Banco Central del Ecuador SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Banco Central del Ecuador

BCENECEQ and BCENECEQXXX are the short and the long form of the same bank identifier, and both point to Banco Central del Ecuador in Quito. A SWIFT code tells every bank in the chain which institution should receive the money, much like a postcode for banks. In practice you usually see it on invoices from abroad, in payment forms and on the account details of Banco Central del Ecuador customers.

This page is meant to help anyone who sends money to an account at Banco Central del Ecuador without mistakes. The BIC identifies a bank or branch, never a specific account, which is why you always need the account number too.

A note on our data

We collect bank codes from publicly available data and check our list from time to time. Institutions reorganise, change names and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. Figures such as the number of codes are from our directory and are not confirmed by Banco Central del Ecuador.

Use our data as a starting point, rather than as the final word. GoldexPay has no connection to Banco Central del Ecuador, we only compare transfer services. Spotted an error? Let us know through the contact page so we can correct it.

Banco Central del Ecuador: head office code versus branch codes

With 3 codes in 2 locations, Banco Central del Ecuador belongs to the banks that use separate codes for branches. The head office code remains BCENECEQXXX.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, go with BCENECEQXXX or its short form BCENECEQ. If you have been given a branch code, stick to it instead of swapping it with the head office code.

Unsure which code applies? Check with the recipient. Codes for branches are more likely to be retired than BCENECEQXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.

When will the money arrive at Banco Central del Ecuador?

An international transfer typically takes one to a few business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Payments made late in the day or on weekends and holidays usually start the next business day. Compliance checks by one of the banks may also add a delay, regardless of the details.

If the money seems late, ask your bank about the status or the UETR. Money transfer services usually show tracking in their app showing where the money is.

A delayed transfer has to be traced by the sending bank on the basis of the transfer details. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation – it helps your own bank look for the money.

Sending USD to Banco Central del Ecuador

Ecuador pays in the US Dollar, with the currency code USD. Money sent in a different currency is converted into USD before it reaches the account. There is rarely a separate line for the conversion.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference. Often it is cheaper if you send USD directly through a provider with a good rate.

Rates for USD change all the time – some services let you fix a rate in advance. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

How to check BCENECEQ before you pay

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. Check that code against BCENECEQ on this page.

If the code is wrong, the transfer may get stuck, be returned or end up costing more, and tracing it can take weeks. An error in the IBAN or account number is more serious, because the money may be credited to someone else, so check that just as carefully.

Many banking apps validate the format of an IBAN and sometimes look up the BIC automatically, but that does not prove the account belongs to the right person. Where available, a name check on the recipient adds extra certainty. When you pay someone new, many people start with a small amount first before sending the rest.

Incoming international payments to Banco Central del Ecuador

For a transfer from abroad into your account at Banco Central del Ecuador, the sender has to have more than the SWIFT code. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, the BIC BCENECEQXXX and your address.

It helps to include the bank name and its city as well, because some payment forms have separate fields for them. A typo in your account number is more trouble than it looks, so copy the details from your online banking.

What lands in your account is often lower than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers vary per bank – the price list of Banco Central del Ecuador tells you what applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

Sending money abroad from Banco Central del Ecuador

A bank transfer abroad costs more than the listed fee. On top of a fixed fee, banks in between may take a cut, and when the money changes currency, the bank often uses a rate that is less favourable than the actual market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest cost because it is hidden in the rate. An easy check: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate. GoldexPay compares what recipients receive across providers, so you can pick the cheapest route. Using a transfer service does not require leaving Banco Central del Ecuador: you simply pay the service from your account.

BCENECEQ or BCENECEQXXX – which one to use?

Each SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: four letters for the bank, two letters for the country and a two-character location code. In this case, the 8-character core is BCENECEQ.

XXX at the end of BCENECEQXXX does not stand for a missing value or a mistake: it stands for the head office of Banco Central del Ecuador. Some forms ask for 11 characters, and then you can enter XXX after BCENECEQ.

Type the code in one piece, in capitals and without spaces. Look out for O versus 0 and the letter I and the digit 1.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

Fraudsters often send fake invoices with changed bank details. A real SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Do not trust contact details from the same email that contains the change. Be suspicious of urgent requests, unusual wording or a sender address that is slightly off. If a payment was sent to a fraudster, call your bank right away – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

Recipients are targeted too: one known trick is an overpayment followed by a request to refund the difference abroad. Do not act before the money has really arrived – ask Banco Central del Ecuador if something looks wrong.