SWIFT/BIC codes in Australia: banks starting with B

Finding a SWIFT code in Australia

In Australia our database holds 1063 SWIFT/BIC codes. A BIC shows every bank in the chain exactly which bank is meant to get the money.

Pick the bank from the list to view the head office code and its other codes. The rest of this page covers the structure of the codes, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing.

The Australian Dollar (AUD) and conversion costs

Australia uses the Australian Dollar, code AUD. A payment in a foreign currency will be converted into AUD – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who converts the money matters. Check what AUD the recipient gets via several services. Rates for AUD change during the day.

The cheapest way to send money to Australia

When you transfer money to Australia with your bank, the fee you see is rarely all of what you pay. There is a transfer fee, possibly fees from correspondent banks and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate if the money is converted.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest cost item. Compare the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

Money transfer services often use rates closer to the mid-market rate. GoldexPay compares transfer services side by side, showing what actually arrives in Australia for the same amount sent.

How long does a transfer to Australia take?

How fast a payment arrives in Australia is determined by a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Bank holidays in either country add a day or more to the journey.

If the money is late, ask the sender to contact the sending bank; only the sending side can start an official trace. Money transfer services usually provide a status in their app so you can follow the payment.

BNP Paribas Services, (Australia Branch) and its SWIFT codes

BNP Paribas Services, (Australia Branch) tops our list for Australia when it comes to the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses PARBAUS1066, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

How many codes a bank has says something about how it organises its payments than about its size. Unless a branch code is given, the head office code PARBAUS1066 works for transfers to this bank.

International payments to Australia and the BIC

Australia is not part of the SEPA area, so European euro rules do not apply. Payments from abroad normally go through the SWIFT network.

Not all countries use IBAN numbers. Check with the recipient which details their bank requires for payments from abroad. On the way to Australia, a payment can go through intermediary banks.

Receiving money in Australia from abroad

If you expect a payment from another country in Australia, send the payer all details at once. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Look up the bank in the list above to check its code, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. You can add the name and city of your bank as well because some forms have separate fields for it.

What lands in your account can be less than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

Banks in Australia starting with :letter

This filter limits the list to banks in Australia starting with :letter. The figures for Australia mentioned here cover every bank we list.

Bank not listed? Its official name may start with a different letter. Try the full list for Australia if you do not know the exact name.

Check the code before you pay

The most reliable place for the correct BIC is paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account page in online banking. When the code you were given does not match the code listed here, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check our list regularly. Banks merge, close branches and retire codes. Treat our data as a starting point. We are a comparison service for money transfers, not a bank.

Watch out for payment requests containing changed bank details – a common fraud method. A real SWIFT code says nothing about whether a request is genuine: criminals use real codes too.

The structure of a Australia SWIFT/BIC code

A BIC is 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. First comes a four-letter bank code, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

In every code from Australia, characters five and six show the ISO country code of Australia, which makes these codes easy to recognise. When those two letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank in another country.

The long version adds three characters for a branch – XXX stands for the head office. In most cases the head office code is what you need unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.