SWIFT/BIC codes in China: banks starting with F

China: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

This directory lists 668 banks and financial institutions in China. Each code points to an institution or one of its branches, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Every bank is listed with its own page with its main code and if there are any, branch codes. Further down you can read how codes from China are built, how to send money there at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

What the letters in a China BIC mean

Bank identifier codes use one international format: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. It starts with a four-letter bank code, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

No matter which bank, every code from China have the same country code in positions five and six. If those two letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a specific branch; XXX is used for the head office. Use a branch code only if the recipient’s bank asks for it.

Receiving money in China from abroad

If you are waiting for money from abroad in China, give the sender a complete set of details. Give them your name as registered with the bank, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and your address.

Find your bank in the list above to check its code, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. You can add the name and city of your bank as well because some forms have separate fields for it.

Do not be surprised if 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 applies. For business payments, state who bears the costs.

Transfer times to China

How fast a payment arrives in China is determined by a few things: the currency, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Public holidays in either country can add extra days to the journey.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sender to contact the sending bank for a trace. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived – you will need it if something goes wrong.

Paying in CNY: what conversion costs you

The local currency of China is the Chinese Yuan (CNY). A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into CNY on its way to the recipient, and whoever converts it chooses the rate.

Who converts the money matters: every bank has its own margin. Often it is cheaper to send CNY directly via a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate so the receiving bank does not need to convert again. Rates for CNY move all the time – some providers let you lock in a rate.

SWIFT transfers to China

China is not part of the SEPA area, so European euro rules do not apply. Payments from abroad normally travel through the SWIFT network – which is why you need the BIC of the recipient’s bank.

Not all countries use IBAN numbers; in that case the local account number is used instead. The recipient’s bank often has a list of required details for payments from abroad – follow them exactly. On the way to China, a transfer may go through intermediary banks that take a fee.

Filter: banks in China with :letter

This page shows only the banks in China whose name starts with :letter, sorted alphabetically. The figures for China mentioned here cover all 668 banks and not only this letter.

If the bank you need is missing under :letter, check the full list. The complete list remains one click away if the letter filter does not help.

About our data and how to check a code

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. When the code you were given differs from our list, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes from public sources and check our list from time to time. Institutions reorganise, change names and change codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Use our data as a reference, not as the final word. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site.

Watch out for invoices with a new account, especially when they come by email. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a separate channel on a number you know.

Which bank in China has the most codes?

Among the 668 institutions we list, Bank of Communications holds the most SWIFT/BIC codes in China. The head office of Bank of Communications has COMMCNSHXXX and that code covers most payments.

Practice differs in how many codes they register, so the count is not a ranking of size. If not a branch code is given, the head office code COMMCNSHXXX works for transfers to this bank.

What a transfer to China really costs

The price of a transfer to China has more than one component – not only the fee you see. On top of the fee, intermediary banks can deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank often applies a rate below the real market rate.

The markup on the rate is often the largest cost item, even though it is not listed as a fee. A simple test: set the offered rate next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialist money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists these providers next to each other so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient.