SWIFT/BIC codes in Canada: banks starting with S

Finding a SWIFT code in Canada

Our directory contains 395 banks and financial institutions in Canada and 613 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. Each code points to an institution or a specific branch or department and tells other banks where an international payment should go.

Search for the bank you need below and click through to see all codes we have and the details a transfer needs. The sections below explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes before you send money.

Receiving money in Canada from abroad

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs a few details about your account – incomplete details often cause delays. Give them the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

Find your bank in the list on this page – your bank statement is the final word. Some banks also ask for your bank’s address.

What lands in your account can be lower than what was sent. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. For business payments, agree how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

When does money sent to Canada arrive?

There is no fixed answer for payments to Canada: many land the same day or the next, others take several business days. Bank holidays in either country can add extra days, because banks do not process payments on those days.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact their own bank and ask for the status or the UETR. Keep the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Canada

A SWIFT code is either 8 or 11 characters long and the parts always come in the same order. It starts with a four-letter bank code, followed by a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

You can recognise a code from Canada by the fifth and sixth characters: they always show the ISO country code of Canada. When those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else, so check again.

An 11-character code ends in three characters for a branch – XXX stands for the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

Which bank in Canada has the most codes?

Among the 395 institutions we list, Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp has the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Canada. Its head office code is FMCCCATMXXX.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes. Paying someone at Ss and C Technologies Canada Corp? Use FMCCCATMXXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

About our data and how to check a code

Ask the recipient to send you the account details straight from their online banking. If the code you have does not match the code listed here, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and update them from time to time. Institutions merge, close branches and retire codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Use our data as a starting point: the bank details from the recipient come first. GoldexPay is not a bank and has no link to the banks in this list.

Fraudsters often use fake invoices with changed bank details that look completely genuine. Before paying, verify changed details by phone.

Filter: banks in Canada with :letter

This list shows only the banks in Canada whose name starts with :letter, sorted alphabetically. The figures for Canada mentioned here apply to every bank we list, not just the ones under :letter.

If the bank you need is missing under :letter, try another letter. The full overview for Canada remains one click away if you cannot find the bank here.

The Canadian Dollar (CAD) and conversion costs

Canada uses the Canadian Dollar. When you pay money in a different currency, the amount has to be converted at some point – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Who converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. In many cases it is cheaper to send CAD directly through a provider with a good rate. With bigger transfers, even a small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

SWIFT transfers to Canada

Since Canada is outside SEPA, an international payment is usually sent as a SWIFT payment. This means you always need the BIC of the recipient’s bank in addition to the account details.

Not all countries use the IBAN. The receiving bank often provides instructions for payments from abroad – follow them exactly. International transfers sometimes go via correspondent banks and fees can be taken along the way.

Bank or transfer service for Canada?

The price of a payment to Canada is made up of several parts – not only the fee you see. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes fees from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup when currencies differ.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Compare the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate. The difference is your real cost.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. GoldexPay compares what recipients in Canada receive across providers, so you can pick the cheapest route.