Bank of China (Canada) SWIFT/BIC code

Bank of China (Canada) SWIFT code: BKCHCATT

BKCHCATT and BKCHCATTXXX are two ways of writing the same bank identifier, and both point to Bank of China (Canada) in Toronto. A SWIFT code shows the sending bank which institution is meant to get the money, a bit like a postal address for banks. In daily life you usually come across the code on international invoices, in payment forms and on the account details of Bank of China (Canada) customers.

Below we go through the practical side: money coming in from abroad, paying someone in another country and how to check the code before you hit send. The BIC identifies a bank or branch, never a specific account, which is why you always need the account number too.

How to check BKCHCATT before you pay

The most reliable source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details. Compare it against BKCHCATT on this page.

Errors in the BIC are annoying rather than fatal. Do not forget the IBAN: an error there can be more difficult to undo than a wrong code.

A validity check by your bank only tells you that the IBAN is valid, not that it is the right account. Some banks now compare the payee name with the account before you confirm. When you pay someone new, some people send a small amount first before sending the rest.

Choosing between the 2 SWIFT codes of Bank of China (Canada)

With 2 codes in 2 cities, Bank of China (Canada) belongs to the banks that register individual codes for parts of the organisation and departments. The main code remains BKCHCATTXXX.

For the vast majority of payments to a private or business account, the head office code BKCHCATTXXX works fine. Branch codes are only needed if the account holder explicitly mentions it.

Unsure which code to use? Check with the recipient. Codes for branches are more likely to be retired than BKCHCATTXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.

Canadian Dollar (CAD) and conversion costs

Canada pays in the Canadian Dollar. If you send money in a different currency gets converted at some point – by your bank, by Bank of China (Canada) or by a bank in between. There is rarely a separate charge for that conversion – the cost sits in the rate.

Which bank converts the money matters. Often it is cheaper to send CAD directly via a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert.

Exchange rates move all the time, and some providers let you lock in a rate. On larger amounts, even small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

What to give a sender who pays you at Bank of China (Canada)

If you are waiting for money from abroad, send the payer everything they need in one go. That means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the BIC BKCHCATTXXX (or BKCHCATT) and sometimes your postal address.

Certain sending banks also ask for the name and address of Bank of China (Canada) in Toronto, so keep it at hand. A typo in your account number is more trouble than you might think.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, Bank of China (Canada) may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate comes on top. Agree with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

Watch out for payment fraud

Scammers regularly use payment requests containing new bank details sent from what looks like a familiar address. That BKCHCATT is a real code does not mean that the account is genuine – fraudsters use real bank codes as well.

Verify changed bank details via a different channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract, never via the email that asked for the change. Urgency and requests to keep it quiet are warning signs – a real supplier can wait a day. Acted too fast? Contact your bank without delay and have them start a recall; also report it to the police.

People receiving money can be targeted as well: one known trick is a buyer who pays too much and then sends a request to send back the difference to another account. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof.

Sending money abroad from Bank of China (Canada)

If you transfer money to another country via Bank of China (Canada), the fee you see is rarely all of the cost. On top of the transfer fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can deduct a fee, and if the money changes currency the bank usually applies a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

Many banks do not show the margin on the rate separately, but you pay it all the same. A simple test: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For a lot of routes, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a bank. GoldexPay lists transfer providers next to each other, showing what actually arrives. You can always keep your account at Bank of China (Canada) as the source of the money, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

The details here are taken from publicly available data. It is possible that information on this page is no longer current. The figures on this page reflect what is in our directory, not official figures from Bank of China (Canada).

See our directory here as a handy check and rely on the recipient or Bank of China (Canada) for the final confirmation. GoldexPay is not affiliated with Bank of China (Canada); we are a comparison site for money transfers. If you notice a mistake, we welcome a short note via the contact page.

Tracking a transfer to or from Bank of China (Canada)

There is no single answer for every transfer: some arrive the same day or the next, others take several business days. Bank holidays in either country can add a day or more. Sometimes a bank wants to know what the payment is for.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR. Save your transfer receipt.

If the money does not arrive within the expected time, the person who paid needs to contact their own bank, not the receiving bank. As a recipient, you can check your account for a slightly lower amount, since fees may have been deducted.

Why Bank of China (Canada) has an 8- and an 11-character code

Each SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. That gives you BKCHCATT.

XXX at the end of BKCHCATTXXX is not a placeholder or a mistake: it indicates the main office of Bank of China (Canada). Some forms insist on 11 characters, in which case you can add XXX behind BKCHCATT.

In practice the code is typed in capitals and without spaces. A wrong character may route the money to a different institution, so check it twice.