SWIFT/BIC codes in China: banks starting with P

China: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

Here you will find codes for 668 banks in China. A BIC shows every bank in the chain exactly which bank should receive an international payment.

Pick a bank from the list to see its head office code and its other codes along with tips for payments to and from that bank. Further down we explain how codes from China are built, how to send money there without overpaying and what to check before you pay.

The largest SWIFT network in China: Bank of Communications

Bank of Communications tops our list for China in the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. 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. Paying someone at Bank of Communications? Go with COMMCNSHXXX except when a specific branch code is requested.

Banks in China starting with :letter

Here you see a filtered list: only banks in China with a name starting with :letter. The totals on this page apply to every bank we list.

If a bank is missing under :letter, try the full list. The complete list is one click away if you cannot find the bank here.

Check the code before you pay

Ask the recipient to send you the account details directly from their online banking. When the code you were given differs from our list, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check them from time to time. Banks merge, close branches and retire codes. 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 a new account. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether a request is genuine: criminals use real codes too.

Bank or transfer service for China?

What you pay for a transfer to China has more than one component, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. You pay the transfer fee, possibly fees from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. A simple test: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialist money transfer services frequently use rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay compares transfer services next to each other so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient.

The Chinese Yuan (CNY) and conversion costs

The national currency in China is the Chinese Yuan (CNY). When you pay money in a different currency, it gets converted at some point – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Where the conversion happens affects the final amount. Compare how much CNY the recipient gets via several providers before choosing one. On larger amounts, even a small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

International payments to China and the BIC

China is outside the SEPA area, so European euro rules do not apply. International transfers to China normally go over the SWIFT network.

Depending on the country, the account is identified by a local account number rather than an IBAN. Ask the recipient which details their bank requires for payments from abroad. International transfers can pass through one or more intermediary banks.

Recognising a SWIFT code from China

Every SWIFT/BIC code consists of 8 or 11 characters. The first four letters stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

Whatever the bank, every code from China share the same fifth and sixth letters, namely the ISO code of China. Codes with a different country code come from another country.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. In most cases the head office code is what you need unless the recipient asks for a specific branch.

Incoming international payments in China

If you are waiting for money from abroad in China, send the payer everything they need in one go. Share your name as registered with the bank, the IBAN or account number, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address, which some banks require.

Look up the bank in the list on this page, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. It helps to add the name and city of your bank because some forms have separate fields for it.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank – your bank’s price list tells you what applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

Tracking a payment to China

A SWIFT payment to China usually needs anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often go out the next business day.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR. Money transfer services often provide tracking in their app, which makes it easier to see where the money is.