SWIFT/BIC codes in Canada: banks starting with G

Bank SWIFT codes for Canada

Here you will find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 395 institutions in Canada. Each code identifies a bank or one of its branches.

Look for the recipient’s bank in the list and open its page to see the full list of codes. Further down you can read how codes from Canada are built, how to send money there at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

Paying a bank in Canada from abroad

To pay into Canada you will usually need the BIC – Canada is not a SEPA country. Without the BIC, your bank cannot send the transfer at all.

In some countries, accounts are identified by a domestic account number rather than an IBAN and sometimes a local routing or branch code. Ask the recipient exactly which details their bank needs for payments from abroad – many banks give clear instructions for this. SWIFT payments can pass through correspondent banks.

Tracking a payment to Canada

How fast money arrives in Canada depends on several factors: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, cut-off times and time zones. Public holidays in either country can add extra days to the journey.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each gpi transfer carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services usually show a status online.

Bank or transfer service for Canada?

A bank transfer to Canada can cost rather more than the fee suggests. Besides the fee, correspondent banks can take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank often uses a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the largest cost item, even though it is not listed as a fee. An easy check: set the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Money transfer services often use rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists these providers next to each other so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient.

How SWIFT codes from Canada are built

Bank identifier codes use one international format: 8 characters. The first four letters identify the bank, characters five and six are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

For banks in Canada, letters five and six are the ISO country code of Canada. If those two letters do not match Canada, you are looking at a bank in another country.

An 11-character code adds a branch code, where XXX means the head office. Use a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one.

The Canadian Dollar (CAD) and conversion costs

The national currency of Canada is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). When you pay money in a different currency, it has to be converted at some point: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference. Often it is cheaper to send CAD straight away through a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. Rates for CAD move during the day – some providers let you lock in a rate.

The largest SWIFT network in Canada: Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp

Of all banks in Canada, Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp is listed with the largest number of codes. Its main office has FMCCCATMXXX.

A large number of codes often means that the bank registers branches and departments separately – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. If not the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code FMCCCATMXXX works for a payment to Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp.

Receiving money in Canada from abroad

For a transfer from abroad into a Canada account, the sender has to have more than the SWIFT code. Share your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

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. You can include the name and city of your bank as well because some forms have separate fields for it.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. For business payments, state who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Canada

The most reliable place for the correct BIC remains paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account page in online banking. If the code you have differs from our list, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

This list is based on publicly available sources that we update periodically. Even so, banks merge or retire codes and our data may lag behind. For a payment that matters, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. We are a comparison service and not part of any bank listed here.

Scammers regularly use fake invoices with changed bank details that look completely genuine. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a separate channel, using a number you already had.

Banks in Canada starting with :letter

The letter filter limits the list to banks in Canada starting with :letter to make searching quicker. The totals on this page cover every bank we list, not just the ones under :letter.

Cannot find the bank? The registered name may start with a different letter. The full overview for Canada remains one click away when you cannot find the bank here.