SWIFT/BIC codes in Canada: banks starting with Q

SWIFT/BIC codes in Canada

Here you will find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 395 banks in Canada – 613 codes altogether. Each code identifies a bank or one of its branches.

Each bank is listed with its own page showing the head office code and if there are any, branch codes. The rest of this page covers how the codes work, the cost of transfers and how to avoid mistakes before a payment.

How SWIFT codes from Canada are built

A BIC is 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. The first four letters stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters are the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

Whatever the bank, all Canada codes have the same country code in positions five and six, namely the ISO code of Canada. A code with other letters in that position belong to another country – a quick way to catch mistakes.

An 11-character code ends in a branch code. In most cases the head office code is fine, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

The cheapest way to send money to Canada

If you send money to Canada with a regular bank, the stated fee is only part of what you pay. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup if the money is converted.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest cost item. Compare the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate, the midpoint you see on financial news sites. The difference is your real cost.

For many routes, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a bank – mostly thanks to the exchange rate. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives in Canada across services, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Canada

The best place to find the correct BIC remains a document from the bank itself, such as a statement or the account page in online banking. If the code you have differs from the code listed here, do not guess: check with the recipient or the bank.

We collect bank codes from public sources and update our list regularly. Banks reorganise, close branches and retire codes. Before any payment that matters, check the code with the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Fraudsters regularly use payment requests with new bank details that look completely genuine. Before paying, verify a change of bank details through a separate channel on a number you know.

SWIFT codes in Canada: banks under :letter

You are looking at a selection: just institutions in Canada with a name starting with :letter. The totals mentioned here apply to every bank we list, not just the ones under :letter.

If the bank you need is missing here, check another letter. Use the full list for Canada if you are not sure how the name is spelled.

Which bank in Canada has the most codes?

In our directory, Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Canada. Its main office has FMCCCATMXXX.

Many codes usually reflects separate codes for branches, departments or services, not necessarily that the bank is the biggest in the country. Unless the recipient asks for a branch, FMCCCATMXXX is fine for a payment to Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp.

What a sender needs to pay you in Canada

To receive a transfer from abroad into a Canada account, the sender needs more than the BIC. In practice that means: your name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your postal address.

Find the bank in the list on this page and compare the code with your own bank details. You can include the name and city of your bank as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

What lands in your account can be lower than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate comes on top. On invoices, state who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

When does money sent to Canada arrive?

How quickly money arrives in Canada depends on several factors: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Payments made late in the day or on weekends and holidays usually start a business day later.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR. Save the payment confirmation; a bank needs it to start a trace.

International payments to Canada and the BIC

To pay into Canada you will usually need a SWIFT/BIC code, because the country is outside the SEPA area. Without the BIC, most banks will not process the transfer.

In some countries, accounts are identified by a local account number rather than an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. The recipient’s bank usually provides instructions for incoming international payments, and it is worth following them to the letter. International transfers can pass through correspondent banks and fees can be taken along the way.

Paying in CAD: what conversion costs you

Most accounts in Canada are usually held in CAD. Money sent in a different currency will be converted into CAD on its way to the recipient – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Which bank converts the money makes a difference. In many cases you pay less to send CAD directly through a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate. Rates for CAD change all the time – some providers let you lock in a rate.