Commerzbank AG SWIFT/BIC code

Commerzbank AG SWIFT code: COBACNSX

COBACNSX and COBACNSXXXX are two spellings of the same bank identifier, and both point to Commerzbank AG in Shanghai. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses these codes to direct payments between countries to the right bank. It comes up mostly when dealing with payments that cross a border.

Further down you will find the practical side: receiving money at Commerzbank AG, sending money abroad and how to check a SWIFT code before you hit send. Remember that the SWIFT code just identifies the bank, not the account: the IBAN or account number does that part.

International transfers from Commerzbank AG: the real cost

What you pay for a payment abroad has several parts – not just the fee on your screen. There is the transfer fee, possibly charges from correspondent banks in between and, above all, the exchange rate markup when the money is converted.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest cost. An easy check: put the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a bank. Next time you send money, take a minute to compare the total cost on GoldexPay. You can always keep your account at Commerzbank AG as the source of the money, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Sending CNY to Commerzbank AG

Accounts at Commerzbank AG are typically held in CNY, the national currency of China. A payment in a foreign currency will be converted into CNY before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate. Every conversion eats into something – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. Compare how much CNY the recipient gets with different providers; the difference between options can be larger than you expect.

The CNY rate fluctuates throughout the day and quotes are often valid only for a short time. For recurring payments, small differences in the rate add up over a year.

Commerzbank AG: head office code versus branch codes

With 2 codes, Commerzbank AG belongs to the banks that register separate codes for parts of the organisation and departments. The head office code remains COBACNSXXXX.

For most incoming transfers, the head office code COBACNSXXXX is what you need. When you receive a branch code, use it as it is rather than replacing it for the head office code.

The best way is to take the code straight from the recipient’s bank details. Codes are sometimes changed or retired over time.

Before you send: check the Commerzbank AG code

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. When the code you were given does not match COBACNSX or COBACNSXXXX, do not guess.

If the code is wrong, the payment might get stuck, bounce back or end up costing more, and tracing it can take weeks. A mistake in the IBAN or account number is more serious, because the money may be credited to someone else, so check that just as carefully.

A format check in your banking app merely confirms that the code exists, not that it is the right account. Some banks now compare the payee name against the account before you confirm. A small test payment can be a sensible step for large sums, even if it costs an extra fee.

Tracking a transfer to or from Commerzbank AG

There is no single delivery time for international payments: some land within a day, others take several business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday usually start a business day later. Sometimes a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment, which can hold things up.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Each payment gets a unique reference, the UETR, which your bank can use to see where the money is. Save the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms – you will need it for any trace request.

A delayed transfer is traced from the sending side on the basis of the transfer details. Request from the sender a copy of the payment confirmation; that often settles the question quickly.

Incoming international payments to Commerzbank AG

If you expect a payment from another country, send the payer all details at once. The basics are: your name, account number or IBAN, COBACNSXXXX and, for some countries, your home address.

You can include Commerzbank AG and Shanghai too. A mistake in the IBAN can be more trouble than it looks; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank – the price list of Commerzbank AG tells you what applies. For business payments, you can agree how the fees are split, so that nobody is left short.

What the XXX in COBACNSXXXX means

Each SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: four letters for the bank, a two-letter country code and two characters for the location. For Commerzbank AG, the 8-character core is COBACNSX.

The long version has a three-character extension for a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, they simply mean the head office.

Leave out spaces when you enter COBACNSX or COBACNSXXXX. Pasting the code beats retyping it: a typo can point to another bank.

A note on our data

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from public sources and check them from time to time. Banks reorganise, change names and retire codes, and a directory never catches every change immediately. The number of codes on this page reflect our own data.

Before a payment that matters, always confirm the BIC with the recipient’s bank or with the recipient. GoldexPay is not affiliated with Commerzbank AG. Spotted outdated information? Tell us via our contact form.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

One of the most common tricks goes like this: you receive a message saying that a supplier has a new bank account and asking you to pay there from now on. A valid SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Never trust a phone number from the same email that contains the change. Pressure and secrecy are red flags. If money was sent to the wrong account, contact your bank immediately.

Scams can also target the receiver: someone claims to have sent too much and asks you to refund the extra. A payment confirmation from the sender proves nothing – check your own account.