Record Bank NV SWIFT/BIC code

What HBKABE22 means for a payment to Record Bank NV

The 8-character code HBKABE22 and the 11-character code HBKABE22XXX refer to the same bank: Record Bank NV, with its head office in Gent. The code does one job: it ensures that a cross-border transfer ends up at the right bank. It comes up mainly for payments that cross a border.

We wrote this page to help anyone who receives money at an account at Record Bank NV. The SWIFT code alone cannot identify a personal account; that is what the IBAN or account number is for.

Choosing between the 2 SWIFT codes of Record Bank NV

Having 2 codes, Record Bank NV belongs to the banks that register separate codes for parts of the organisation. The main code remains HBKABE22XXX.

If nobody asks you for a branch code, go with HBKABE22XXX. Only use a branch code when your contact gives you that exact code.

The safest approach is to take the code directly from the recipient’s statement. Branch codes are more prone to change than the head office code when a bank merges or closes offices.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

Stay wary when someone unexpectedly asks you to pay into a different account. A real SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Never rely on a phone number from the same email that announces the new account. Urgency and secrecy are warning signs; a genuine business can wait for you to check. If money has already gone to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Scams can also target the receiver. Someone sends more than agreed and asks you to return the difference. Wait until the money is actually in your account – ask Record Bank NV if something looks wrong.

Paying into Record Bank NV in EUR

Most accounts at Record Bank NV are usually held in EUR, the local currency. A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into EUR on its way to Record Bank NV – and the bank that does it picks the rate. Every conversion eats into the amount – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Sending the amount directly in EUR often prevents an extra conversion at the receiving end, provided the rate you get is fair.

The EUR rate changes constantly, so the amount you see is usually only valid for a short time. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Before you send: check the Record Bank NV code

Ask the recipient to copy their account details straight from a recent statement. When the code you were given does not match HBKABE22 or HBKABE22XXX, stop and ask – contact the recipient or Record Bank NV.

With a wrong code, the payment might get stuck, bounce back or cost extra, and tracing it can take weeks. Do not forget the account number: a mistake there can be more difficult to correct than a wrong BIC.

Many banking apps check the structure of IBANs and sometimes look up the BIC automatically – that confirms the format, not the owner. Where available, a payee name check on the recipient gives extra certainty. When you pay someone new, many people start with a small amount first.

Sending money abroad from Record Bank NV

The price of an international transfer has more than one component. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can take a cut, and if the money changes currency, the bank often uses a rate below the real market rate.

Many banks do not show the margin on the rate separately, but you pay it all the same. Compare the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites. The difference is your real conversion cost.

For many routes, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives with different providers, so you can pick the cheapest route. Using a transfer service does not require closing your account at Record Bank NV – you pay the provider from your own account.

How long does an international transfer to Record Bank NV take?

An international transfer usually takes one to a few business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Payments made after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays often go out a business day later. Occasionally a bank wants to know what the payment is for before releasing it.

If a transfer is late, contact the sending bank about the status; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Save your transfer receipt – you will need it for any trace request.

The bank that sent the money can request a trace or a recall. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation including the reference; that often settles the question quickly.

Incoming international payments to Record Bank NV

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for several details about your account. That means: your name as registered with Record Bank NV, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code HBKABE22XXX and sometimes your address.

You can include the bank name and its city as well, because some payment forms have separate fields for them. Double-check the details before you share them.

An incoming payment will not always land in full. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank; check the price list of Record Bank NV. For business payments, you can state how the fees are split, so that nobody is left short.

Do you need HBKABE22 for a SEPA transfer?

Inside SEPA, euro transfers to Record Bank NV follow the same rules. The BIC field is often optional for those payments.

You will still need HBKABE22XXX for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Some forms also ask for the BIC out of habit; in that case, fill in HBKABE22.

SEPA transfers normally land by the next business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. As long as the payment stays in euros, a SEPA transfer is cheap; costs rise once a conversion is involved.

8 or 11 characters: HBKABE22 versus HBKABE22XXX

A BIC is built from fixed blocks: characters one to four identify the bank, characters five and six give the country and the two after that indicate the location. The result is HBKABE22.

XXX at the end of HBKABE22XXX is not a placeholder or a mistake: it indicates the main office of Record Bank NV. Some forms insist on 11 characters, and then you simply add XXX behind HBKABE22.

As a rule the code is typed in capitals. A wrong character can send the money to another bank, so check it twice.

About this information

The codes here come from public sources which we refresh regularly. It can happen that information here is no longer current, for example after a merger. Counts and locations are from our directory and are not confirmed by Record Bank NV.

See the information here as a handy check, and let the details from the recipient or Record Bank NV have the final say. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers and not affiliated with Record Bank NV. If you notice something that is out of date, we appreciate a message.