Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited SWIFT/BIC code

What ANZBAU51 means for a payment to Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited

Whether you are given ANZBAU51 or ANZBAU51XXX, it is the same address for Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited in Australia. The code does one job: it makes sure that an international payment ends up at the right bank. In practice you usually come across the code on invoices from abroad, in payment forms and on the account details of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited customers.

Below you will find the practical side: receiving money at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, paying someone in another country and how to check the code before you confirm a payment. Keep in mind that the BIC just identifies the bank, not the person: the IBAN or account number takes care of that.

Why Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited has an 8- and an 11-character code

The layout of a BIC never changes: four characters for the institution, two for the country and a two-character location code. Together, those parts make up ANZBAU51, the code most people search for.

XXX at the end of ANZBAU51XXX is not a placeholder or a mistake: it indicates the head office of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited. Some forms insist on 11 characters, in which case you can enter XXX behind ANZBAU51.

Leave out spaces or dashes when you enter ANZBAU51. Watch for O versus 0 and I versus 1, a common source of typos.

Verifying the SWIFT code of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details. Compare it with ANZBAU51 on this page.

Mistakes in the BIC are annoying rather than fatal – usually the money comes back, minus fees and time lost. An error in the IBAN or account number is a bigger problem because it can reach the wrong person; check it just as carefully.

An automatic check by your bank merely confirms that the IBAN is valid. Some banks now compare the name with the account; take any warning seriously. When you pay someone new, some people start with a small test amount and wait for confirmation.

Paying someone abroad from your Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited account

When you send money abroad through Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited, the visible fee is rarely all of what you pay. You pay the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes fees charged by intermediary banks in between and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup when the money is converted.

The markup on the rate tends to be the largest cost. Check the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate.

Specialist money transfer services often use rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay lists these services side by side so you can see what actually arrives. Using a transfer service does not require leaving Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited.

Receiving money from abroad at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited

If you are waiting for a payment from another country, send the payer all details at once. Give them your name as the bank knows it, the IBAN or account number, the BIC ANZBAU51XXX and your address, which some banks require.

Their bank may request the address of your bank, in which case the Adelaide head office is the usual answer. Check every detail before you send them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is below what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate comes on top. Agree with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

Sending AUD to Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited

Australia uses the Australian Dollar, with the currency code AUD. If you send another currency, the amount gets converted at some point. Each conversion eats into the amount, even when no fee is shown.

Who converts the money matters: every bank has its own margin. Compare what AUD the recipient gets with several services; the difference between options can be larger than you expect.

Rates for AUD change all the time, and some providers let you lock in a rate. On larger amounts, a small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

Criminals often use fake invoices with changed bank details sent from what looks like a familiar address. A correct SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Verify new payment details via a different channel, such as a phone number you already know, not by replying to the message. Be suspicious of time pressure, odd spelling or an email address that differs by one letter. Already paid? Call your bank without delay and ask them to try to recall the payment.

People receiving money can be targeted as well: a classic trick is an overpayment and then sends a request to refund the difference. A screenshot of a transfer is no proof; only your own account shows what has arrived.

How up to date is this code?

We collect bank codes using public sources and update our list regularly. Banks reorganise, close branches and change codes, and a directory never catches every change immediately. Figures such as the number of codes come from our directory and may differ from what Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited publishes.

Treat our data as a starting point, not as the last word – the bank details from the recipient are leading. We are a comparison service and not part of Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited. Spotted an error? Tell us via our contact form so we can correct it.

When will the money arrive at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited?

There is no fixed answer for international payments: some arrive within a day. Bank holidays in either country can add extra days to the journey. Sometimes a bank asks about the purpose of a payment before releasing it.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Every gpi transfer carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services usually show tracking online so you can see how far the payment has got.

If a payment has not arrived within the expected time, the person who paid needs to start with their own bank. As a recipient, it helps to look at your statements for a partial amount, since fees may have been deducted.

Head office or branch code at Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited?

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited has 28 separate SWIFT/BIC codes. One of them is the head office code; the others identify branches.

If nobody asks you for a branch code, use ANZBAU51XXX or its short form ANZBAU51. When you receive a specific code, use it as it is rather than replacing it with the head office code.

If you are not sure, check with the recipient which code their bank gave them. Branch codes are more likely to change than ANZBAU51XXX.