HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited SWIFT/BIC code

BBDABMHM – the SWIFT/BIC code of HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited

If an invoice shows BBDABMHM or BBDABMHMXXX, you are looking at the same address for HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited in Bermuda. A SWIFT code tells the banks handling a payment exactly which bank should receive the money. In daily life you usually see it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and on the account details of HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited customers.

Below you will find the practical side: receiving money at HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited, sending money abroad and how to check a SWIFT code before you confirm a payment. The SWIFT code on its own does not identify an individual account holder; for that you need the IBAN or account number is for.

What the XXX in BBDABMHMXXX means

The layout of a BIC is always the same: a bank code of four letters, two for the country and two for the location. That gives you BBDABMHM, the short form of the code.

XXX at the end of BBDABMHMXXX is not a placeholder or an error: it stands for the head office of HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited. Some forms ask for 11 characters, and then you simply enter XXX after BBDABMHM.

In practice the code is typed in capitals. Watch for O versus 0 and I versus 1; they are easy to mix up.

How up to date is this code?

We gather bank codes from public sources and check them from time to time. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes, so information can be out of date. Figures such as the number of codes are from our directory and may differ from what HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited publishes.

See our directory here as a helpful check, and let the details from the recipient or HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited have the final say. We are a comparison site for money transfers and not part of HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited. Spotted an error? Tell us via our contact form and we will look into it.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

One of the most common tricks goes like this: an email arrives with a message saying that a supplier has a new bank account. A real SWIFT code says nothing about whether the request is genuine: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Check changed payment details through a separate channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract, never via the email that asked for the change. Watch out for time pressure, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. Already paid? Call your bank without delay and ask them to start a recall and report the fraud.

Scams also target the receiver: someone claims to have sent more than agreed and asks you to refund the difference. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof; only your own account shows what has arrived.

Incoming international payments to HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited

When you expect money from abroad, send the payer a complete set of details. The basics are: your name, account number or IBAN, BBDABMHMXXX and in many cases your postal address.

Their bank may request the bank address of HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited; the head office in Hamilton is usually fine. Double-check the details before you share them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

An incoming payment will not always arrive for the full amount. Charges on incoming payments differ per bank – the price list of HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

International transfers from HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited: the real cost

An international bank payment can cost more than the fee suggests. On top of the transfer fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can take a cut, and when 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 as a cost – you only notice it if you compare. Check their rate with the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer. GoldexPay lists these services side by side, showing the amount the recipient gets before you commit. You can still keep your account at HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited as the source of the money, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Tracking a transfer to or from HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited

An international transfer usually needs one to a few business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Payments made late in the day or on a weekend or public holiday usually start the next business day. Compliance checks on larger or unusual payments can also cause a delay.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Keep your transfer receipt until the money has arrived – you will need it for any trace request.

The bank that sent the money can request a trace or a recall; the receiving side usually has nothing to trace yet. On the receiving end, it helps to look at your statements for a partial amount, since fees may have been deducted.

Verifying the SWIFT code of HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited

The most reliable place for the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank. Check it against BBDABMHM here and ask if anything does not match.

With a wrong code, the payment may be delayed, bounce back or end up costing more – sometimes after weeks of searching. An error in the account number can be a bigger problem.

Many banking apps check the format of IBANs. More and more banks compare the name against the account – do not ignore a mismatch warning. When you pay someone new, some people start with a small amount first before sending the rest.

Which of the 4 codes of HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited do you need?

Having 4 codes, HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited belongs to the banks that register separate codes for branches. The head office code is BBDABMHMXXX.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: transfers sent to BBDABMHMXXX reach HSBC Bank Bermuda Limited without problems. A branch code only makes sense if the recipient’s bank specifically mentions it.

Not sure which code applies? Ask the recipient or the bank itself. Branch codes are more prone to change than BBDABMHMXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.