Banco Nacional de Costa Rica SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Banco Nacional de Costa Rica

If an invoice shows BNCRCRSJ or BNCRCRSJXXX, it is the identical address for Banco Nacional de Costa Rica in Costa Rica. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses these codes to route international transfers to the correct bank. In daily life you mostly see the code on international invoices, in your banking app and in the bank details that Banco Nacional de Costa Rica provides.

On this page you can read what the code is put together, when it matters and what else you need for a transfer to or from Banco Nacional de Costa Rica. The BIC identifies a bank or branch, never a single account, which is why you always need the account number too.

Getting paid from abroad into a Banco Nacional de Costa Rica account

If you expect money from abroad, give the sender everything they need in one go. Share your name as the bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, SWIFT code BNCRCRSJXXX and your address.

It helps to add the bank name and its city as well, because some payment forms have separate fields for them. A mistake in the IBAN can be harder to fix than you might think; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

The amount you receive can be lower than the amount sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. Agree with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

A note on our data

We gather bank codes using publicly available data and check our list regularly. It is possible that a code on this page is out of date, for example after a merger. The figures on this page are based on what is in our directory, not official figures from Banco Nacional de Costa Rica.

Before any payment of any size, check the code with Banco Nacional de Costa Rica or with the recipient. We are an independent comparison service for money transfers and not part of Banco Nacional de Costa Rica. Found outdated information? Let us know through the contact page so we can correct it.

Tracking a transfer to or from Banco Nacional de Costa Rica

How quickly a payment reaches Banco Nacional de Costa Rica depends on several factors: the currency, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday usually go out the next business day. Sometimes a bank wants to know what the payment is for before releasing it.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services usually provide a status online so you can see where the money is.

Only the sending bank can request a trace – the recipient’s bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Request from the sender a copy of the payment confirmation with the date and reference; that often settles the question quickly.

Sending money abroad from Banco Nacional de Costa Rica

A bank transfer abroad can cost rather more than the fee suggests. On top of the transfer fee, banks in between can deduct a fee, and if currencies are converted, the bank usually applies a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee: the bank converts at a rate that includes a margin. An easy check: set the bank’s rate next to the mid-market rate for the same moment and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialised transfer providers frequently offer rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay compares these services side by side so you can see what actually arrives for the same amount sent. You can still keep your account at Banco Nacional de Costa Rica as the source of the money; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

8 or 11 characters: BNCRCRSJ versus BNCRCRSJXXX

The layout of every SWIFT code never changes: a bank code of four letters, two for the country and two for the location. Combined, those parts make up BNCRCRSJ.

XXX at the end of BNCRCRSJXXX does not stand for a missing value or an error: it indicates the main office of Banco Nacional de Costa Rica. Some banking apps insist on 11 characters, in which case you simply enter XXX behind BNCRCRSJ.

Do not add spaces or dashes when you type BNCRCRSJ or BNCRCRSJXXX. Watch for O versus 0 and I versus 1, a common source of typos.

Changed bank details? Be careful

A common scam works like this: you receive a request saying that a supplier now has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. That BNCRCRSJ is a real code is no guarantee that a request mentioning it is genuine.

Before paying, verify changed bank details by phone. Be suspicious of urgent requests, unusual wording or an email address that differs by one letter. When a payment was sent to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

Fraud also work the other way. Someone sends more than agreed and wants you to refund the difference via a different route. A screenshot of a transfer proves nothing.

Banco Nacional de Costa Rica: head office code versus branch codes

Our directory lists 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Banco Nacional de Costa Rica. Besides the head office code BNCRCRSJXXX, you will find codes for regional offices and specialised units.

In most cases you do not need to look up a branch: payments addressed to BNCRCRSJXXX are routed within Banco Nacional de Costa Rica without problems. If you have been given a specific code, stick to it rather than replacing it for the head office code.

Unsure which code to use? Check with the recipient. Codes can change when banks reorganise, so do not rely on old paperwork.

Verifying the SWIFT code of Banco Nacional de Costa Rica

Have the recipient copy their account details straight from their banking app. Check it with BNCRCRSJ here.

An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or extra fees along the way. Remember the account number: a mistake there can be harder to correct than a wrong BIC.

An automatic check in your banking app only confirms that the IBAN is valid. Where available, a payee name check on the recipient gives extra certainty. Sending a small amount first can be a sensible step for large sums.