SWIFT/BIC codes in China

Bank SWIFT codes for China

For China our database holds 2652 SWIFT/BIC codes from 668 banks. Every code identifies a bank or a specific branch or department and tells other banks where an international payment should go.

Search for the bank you need in the list and open its page for the full list of codes and the details a transfer needs. Further down we explain how codes from China are built, how to send money there without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

What a transfer to China really costs

What you pay for a payment to China is made up of more than one component. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank usually uses a rate below the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee. A simple test: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialist money transfer services often use a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives in China with different providers, so you can pick the cheapest route.

SWIFT transfers to China

China is outside the SEPA area, the European zone for uniform euro payments. Payments from abroad usually go through the SWIFT network.

In some countries, accounts are identified by a local account number instead of an IBAN and sometimes a local routing or branch code. Ask the recipient exactly which details their bank needs for incoming international payments. On the way to China, a payment can go through correspondent banks.

Which bank in China has the most codes?

Bank of Communications leads the list of China banks in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. Its head office code is COMMCNSHXXX – the code most transfers need.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes – a high count is not a measure of size. Paying someone at Bank of Communications? Use COMMCNSHXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Tracking a payment to China

There is no fixed delivery time for transfers to China: many arrive the same day or the next while others need several business days. Bank holidays in either country can add extra days to the journey.

If a transfer seems delayed, the sender should contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Save the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms.

Verifying a SWIFT code from China

The best place to find the correct BIC remains a document from the bank itself. When the code you were given does not match our list, stop and ask: check with the recipient or the bank.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes from public sources and update our list regularly. Even so, banks merge or retire codes. Before a payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Fraudsters regularly send fake invoices with changed bank details from what looks like a familiar address. A valid BIC says nothing about whether a request is genuine: criminals use real codes too.

The structure of a China SWIFT/BIC code

Bank identifier codes follow one international format: eight characters plus an optional three-character extension. Characters one to four identify the bank, characters five and six are the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

Whatever the bank, every code from China share the same country code in positions five and six, namely the ISO code of China. If the country letters do not match China, the code belongs to a bank in another country – worth double-checking.

The last three characters, if present, identify a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. Use a branch code only when the recipient explicitly gives you one.

China and the Chinese Yuan

Most accounts in China are usually held in CNY – the Chinese Yuan. When you pay another currency, the amount gets converted at some point – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Who does the conversion has an effect on the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. In many cases it is cheaper if you send CNY directly through a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. On larger amounts, a seemingly small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Incoming international payments in China

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for a few details from you, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. Share your name as registered with the bank, the IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

The code of your bank is in our list, yet the version on your own statement or in your banking app is leading. Some banks may also want the name and address of your bank; it does no harm to include it.

The amount you receive is often less than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.