SWIFT/BIC codes in Cameroon

SWIFT/BIC codes in Cameroon

Here you will find codes for 20 institutions in Cameroon. You will need a SWIFT/BIC code mainly when making payments across borders.

Each bank has its own page with its main code and, where available, codes for branches and departments. Below the list you can read how a code from Cameroon is put together, how to send money to Cameroon without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

The structure of a Cameroon SWIFT/BIC code

A SWIFT code is 8 or 11 characters long. First comes four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

You can recognise a bank code from Cameroon by the fifth and sixth characters – those always form the country code of Cameroon. When the country letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the head office. Use a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one – otherwise stick with the head office.

Most SWIFT codes in Cameroon: Banque des Etats D'afrique Centrale

In our data, Banque des Etats D'afrique Centrale holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes in Cameroon. Its main office has BEACCMCPXXX.

Practice differs in how many codes they register, so the count is not a ranking of size. If not a branch code is given, the head office code BEACCMCPXXX works for a payment to Banque des Etats D'afrique Centrale.

When does money sent to Cameroon arrive?

How fast money arrives in Cameroon is determined by several factors: the currency, the number of banks in between, cut-off times and differences in time zone. Payments made after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday usually start the next business day.

If a transfer is delayed, ask the sender to contact their own bank and ask for the status or the UETR – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Specialist transfer services often show a status online.

What a transfer to Cameroon really costs

A bank transfer to Cameroon often costs rather more than the fee suggests. You pay the transfer fee, possibly fees from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup if the money is converted.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For a lot of currency pairs, a transfer service is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the exchange rate. Before you send money to Cameroon, take a minute comparing the total cost on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

Incoming international payments in Cameroon

When you expect money from abroad in Cameroon, give the sender a complete set of details. Share the account holder’s name, the IBAN or account number, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

The code of your bank appears in the list on this page, yet the version on your own statement or in your banking app is leading. Certain sending banks also ask for your bank’s address; it does no harm to include it.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate comes on top. Agree with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

SWIFT transfers to Cameroon

Cameroon is outside the SEPA area. Payments from abroad normally go through the SWIFT network – which is why you need the BIC of the recipient’s bank.

Not every country uses IBAN numbers; in that case the local account number is used instead. Ask the recipient which details their bank needs for incoming international payments. On the way to Cameroon, a transfer can go through correspondent banks.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Cameroon

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details. An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a returned payment or extra fees, so compare it with the list on this page.

We gather bank codes using publicly available data and check them from time to time. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes. Treat our data as a starting point rather than the last word; the recipient’s bank details are leading. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Fraudsters regularly send payment requests with new bank details. Before paying, verify a change of bank details by phone on a number you know.