Bbk SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Bbk

BBKUBHBM and BBKUBHBMXXX are the short and the long form of the same SWIFT/BIC code, and both lead to Bbk in Manama. The code has a single purpose: it makes sure that an international payment ends up at the right bank. In daily life you mostly come across the code on international invoices, in payment forms and on the account details that Bbk provides.

Below you will find the practical questions: money coming in from abroad, paying someone in another country and how to check a SWIFT code before you confirm a payment. Keep in mind that the BIC just identifies the bank, not the account: the IBAN or account number does that part.

Which of the 24 codes of Bbk do you need?

Bbk uses 24 different SWIFT/BIC codes. One of them is the head office code; the rest belong to branches.

If nobody asks you for a branch code, use BBKUBHBMXXX or its short form BBKUBHBM. A branch code only makes sense when the recipient’s bank specifically mentions it, which is more common for business accounts and trade services.

The safest approach is to copy the code straight from the recipient’s statement. Branch codes are more prone to change than BBKUBHBMXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.

About this information

The details on this page come from publicly available data that we update regularly. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes, so information can be out of date. The figures we show reflect our own data, not official figures from Bbk.

See the information here as a handy check and rely on the recipient or Bbk for the final confirmation. GoldexPay is independent of Bbk, we only compare transfer services. If you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a message via the contact page.

What a transfer from Bbk abroad really costs

What you pay for a payment abroad has several parts. On top of the transfer fee, banks in between may deduct a fee, and when currencies are converted the bank usually applies a rate that is less favourable than the actual market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee: many banks convert at a rate that includes a margin. Check the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For many routes, a specialist provider is less expensive than a bank, mainly because of the exchange rate. GoldexPay lists transfer providers side by side so you can see what actually arrives. You can still keep your account at Bbk as the source of the money.

Verifying the SWIFT code of Bbk

The most reliable place for the correct BIC is a document from the bank itself like a bank statement or the account page in online banking. Check it with BBKUBHBM here; if they differ, ask before you pay.

If the code is wrong, the payment might get stuck, be returned or cost extra – sometimes after weeks of searching. Do not forget the IBAN: an error there is more difficult to undo than a wrong BIC.

An automatic check by your bank only confirms that the code is valid, not that it is the right account. Some banks now compare the name with the account before you confirm; take any warning seriously. A small test payment can be worth it for a large first payment despite the extra fee.

Getting paid from abroad into a Bbk account

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for several details from you. Share your name as the bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the BIC BBKUBHBMXXX and your address, which some banks require.

It helps to add the bank name and Manama too, because some payment forms have separate fields for them. Double-check each detail before you send them.

Expect that the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank – the price list of Bbk tells you what applies. On invoices, it is common to agree how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

A common scam works like this: you receive a request saying that a supplier has a new bank account and asking you to pay there from now on. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine.

Never trust contact details in the same message that announces the new account. Watch out for urgent requests, unusual wording or a sender address that is slightly off. When money has already gone to the wrong account, call your bank right away – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

Scams can also target the receiver. Someone sends more than agreed and asks you to refund the difference via a different route. Wait until the money is actually in your account.

Tracking a transfer to or from Bbk

How quickly a payment arrives at Bbk is determined by a few things: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, cut-off times and differences in time zone. Weekends and public holidays in either country add extra days to the journey. Compliance checks by one of the banks can also cause a delay, regardless of the details.

If the money seems late, contact your bank for the tracking status so they can trace it along the chain. Money transfer services often provide a status online showing where the payment is.

The bank that sent the money can start an official trace or a recall; the receiving side usually has nothing to trace yet. Request from the sender the payment receipt including the reference.

Why Bbk has an 8- and an 11-character code

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with an 8-character core: a four-letter bank code, two letters for the country and a two-character location code. Combined, these eight characters make up BBKUBHBM.

Most payment forms work with either length. If a form asks for eleven characters, enter BBKUBHBMXXX; if it wants eight, use BBKUBHBM.

Leave out spaces, dots when you type BBKUBHBM. A wrong letter may route a payment to another bank, so copy it carefully.