SWIFT/BIC codes in China: banks starting with I

Bank SWIFT codes for China

In China we have 2652 SWIFT/BIC codes from 668 banks. A SWIFT code shows the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank should receive an international payment.

Search for the recipient’s bank below and open its page to see the full list of codes. Below the list we explain how a code from China is put together, how to send money there at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

What a sender needs to pay you in China

For an international payment in China, the sender needs more than the BIC. In practice that means: your name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your address.

Find your bank in the list on this page, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. Some banks may also want the name and address of your bank.

What lands in your account is often less than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. On invoices, state how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

Check the code before you pay

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient. If the code you have differs from our list, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

We gather bank codes from public sources and update them from time to time. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes and our data may lag behind. For any payment that matters, check the code with the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service and not part of any bank listed here.

Be wary of payment requests containing a new account – a common fraud method. A valid BIC tells you nothing about who owns the account.

Banks in China beginning with the letter :letter

The letter filter limits the list to banks in China starting with :letter. The totals mentioned above always cover the whole country, not just this letter.

If the bank you need is missing here, check the full list: banks are often registered under their full legal name. The full overview for China is one click away if you cannot find the bank here.

What a transfer to China really costs

A bank transfer to China can cost more than you think. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent banks may take a cut and, if currencies are converted, the bank often uses a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. An easy check: put the offered rate next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For many routes, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the exchange rate. GoldexPay compares what recipients in China receive across providers.

The largest SWIFT network in China: Bank of Communications

Bank of Communications tops the list of China banks when it comes to SWIFT/BIC codes. Its head office code is COMMCNSHXXX.

How many codes a bank has tells you something about how it organises its payments than about its size. If not the recipient asks for a branch, COMMCNSHXXX is fine for transfers to this bank.

What the letters in a China BIC mean

Each SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters. It starts with a four-letter bank code, then a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

No matter which bank, every code from China have the same country code in positions five and six. Codes with other letters in that position come from another country.

If the last three are XXX, it means the head office and the short version works just as well. Use a branch code only if the recipient’s bank asks for it.

Paying in CNY: what conversion costs you

China pays in the Chinese Yuan, code CNY. If you send another currency, the amount has to be converted somewhere along the way: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference. Compare what CNY arrives via several services; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. On larger amounts, even a small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

International payments to China and the BIC

Because China is outside SEPA, a transfer from abroad normally goes as a SWIFT payment. This means the payment always needs the BIC of the receiving bank in addition to the account details.

Depending on the country, accounts are identified by a local account number rather than an IBAN and sometimes a local routing or branch code. Ask the recipient which details their bank requires for incoming international payments; banks often publish instructions for this. On the way to China, a payment may go through correspondent banks.

How long does a transfer to China take?

A SWIFT payment to China usually needs anywhere from one to several business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Public holidays in either country can add extra days to the journey.

If a transfer seems delayed, ask the sender to contact their own bank for a trace – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived – you will need it if something goes wrong.