SWIFT/BIC codes in Canada: banks starting with N

Finding a SWIFT code in Canada

This directory contains 395 banks and financial institutions in Canada. A SWIFT code tells every bank in the chain which institution is meant to get the money.

Every bank is listed with its own page with the head office code and if there are any, branch codes. Below the list you can read how codes from Canada are built, how to send money to Canada at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

SWIFT codes in Canada: banks under :letter

This page shows only the banks in Canada beginning with :letter in alphabetical order. The counts in the introduction still cover all banks in Canada.

If the bank you need does not appear under :letter, try the full list: banks are often registered under their full legal name. Use the full list for Canada when you do not know the exact name.

Check the code before you pay

The best place to find the right code remains a document from the bank itself, such as a statement or the account page in online banking. When the code you were given does not match the code listed here, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory draws on public sources and is updated regularly. Institutions merge, change names and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Before a payment of any size, confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is not a bank.

Be wary of payment requests with a new account – a common fraud method. Before paying, confirm changed details through a separate channel, using a number you already had.

Receiving money in Canada from abroad

To receive a transfer from abroad in Canada, the person paying you needs more than the BIC. That means: your name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and, often, your postal address.

The code of your bank appears in the list on this page. You can include the name and city of your bank, since some payment forms ask for it.

The amount you receive can be less than what was sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. Agree with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

The Canadian Dollar (CAD) and conversion costs

The currency of Canada is the Canadian Dollar (CAD). If you send money in a different currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way.

Who converts the payment matters: every bank has its own margin. Check what CAD arrives with several providers. Exchange rates change during the day – some providers let you lock in a rate.

What the letters in a Canada BIC mean

Each SWIFT/BIC code has 8 or 11 characters in a fixed order. Characters one to four stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters are the country code and the next two mark the location.

Whatever the bank, every code from Canada share the same country code in positions five and six. A code with other letters in that position belong to a bank abroad.

If the last three are XXX, it means the main office and the short version works just as well. For most transfers the head office code is fine.

SWIFT transfers to Canada

Canada is outside the SEPA area. Payments from abroad normally travel through the SWIFT network, and the BIC of the receiving bank is required.

Not every country uses IBAN numbers. The receiving bank usually provides a list of required details for incoming international payments, and it is worth following them to the letter. Before it arrives, a payment may pass through intermediary banks that charge for their part.

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

Of all banks we list for Canada, Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp has the most codes. Its main office uses FMCCCATMXXX.

How many codes a bank has says more about how it organises its payments than about how big it is. Making a payment to Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp? Use FMCCCATMXXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

Sending money to Canada for less

If you send money to Canada through a regular bank, the stated fee is rarely all of what you pay. Besides a fixed fee, intermediary banks can deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank often uses a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate.

For many routes, a transfer service is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the rate. GoldexPay compares transfer services side by side, showing the amount that reaches the recipient before you commit.

Tracking a payment to Canada

A SWIFT payment to Canada usually takes one to a few business days. Transfers sent late in the day or on weekends and holidays usually go out a business day later.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Specialist transfer services often show tracking in their app so you can follow the payment.