SWIFT/BIC codes in Chile

Finding a SWIFT code in Chile

Here you will find the SWIFT/BIC codes of 69 banks in Chile – 114 codes altogether. A BIC shows the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank is meant to get an international payment.

Each bank has its own page with its main code and, where available, branch codes. The sections below explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and the checks worth doing before a payment.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Chile

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient. An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a returned payment or additional charges, so compare it with the list on this page.

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is based on public sources that we update periodically. Institutions merge, change names and change codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Use our data as a reference rather than the last word; the recipient’s bank details are leading. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and has no link to the banks in this list.

Be wary of payment requests containing changed bank details. Always confirm a change of bank details by phone, using a number you already had.

Paying a bank in Chile from abroad

To pay into Chile you usually need the BIC, because the country is outside the SEPA area. Without the BIC, most banks cannot send the transfer.

Not all countries use the IBAN; in that case the local account number is used instead. Ask the recipient exactly which details their bank needs for incoming international payments; banks often publish instructions for this. SWIFT payments can pass through one or more intermediary banks, each of which may deduct a fee.

Incoming international payments in Chile

When you are waiting for a payment from another country on an account in Chile, send the payer a complete set of details. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, 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, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. You can add the name and city of your bank as well.

The amount you receive is often less than what was sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate comes on top. For business payments, agree how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

Most SWIFT codes in Chile: Banco Santander Chile

Among the 69 institutions we list, Banco Santander Chile holds the most SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Chile. The head office uses BSCHCLRMXXX – the code most transfers need.

How many codes a bank has says more about how it registers branches and services than about how big it is. Making a payment to Banco Santander Chile? Go with BSCHCLRMXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Chile

Bank identifier codes use the same format worldwide: 8 characters, sometimes followed by three more. It starts with four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

In every code from Chile, letters five and six show the two-letter ISO code of Chile – that is the quickest way to spot one. When those two letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank somewhere else.

If the last three are XXX, it refers to the head office, and the 8-character version leads to the same place. In most cases the head office code is what you need unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

Sending money to Chile for less

If you transfer money to Chile with your bank, the stated fee is only part of the cost. You pay the transfer fee, possibly charges from intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate when currencies differ.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. An easy check: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Money transfer services often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate. GoldexPay compares these providers side by side so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient for the same amount sent.

How long does a transfer to Chile take?

A SWIFT payment to Chile usually takes anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Bank holidays in either country can add extra days, because banks do not process payments on those days.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Specialist transfer services usually provide a status in their app so you can follow the payment.