O recipients.

How compatibility works

Red blood cells display antigens: A, B, both, or neither, plus the RhD antigen if Rh-positive. Plasma contains antibodies against the ABO antigens a person does not have. If donor red cells carry an antigen the recipient has antibodies against, the recipient's immune system attacks the transfused cells.

For red cells, a donor is compatible when they introduce no new ABO antigen and, if the recipient is Rh-negative, no RhD antigen. For plasma, the logic flips: the donor's plasma must not contain antibodies against the recipient's red cells, so AB plasma (no anti-A or anti-B) is the universal plasma donor and type O is the universal plasma recipient.

Go deeper

Universal blood donorWhy O negative is stocked for emergencies.Universal recipientWhy AB positive can receive from anyone.Plasma compatibilityThe reverse rules for plasma, explained.How rare is my blood type?Estimated U.S. frequency and rarity rank for each type.

Sources

Information on this page is paraphrased from the following authoritative sources.

  1. Facts About Blood and Blood Types(opens in a new tab)American Red Cross
  2. Blood typing(opens in a new tab)MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine
  3. Blood Component ABO Compatibility Chart(opens in a new tab)UTMB Transfusion Medicine
  4. Component compatibility (updated April 2026)(opens in a new tab)Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
  5. Blood Safety and Matching(opens in a new tab)American Society of Hematology