SWIFT/BIC codes in China: banks starting with W

SWIFT/BIC codes in China

This overview contains 668 banks and other institutions in China, with 2652 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. Each code identifies a bank or a specific branch or department and tells other banks where an international payment should go.

Look for the bank you need below and click through for the full list of codes and what else a transfer requires. Further down you can read how a code from China is put together, how to send money to China at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

When does money sent to China arrive?

How fast money reaches China depends on a few things: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, cut-off times and differences in time zone. Bank holidays in China or in the sending country add a day or more, because banks do not process payments on those days.

If the money is late, ask the sender to contact their own bank and ask for the status or the UETR – the receiving bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Specialist transfer services often provide a status in their app, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

The largest SWIFT network in China: Bank of Communications

Bank of Communications leads our list for China when it comes to the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. Its main office has COMMCNSHXXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

Many codes usually means separate codes for branches, departments or services. Paying someone at Bank of Communications? Use COMMCNSHXXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

What a transfer to China really costs

A bank transfer to China can cost more than the fee suggests. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks and, above all, the exchange rate markup if the money is converted.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate – the bank builds a margin into its rate. Compare the bank’s rate with the mid-market rate.

Specialist money transfer services often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay compares what recipients in China receive across providers, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot.

Incoming international payments in China

When you expect a payment from another country in China, give the sender everything they need in one go. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the BIC of your bank and usually your address.

Find the bank in the list on this page and compare the code with your own bank details – your bank statement is the final word. It helps to include your bank’s name and city as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

The amount you receive can be lower than the amount sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin applies. On invoices, agree how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

Sending CNY to China

China uses the Chinese Yuan, code CNY. If you send 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 how much arrives, since every bank sets its own rate. Often it is cheaper if you send CNY straight away through a provider with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. On larger amounts, a seemingly small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

SWIFT transfers to China

Since China does not belong to SEPA, an international payment normally goes through SWIFT. That means you always need the SWIFT/BIC code of the recipient’s bank in addition to the account details.

Not all countries use the IBAN. The recipient’s bank often provides a list of required details for incoming international payments. On the way to China, a payment may go through correspondent banks.

Verifying a SWIFT code from China

The best place to find the correct BIC remains paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account page in online banking. If the code you have does not match our list, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

We collect bank codes from public sources and update our list regularly. Even so, banks merge or change codes. Use our data as a starting point, not as the final word; the recipient’s bank details are leading. GoldexPay is not a bank and has no link to the banks in this list.

Be wary of invoices containing a new account. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a separate channel, using a number you already had.

Banks in China beginning with the letter :letter

This list only shows the banks in China whose name starts with :letter in alphabetical order. The figures for China mentioned here cover all 668 banks, not just the ones under :letter.

Many institutions are listed under their legal name rather than the name on their app or website, so the letter can differ from what you expect. Try the full list for China if you do not know the exact name.

What the letters in a China BIC mean

SWIFT/BIC codes follow one international format: 8 characters, sometimes followed by three more. Characters one to four stand for the bank, characters five and six form the country code and the next two mark the location.

For banks in China, characters five and six are the two-letter ISO code of China – that is the quickest way to spot one. If those two letters do not match China, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a branch or department; XXX means the head office. Choose a branch code just when the recipient’s bank asks for it; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.