SWIFT/BIC codes in Canada: banks starting with F

Canada: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

Here you will find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 395 banks in Canada – 613 codes altogether. A BIC tells every bank in the chain which institution should receive the money.

Choose the bank below to view its head office code and any branch codes, plus practical notes for sending and receiving money. The sections below covers how the codes work, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing before a payment.

Why a transfer to Canada needs a SWIFT code

Canada is not part of the SEPA area, so European euro rules do not apply. International transfers to Canada normally travel through the SWIFT network.

Depending on the country, accounts are identified by a domestic account number rather than an IBAN. Check with the recipient which details their bank needs for incoming international payments – many banks give clear instructions for this. SWIFT payments sometimes go via correspondent banks, each of which may deduct a fee.

Bank or transfer service for Canada?

When you send money to Canada with your bank, the stated fee is only part of what you pay. You pay a transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest cost item because it is hidden in the rate. An easy check: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialist money transfer services often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before you send money to Canada, it is worth to compare the total cost via GoldexPay.

Paying in CAD: what conversion costs you

The local currency of Canada is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). If you send another currency, the amount gets converted at some point: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. Often you pay less if you send CAD straight away through a provider with a good rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. Exchange rates change all the time, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

Receiving money in Canada from abroad

When you expect a payment from another country in Canada, send the payer a complete set of details. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and usually your postal address.

Look up the bank in the list above and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. You can include your bank’s name and city because some forms have separate fields for it.

The amount you receive is often lower than what was sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. For business payments, state how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

Most SWIFT codes in Canada: Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp

Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp leads the list of Canada banks in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office of Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp uses FMCCCATMXXX.

How many codes a bank has says something about how it registers branches and services than about its size. Paying someone at Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp? Go with FMCCCATMXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Banks in Canada starting with :letter

This filter limits the list to banks from Canada that begin with :letter. The totals mentioned above always cover the whole country.

If a bank does not appear under :letter, check the full list. The complete list is one click away when the letter filter does not help.

What the letters in a Canada BIC mean

Every SWIFT/BIC code consists of 8 or 11 characters. First comes a four-letter bank code, followed by two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

You can spot a code from Canada from the fifth and sixth characters. Codes with a different country code belong to a bank abroad – a quick way to catch mistakes.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a branch or department; XXX means the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Canada

The best place to find the correct BIC is paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account page in online banking. If the code you have does not match the code listed here, stop and ask: check with the recipient or the bank.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is based on publicly available sources that we update periodically. Even so, banks merge or retire codes. Use this list as a starting point rather than the last word: the bank details from the recipient come first. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Scammers often send fake invoices with new bank details that look completely genuine. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details by phone on a number you know.

Transfer times to Canada

A SWIFT payment to Canada usually takes anywhere from one to several business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually start the next business day.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR; only the sending side can start an official trace. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived.