Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest

The 8-character code BCAOBJBJ and the 11-character code BCAOBJBJXXX refer to the same bank: Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest, with its head office in Cotonou. A SWIFT code tells the sending bank which institution is meant to get the money, much like a postcode for banks. You will need it mainly for transfers between countries or a currency.

We wrote this page to help people who sends money to an account at Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest without mistakes. The BIC identifies a bank or branch, never a specific account; the IBAN or account number does that.

Getting paid from abroad into a Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest account

A sender in another country needs several details from you, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code BCAOBJBJXXX and, often, your address.

You can add Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest and Cotonou too, since some forms ask for it. Check every detail before you share them.

The amount you receive is often lower than what was sent. Fees for incoming transfers differ from bank to bank. For business payments, you can state who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.

Choosing between the 2 SWIFT codes of Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest

Our directory lists 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest. Besides the head office code BCAOBJBJXXX, you will find codes for individual branches and departments.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: payments addressed to BCAOBJBJXXX are routed within Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest without problems. If you have been given a specific code, use it as it is rather than swapping it with the head office code.

The safest route is to take the code straight from the recipient’s bank details. Branch codes can change when banks reorganise, so do not rely on old paperwork.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

Be alert when someone unexpectedly asks you to pay into another account abroad. That BCAOBJBJ is a real code is no guarantee that the account is genuine; criminals use the codes of real banks too.

Verify new bank details via a separate channel, not by replying to the message. Watch out for time pressure, unusual wording or a sender address that is slightly off. When a payment has already gone to a fraudster, call your bank right away: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Scams can also work the other way: someone claims to have sent too much and wants you to refund the difference via a different route. Wait until the money is actually in your account – ask Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest if something looks wrong.

Why Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest has an 8- and an 11-character code

The structure of every SWIFT code never changes: four characters for the institution, a two-letter country code and two for the location. The result is BCAOBJBJ, the short form of the code.

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, so BCAOBJBJXXX and BCAOBJBJ are interchangeable.

Type the code as one block, in upper case and without separators. Look out for O versus 0 and I versus 1; they are easy to mix up.

About this information

We gather bank codes using public sources and check them regularly. It is possible that information on this page is out of date, for example after a merger. Counts and locations come from our own dataset.

Use this page as a starting point, not as the last word. GoldexPay is independent of Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest. Spotted outdated information? Let us know via our contact form and we will look into it.

Is BCAOBJBJ still correct? How to check

Have the recipient copy their account details straight from a recent statement. Check it with BCAOBJBJ here.

A wrong SWIFT code may lead to delays, a returned payment or extra fees. An error in the account number is more serious because it can reach the wrong person.

Many banking apps check the format of IBANs and some suggest the matching BIC – that confirms the format, not the owner. Some banks now check the payee name against the account before you confirm; take any warning seriously. When you pay someone new, many people send a small test amount.

What a transfer from Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest abroad really costs

When you send money to another country via Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest, the fee you see is only part of what you pay. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can take a cut, and when the money changes currency, the bank usually applies a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin is often the largest cost even though it is not listed as a fee. An easy check: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialised transfer providers often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Next time you send money, take a minute to compare the total cost via GoldexPay rather than accepting the bank’s rate by default. Using a transfer service does not mean leaving Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest – you pay the provider from your own account.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest

There is no single delivery time for every transfer: some arrive the same day or the next, others take several business days. Transfers sent late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday usually go out a business day later. Extra checks by one of the banks can also add some delay, even when all details are correct.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sending bank about the status; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Specialist transfer services often show a status online so you can see where the payment is.

If a payment has not arrived after a few business days, the sender should start with their own bank rather than Banque Centrale des Etats de L'afrique de L'ouest. Ask the sender for the payment receipt with the date and reference – it helps your own bank look for the money.