SWIFT/BIC codes in China: banks starting with G

Finding a SWIFT code in China

On this page you find codes for 668 banks in China, 2652 codes in all. You need a SWIFT/BIC code mainly when making international transfers and for payments in a foreign currency.

Choose a bank below to view the head office code and any branch codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. The sections below covers the structure of the codes, the cost of transfers and how to avoid mistakes.

The largest SWIFT network in China: Bank of Communications

Bank of Communications tops the list for China in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office uses COMMCNSHXXX, which is the code to use when no branch is specified.

Banks differ in whether they register branch codes. Paying someone at Bank of Communications? Use COMMCNSHXXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

Check the code before you pay

The best place to find the correct BIC is paperwork issued by the bank. When the code you were given does not match our list, do not guess.

We collect bank codes from publicly available data and update our list from time to time. Banks merge, close branches and retire codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Before any payment that matters, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank. We are an independent comparison site for money transfers and not part of any bank listed here.

Watch out for payment requests with changed bank details – a common fraud method. Always verify changed details through a separate channel on a number you know.

Filter: banks in China with :letter

You are looking at a selection: just institutions in China whose name begins with :letter. The totals mentioned above still refer to all banks in China.

Some banks are listed under their legal name rather than the name on their app or website, so the letter can differ from what you expect. The complete list is one click away if you cannot find the bank here.

Paying a bank in China from abroad

Because China is outside SEPA, a transfer from abroad normally goes as a SWIFT payment. That means you always need the BIC of the recipient’s bank, together with the account number or IBAN.

Not all countries use IBAN numbers – where there is none, the local account number is enough. Check with the recipient exactly which details their bank requires for payments from abroad. Before it arrives, a transfer may pass through intermediary banks.

What a transfer to China really costs

A bank transfer to China can cost more than the fee suggests. There is the transfer fee, possibly fees from correspondent banks and, above all, the exchange rate markup when currencies differ.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Compare the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate. The difference is your real cost.

Specialised transfer providers often use rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before your next transfer to China, take a minute to compare what arrives via GoldexPay.

China and the Chinese Yuan

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

Where the conversion happens has an effect on how much arrives, since every bank sets its own rate. Often you pay less if you send CNY straight away via a provider that converts near the mid-market rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. Exchange rates change all the time, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

Receiving money in China from abroad

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

Look up the bank in the list above. You can add your bank’s name and city.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs.

Transfer times to China

How fast a payment arrives in China depends on a few things: the currency, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Public holidays in China or in the sending country add extra days, because banks do not process payments on those days.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi. Each gpi transfer carries a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Keep your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms.

What the letters in a China BIC mean

Each SWIFT/BIC code has eight or eleven characters. It starts with a four-letter bank code, followed by two letters for the country and a two-character location code.

Whatever the bank, all China codes share the same fifth and sixth letters: the ISO code of the country. A code with other letters in that position belong to a bank abroad – a quick way to catch mistakes.

When a code ends in XXX, it refers to the main office, and the 8-character version leads to the same place. Choose a branch code only when the recipient explicitly gives you one.