SWIFT/BIC codes in China: banks starting with C

Finding a SWIFT code in China

This directory covers 668 banks and financial institutions in China and 2652 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. Each code identifies an institution or a specific branch or department and tells other banks where an international payment should go.

Each bank is listed with its own page with its main code and if there are any, codes for branches and departments. The sections below covers how the codes work, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes.

What a transfer to China really costs

The price of a payment to China is made up of more than one component, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. On top of the fee, intermediary banks can take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank usually applies a rate below the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee. An easy check: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialised transfer providers frequently offer rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. On GoldexPay you can compare what recipients in China receive with different services.

The structure of a China SWIFT/BIC code

Bank identifier codes use the same format worldwide: 8 characters. Characters one to four stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and the next two mark the location.

Whatever the bank, every code from China have the same fifth and sixth letters: the ISO code of the country. When the country letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank in another country.

An 11-character code ends in three characters for a branch. Use a branch code just when the recipient explicitly gives you one – otherwise stick with the head office.

Why a transfer to China needs a SWIFT code

For China you almost always need a SWIFT/BIC code. Without it, your bank will not send the payment.

In some countries, accounts are identified by a local account number instead of an IBAN and sometimes a local routing or branch code. The recipient’s bank often provides instructions for payments from abroad. SWIFT payments can pass through correspondent banks and fees can be taken along the way.

How long does a transfer to China take?

An international transfer to China typically takes anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Bank holidays in either country add extra days, because banks do not process payments on those days.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi. Each gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms; a bank needs it to start a trace.

Bank of Communications and its SWIFT codes

In our data, Bank of Communications has the most SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in China. The head office uses COMMCNSHXXX – the code most transfers need.

Banks differ in whether they register branch codes, so the count is not a ranking of size. Paying someone at Bank of Communications? Go with COMMCNSHXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Receiving money in China from abroad

If you are waiting for money from abroad in China, send the payer a complete set of details. In practice that means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and, often, your postal address.

The code of your bank appears in the list on this page, yet the version on your own statement or in your banking app is leading. Some banks may also ask for your bank’s address; it does no harm to include it.

Expect that the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. 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, state how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

Sending CNY to China

Most accounts in China are typically held in CNY. If you send money in a different currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Where the conversion happens affects the final amount. In many cases you pay less to send CNY directly through a transfer service with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. Exchange rates change during the day, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

Check the code before you pay

The most reliable source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient. An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a returned payment or extra fees.

We gather bank codes using publicly available data and update our list regularly. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes, so information can be out of date. For any payment of any size, check the code with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is a comparison site and not part of any bank listed here.

Watch out for invoices containing a new account, especially when they come by email. A valid BIC tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine.

Banks in China starting with :letter

This list only shows banks in China whose name starts with :letter in alphabetical order. The figures for China on this page apply to all 668 banks.

Many institutions are listed under their official name rather than the name on their app or website, so the letter can differ from what you expect. The full overview for China is one click away when you cannot find the bank here.