SWIFT/BIC codes in Central African Republic

Bank SWIFT codes for Central African Republic

Our directory lists 5 banks and financial institutions in Central African Republic. A SWIFT code shows every bank in the chain which institution is meant to get the money.

Look for the recipient’s bank below and click through to see all codes we have and what else a transfer requires. Further down you can read how codes from Central African Republic are built, how to send money to Central African Republic at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

When does money sent to Central African Republic arrive?

There is no fixed delivery time for payments to Central African Republic: some arrive the same day or the next. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays usually go out a business day later.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR. Save the payment confirmation.

Banque des Etats de L'afrique Centrale D.n. Centrafrique and its SWIFT codes

Banque des Etats de L'afrique Centrale D.n. Centrafrique tops the list of Central African Republic banks in SWIFT/BIC codes. Its head office code is BEACCFCFXXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

Practice differs in how many codes they register, so the count is not a ranking of size. Making a payment to Banque des Etats de L'afrique Centrale D.n. Centrafrique? Go with BEACCFCFXXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

What the letters in a Central African Republic BIC mean

SWIFT/BIC codes follow the same format worldwide: 8 characters plus an optional three-character extension. Characters one to four identify the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

You can spot a bank code from Central African Republic by the fifth and sixth characters: they always show the ISO country code of Central African Republic. If those two letters do not match Central African Republic, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else, so check again.

The optional last three characters stand for a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. In most cases the head office code is what you need.

What a transfer to Central African Republic really costs

If you transfer money to Central African Republic with your bank, the fee you see is rarely all of the cost. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent banks may deduct a charge and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually uses a rate below the actual market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. A simple test: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialist money transfer services often use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay compares transfer services next to each other, showing the amount that reaches the recipient for the same amount sent.

Check the code before you pay

The most reliable source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. When the code you were given differs from the code listed here, stop and ask: check with the recipient or the bank.

We collect bank codes using publicly available data and update our list from time to time. Even so, banks merge or retire codes. Use our data as a starting point rather than the last word: the bank details from the recipient come first. We are an independent comparison site and not part of any bank listed here.

Watch out for payment requests containing a new account. Before paying, verify a change of bank details through a separate channel, using a number you already had.

Receiving money in Central African Republic from abroad

A sender in another country needs several details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. Give them the account holder’s name, the IBAN or account number, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

The code of your bank is in our list but always compare it with your own bank details. Certain sending banks also want the name and address of your bank, so keep it at hand.

What lands in your account is often less than the amount sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. On invoices, agree how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

SWIFT transfers to Central African Republic

For Central African Republic you almost always need the BIC – Central African Republic is not a SEPA country. Without the BIC, your bank cannot process the payment at all.

Depending on the country, accounts are identified by a local account number rather than an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. Ask the recipient which details their bank requires for payments from abroad. Before it arrives, a payment may pass through intermediary banks that take a fee.