SWIFT/BIC codes in Benin

Benin: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

This directory lists 17 banks and financial institutions in Benin, with 19 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. You need such a code mostly for international transfers.

Look for the recipient’s bank below and click through to see all codes we have and what else a transfer requires. The sections below explain how the codes work, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing before you send money.

Transfer times to Benin

How quickly a payment reaches Benin depends on a few things: the currency, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Bank holidays in either country add extra days.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every payment gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Keep the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms; a bank needs it to start a trace.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Benin

A SWIFT code is 8 or 11 characters long. The first four letters stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and the next two give the location.

In every code from Benin, letters five and six are the ISO country code of Benin. Codes with other letters in that position belong to another country.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the head office and the short version works just as well. Choose a branch code only if the recipient’s bank asks for it; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

Incoming international payments in Benin

If you expect a payment from another country in Benin, send the payer a complete set of details. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

The code of your bank appears in the list on this page. You can include the name and city of your bank, since some payment forms ask for it.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Fees for incoming transfers vary per bank. For business payments, agree how the fees are split.

SWIFT transfers to Benin

Because Benin does not belong to SEPA, an international payment is usually sent through SWIFT. This means the payment always needs the BIC of the recipient’s bank.

Not all countries use the IBAN. The recipient’s bank often provides instructions for payments from abroad. Before it arrives, a payment can pass through correspondent banks that charge for their part.

The cheapest way to send money to Benin

An international bank payment to Benin can cost rather more than the fee suggests. There is a transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Compare the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites.

Specialist money transfer services frequently offer rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists transfer services next to each other, showing the amount that reaches the recipient.

Bank of Africa - Benin and its SWIFT codes

Among the 17 institutions we list, Bank of Africa - Benin holds the most SWIFT/BIC codes in Benin. Its head office code is AFRIBJBJXXX.

Practice differs in how many codes they register, so the count is not a ranking of size. Making a payment to Bank of Africa - Benin? Go with AFRIBJBJXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

About our data and how to check a code

Have the recipient copy the account details directly from their banking app. When the code you were given differs from our list, stop and ask: check with the recipient or the bank.

This list is based on publicly available sources and is updated regularly. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes. For any payment of any size, confirm the code with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is not a bank and has no link to the banks in this list.

Watch out for invoices with a new account – a common fraud method. A real SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account.