SWIFT/BIC codes in Barbados

Finding a SWIFT code in Barbados

On this page you find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 25 banks in Barbados. Each code identifies a bank or one of its branches and tells other banks where an international payment should go.

Look for the bank you need in the list and click through for the full list of codes. Further down you can read how codes from Barbados are built, how to send money there at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

The largest SWIFT network in Barbados: Central Bank of Barbados

Central Bank of Barbados leads our list for Barbados in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses CBABBBBBXXX – the code most transfers need.

A large number of codes often reflects that the bank registers branches and departments separately – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. Making a payment to Central Bank of Barbados? Go with CBABBBBBXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

The structure of a Barbados SWIFT/BIC code

Each SWIFT/BIC code has 8 or 11 characters. First comes four letters for the bank, followed by a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

For banks in Barbados, letters five and six are the ISO country code of Barbados – that is the quickest way to spot one. When the country letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank in another country.

The optional last three characters identify a branch or department; XXX means the head office. In most cases the head office code is what you need, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

International payments to Barbados and the BIC

Since Barbados does not belong to SEPA, a transfer from abroad normally goes as a SWIFT payment. This means you always need the BIC of the recipient’s bank in addition to the account details.

Not all countries use the IBAN; in that case the local account number is used instead. The recipient’s bank often provides a list of required details for payments from abroad – follow them exactly. SWIFT payments can pass through one or more intermediary banks.

What a transfer to Barbados really costs

An international bank payment to Barbados often costs more than you think. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank often uses a rate below the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Check the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites. The difference is your real cost.

Money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay compares transfer services next to each other so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient before you commit.

Tracking a payment to Barbados

How quickly a payment reaches Barbados depends on several factors: the currency, the number of banks in between, cut-off times and differences in time zone. Transfers sent late in the day or just before weekends and holidays usually go out a business day later.

If a transfer seems late, ask the sender to contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR; only the sending side can start an official trace. Save the payment confirmation until the money has arrived – you will need it if something goes wrong.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Barbados

For a transfer from abroad in Barbados, the sender needs not just the BIC. That means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and, often, your address.

Your bank’s code is in our list, yet the version on your own statement or in your banking app is leading. It helps to include your bank’s name and city as well.

What lands in your account can be less than what was sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin applies. Agree with the sender who covers the fees.

About our data and how to check a code

Have the recipient send you their bank details directly from a recent statement. If the code you have does not match our list, do not guess.

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and update them from time to time. Even so, banks merge or change codes, so information can be out of date. Before a payment that matters, check the code with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is a comparison site.

Scammers often use fake invoices carrying changed bank details that look completely genuine. Before paying, verify a change of bank details through a separate channel on a number you know.