Banco Central de Chile SWIFT/BIC code

What BCECCLA1 means for a payment to Banco Central de Chile

Whether a recipient gives you BCECCLA1 or BCECCLA1XXX, you are looking at the same address for Banco Central de Chile in Chile. A BIC does one job: it ensures that money from abroad reaches the right bank. In daily life you mostly come across the code on international invoices, in your banking app and in the bank details of Banco Central de Chile customers.

On this page we explain how the code is put together, when it matters and which other details you need for a transfer to or from Banco Central de Chile. Remember that the SWIFT code only identifies the bank, not the account: the IBAN or account number does that part.

What the XXX in BCECCLA1XXX means

A SWIFT code is built from a few fixed parts: characters one to four stand for the bank, the next two show the country and the two after that indicate the location. Combined, these eight characters make up BCECCLA1.

Many payment forms work with either length. If a form requires eleven characters, enter BCECCLA1XXX.

As a rule the code is written in capitals and without spaces. Watch for the letter O and the digit 0 and the letter I and the digit 1; they are easy to mix up.

Watch out for payment fraud

Stay alert when a contact suddenly wants you to pay into another account. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Do not rely on a phone number from the same email that contains the new account. Urgency and secrecy are red flags. When money was sent to the wrong account, contact your bank immediately – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

Fraud also work the other way. Someone claims to have sent more than agreed and asks you to refund the extra to a new account. A screenshot of a transfer proves nothing.

A note on our data

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check our list regularly. Banks merge, change names and retire codes. The figures we show are based on our own data and not on information from Banco Central de Chile itself.

See the information on this page as a handy check. We are an independent comparison site for money transfers and not affiliated with Banco Central de Chile. Spotted an error? Let us know via our contact form so we can correct it.

Getting paid from abroad into a Banco Central de Chile account

If you are waiting for money from abroad, give the sender a complete set of details. Give them your name as the bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, SWIFT code BCECCLA1XXX and your address.

You can include the bank name and Santiago too, since some forms ask for it. Double-check every detail before you share them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

The amount you receive can be less than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, Banco Central de Chile may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin comes on top. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs.

When will the money arrive at Banco Central de Chile?

An international transfer usually takes one to a few business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday often go out the next business day. Occasionally a bank wants to know what the payment is for before releasing it.

When a payment takes longer than expected, contact your bank for the status. Save your transfer receipt; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

If a payment has not arrived after a few business days, the sender should contact the bank that sent it rather than Banco Central de Chile. Ask the sender for the payment receipt – it helps your own bank look for the money.

What a transfer from Banco Central de Chile abroad really costs

When you transfer money to another country from Banco Central de Chile, the visible fee is only part of what you pay. On top of the transfer fee, banks in between can deduct a fee, and if the money changes currency the bank often uses a rate below the real market rate.

Many banks rarely list their exchange rate markup as a cost – you only notice it if you compare. Compare their rate with the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

Money transfer services frequently use rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. Next time you send money, take a minute to compare what arrives on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank. You can still use your account at Banco Central de Chile to fund the transfer; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

How to check BCECCLA1 before you pay

The most reliable source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. Compare it with BCECCLA1 on this page.

Errors in the SWIFT code are annoying rather than fatal. Remember the account number: an error there can be harder to correct than a wrong BIC.

Many banking apps check the format of IBANs and sometimes look up the BIC automatically – that confirms the format, not the owner. Some banks now check the payee name with the account before you confirm. For a first payment, many people send a small amount first before sending the rest.

Choosing between the 6 SWIFT codes of Banco Central de Chile

Having 6 codes, Banco Central de Chile is one of the banks that use individual codes for parts of the organisation. The head office code remains BCECCLA1XXX.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: payments addressed to BCECCLA1XXX reach Banco Central de Chile without problems. Only use a branch code when the recipient explicitly asks for it.

The safest approach is to copy the code straight from the account holder’s statement. Branch codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise, so do not rely on old paperwork.