United Overseas Bank (China) Limited SWIFT/BIC code

UOVBCNSH – the SWIFT/BIC code of United Overseas Bank (China) Limited

Whether a recipient gives you UOVBCNSH or UOVBCNSHXXX, you are looking at the identical address for United Overseas Bank (China) Limited in China. Banks worldwide use BIC codes to direct payments between countries to the correct bank. In daily life you usually come across it on invoices from abroad, in payment forms and in the bank details that United Overseas Bank (China) Limited provides.

On this page you can read how the code means, when it matters and which other details you need for a transfer to or from United Overseas Bank (China) Limited. Remember that the BIC only identifies the bank, not the person: the account number or IBAN does that part.

Head office or branch code at United Overseas Bank (China) Limited?

Our directory lists 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for United Overseas Bank (China) Limited. Next to the head office code UOVBCNSHXXX, there are codes for individual branches and departments.

If nobody asks you for a branch code, use UOVBCNSHXXX. Branch codes are only needed if the recipient’s bank explicitly mentions it.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Codes for branches are more prone to be retired than UOVBCNSHXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

Fraudsters often use fake invoices with new bank details, sometimes in an email that looks completely genuine. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Verify new bank details via a different channel, such as a phone number you already know, not by replying to the message. Be suspicious of urgent requests, odd spelling or an email address that differs by one letter. Already paid? Call the bank you paid from straight away and have them try to recall the payment and report the fraud.

Recipients can be targeted as well: one known trick is an overpayment and then sends a request to refund the difference. A payment confirmation from the sender proves nothing.

Incoming international payments to United Overseas Bank (China) Limited

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs several details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC UOVBCNSHXXX (or UOVBCNSH) and usually your postal address.

Their bank might also ask for the bank address of United Overseas Bank (China) Limited, in which case the Shanghai head office is the usual answer. A mistake in your account number is more trouble than it looks.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank. For business payments, you can agree who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.

Why United Overseas Bank (China) Limited has an 8- and an 11-character code

Each SWIFT/BIC code has the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, two letters for the country and two characters for the location. Together, those parts make up UOVBCNSH.

The full version has a three-character extension for a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, the code points to the head office, so UOVBCNSHXXX and UOVBCNSH are interchangeable.

Type the code as one block, in capitals and without spaces. Pasting the code beats typing it by hand.

Paying into United Overseas Bank (China) Limited in CNY

China uses the Chinese Yuan, code CNY. Money sent in a different currency will be exchanged into CNY, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. There is rarely a separate charge for the conversion.

Who converts the money matters, because each party uses its own rate. Compare how much CNY the recipient gets with several providers.

The rate for CNY changes throughout the day, so the amount you see is usually only valid for a short time. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate make a real difference over time.

Before you send: check the United Overseas Bank (China) Limited code

The most reliable source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient. If the code you have differs from UOVBCNSH or UOVBCNSHXXX, do not guess: check with the recipient or with United Overseas Bank (China) Limited directly.

An incorrect BIC can cause delays, a payment being sent back or additional charges. A mistake in the IBAN or account number can be more serious, because the money may be credited to someone else; check it just as carefully.

Many banking apps check the structure of an IBAN and sometimes look up the BIC automatically. Where available, a name check before sending adds extra certainty. A small test payment can be a sensible step for large sums despite the extra fee.

International transfers from United Overseas Bank (China) Limited: the real cost

What you pay for a payment abroad is made up of more than one component, and the transfer fee is only the most visible one. Besides the transfer fee, banks in between may deduct a fee, and when currencies are converted the bank often applies a rate below the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest cost. Compare their rate with the mid-market rate.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. Before your next transfer, it is worth comparing what arrives on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank. Using a transfer service does not mean leaving United Overseas Bank (China) Limited.

A note on our data

This directory draws on public sources and is updated regularly. Still, banks merge or change codes and our data may lag behind. Counts and locations are from our own dataset.

See our directory on this page as a helpful check and rely on the recipient or United Overseas Bank (China) Limited for the final confirmation. GoldexPay is not affiliated with United Overseas Bank (China) Limited. If you notice a mistake, we appreciate a short note.

When will the money arrive at United Overseas Bank (China) Limited?

There is no fixed answer: some arrive the same day or the next. Weekends and public holidays in the sending or receiving country add a day or more to the journey. Occasionally a bank asks about the purpose of a payment before releasing it.

When a payment takes longer than expected, contact your bank about the tracking status and the transaction reference; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Keep the payment confirmation until the money has arrived – you will need it for any trace request.

If a payment has not arrived after a few business days, the person who paid should start with the bank that sent it rather than United Overseas Bank (China) Limited. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation with the date and reference; that often settles the question quickly.