Macquarie Bank Limited SWIFT/BIC code

What MACQAU2S means for a payment to Macquarie Bank Limited

The 8-character code MACQAU2S and the 11-character code MACQAU2SXXX refer to the same bank: Macquarie Bank Limited. The code has a single purpose: it ensures that an international payment reaches the right bank. In daily life you mostly see the code on invoices from abroad, in payment forms and on the account details of Macquarie Bank Limited customers.

Further down you will find the practical side: money coming in from abroad, paying someone in another country and how to verify the code before you hit send. The BIC identifies a bank or branch, never a single account.

Choosing between the 7 SWIFT codes of Macquarie Bank Limited

We have 7 SWIFT/BIC codes for Macquarie Bank Limited, spread over 1 cities. Next to the head office code MACQAU2SXXX, there are codes for individual branches and departments.

For the vast majority of payments to a private or business account, the head office code MACQAU2SXXX works fine. Just use a branch code when the recipient explicitly asks for it.

Unsure which code applies? Ask the recipient. Branch codes can change when banks reorganise, so do not rely on old paperwork.

Getting paid from abroad into a Macquarie Bank Limited account

For a transfer from abroad at Macquarie Bank Limited, the person paying you has to have not just the BIC. What they need is: the account holder’s name, IBAN or account number, MACQAU2SXXX or MACQAU2S and often your home address.

Some sending banks also ask for the address of Macquarie Bank Limited, so keep it at hand. Double-check the details before you share them.

The amount you receive is often lower than the amount sent. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank – the price list of Macquarie Bank Limited tells you what applies. For business payments, you can state how the fees are split, so that nobody is left short.

The Australian Dollar and what conversion costs you

Most accounts at Macquarie Bank Limited are typically held in AUD, the national currency. A payment in a foreign currency will be converted into AUD before it reaches the account, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. There is rarely a separate charge for that conversion.

Which bank converts the money makes a difference. In many cases it is cheaper to send AUD directly through a provider with a good rate, so that the receiving bank does not need to convert again.

Exchange rates change during the day, and some providers let you lock in a rate. On larger amounts, even seemingly small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

How to check MACQAU2S before you pay

Have the recipient send you the account details directly from their banking app. If the code you have does not match MACQAU2S or MACQAU2SXXX, do not guess: check with the recipient or with Macquarie Bank Limited directly.

Mistakes in the BIC tend to be costly rather than fatal – usually the money comes back, minus fees and time lost. Remember the IBAN: an error there is more difficult to undo than a wrong BIC.

Most online banking apps check the structure of IBANs. Where available, a name check before sending adds an extra layer of safety. When you pay someone new, some people send a small test amount.

A note on our data

We gather bank codes using publicly available data and check them regularly. Banks merge, close branches and change codes, and a directory never catches every change immediately. The number of codes we show reflect what is in our directory and not on information from Macquarie Bank Limited itself.

See our directory here as a handy check. We are an independent comparison service and not affiliated with Macquarie Bank Limited. Spotted an error? Let us know via our contact form so we can correct it.

What the XXX in MACQAU2SXXX means

Each SWIFT/BIC code has an 8-character core: four letters for the bank, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. Together, these eight characters make up MACQAU2S, the code most people search for.

The 11-character version has three more characters that identify a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, they simply mean the head office.

Enter the code in one piece, in capitals and without spaces, exactly as shown here. A wrong letter may route the money to a different institution, so check it twice.

Tracking a transfer to or from Macquarie Bank Limited

How fast a payment reaches Macquarie Bank Limited is determined by several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays often start a business day later. Sometimes a bank wants to know what the payment is for before releasing it.

If the money seems delayed, contact your bank for the status and the transaction reference so they can trace it along the chain. Specialist transfer services usually show tracking in their app so you can see how far the payment is.

If the money does not arrive after a few business days, the person who paid needs to start with the bank that sent it rather than Macquarie Bank Limited. On the receiving end, you can look at your account for a partial amount.

Paying someone abroad from your Macquarie Bank Limited account

What you pay for an international transfer has several parts – not just the fee on your screen. There is the fee for the transfer itself, possibly fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup if the currency changes.

Banks rarely list their exchange rate markup as a cost. Compare their rate against the mid-market rate. The difference is your real conversion cost.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a bank. GoldexPay lists these services side by side, showing the amount the recipient gets for the same amount sent. You can always keep your account at Macquarie Bank Limited, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Changed bank details? Be careful

Scammers regularly send payment requests containing changed bank details. A correct SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Never rely on contact details from the same email that announces the change. Be suspicious of time pressure, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. Already paid? Call the bank you paid from without delay and ask them to try to recall the payment and report the fraud.

Scams also work the other way: someone sends too much and wants you to refund the extra. Do not act before the money is actually in your account.