SWIFT/BIC codes in Canada: banks starting with J

Canada: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

This overview lists 395 banks and other institutions in Canada and 613 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. You will need a SWIFT/BIC code mostly when making international transfers, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Every bank has its own page with its main code and if there are any, branch codes. Further down we explain how codes from Canada are built, how to send money to Canada without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

When does money sent to Canada arrive?

An international transfer to Canada usually takes one to a few business days. Public holidays in either country add a day or more, because banks do not process payments on those days.

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, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Specialist transfer services often provide tracking online.

Sending CAD to Canada

The currency of Canada is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). When you pay another currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Which bank converts the money makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. In many cases you pay less if you send CAD directly via a transfer service with a good rate. With bigger transfers, even a small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

What a transfer to Canada really costs

What you pay for a transfer to Canada is made up of several parts, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. There is a transfer fee, possibly charges from intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest part of the cost, even though it is not listed as a fee. A simple test: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialised transfer providers often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate. Before your next transfer to Canada, take a minute comparing the total cost via GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Canada

Each SWIFT/BIC code has eight or eleven characters. Characters one to four stand for the bank, characters five and six are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

You can recognise a code from Canada from the fifth and sixth characters – those always form the country code of Canada. When those two letters do not match Canada, you are looking at a bank in another country – worth double-checking.

The long version adds a branch code – XXX stands for the head office. In most cases the head office code is what you need unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

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

Of the 395 banks we list for Canada, Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp has the largest number of SWIFT codes. The head office uses FMCCCATMXXX.

The number of codes says more about how it organises its payments than about its size. Paying someone at Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp? Use FMCCCATMXXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

Incoming international payments in Canada

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs a few details about your account, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. Give them your name as registered with the bank, the IBAN or account number, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Your bank’s code appears in our list but always compare it with your own bank details. Certain sending banks may also want your bank’s address.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is below what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers vary per bank. For business payments, agree how the fees are split.

International payments to Canada and the BIC

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

In some countries, accounts are identified by a local account number rather than an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. The receiving bank usually provides instructions for payments from abroad – follow them exactly. On the way to Canada, a transfer may pass through correspondent banks that charge for their part.

SWIFT codes in Canada: banks under :letter

This page only shows the banks in Canada whose name starts with :letter in alphabetical order. The totals mentioned above still cover all banks in Canada, not just this letter.

Cannot find the bank? The registered name might begin with another word, for example the full legal name rather than a brand name. The complete list is available if the letter filter does not help.

Check the code before you pay

The best place to find the right code remains a document from the bank itself. If the code you have does not match the code listed here, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes using public sources and update them from time to time. Still, banks merge or change codes and our data may lag behind. Use our data as a reference: the bank details from the recipient come first. GoldexPay is not a bank.

Scammers often send fake invoices carrying new bank details. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account: criminals use real codes too.