Banco Pichincha C.a. SWIFT/BIC code

What PICHECEQ means for a payment to Banco Pichincha C.a.

The short code PICHECEQ and the full code PICHECEQXXX refer to one and the same institution: Banco Pichincha C.a., with its head office in Quito. A SWIFT code tells the banks handling a payment which institution is meant to get the money, much like a postcode for banks. In practice you usually see the code on international invoices, in your banking app and in the bank details of Banco Pichincha C.a. customers.

On this page we explain how the code is put together, when you need it and which other details a transfer to or from Banco Pichincha C.a. requires. Remember that the SWIFT code only identifies the bank, not the person: the account number or IBAN does that part.

What to give a sender who pays you at Banco Pichincha C.a.

For an international payment at Banco Pichincha C.a., the sender has to have not just the BIC. The basics are: your name, IBAN or account number, PICHECEQXXX and, for some countries, your home address.

The sender’s bank might request the address of your bank, in which case the Quito head office is the usual answer. A mistake in the IBAN is more trouble than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

An incoming payment does not always land for the full amount. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the currency changes, a markup on the rate applies. On invoices, it is common to state who bears the costs.

About this information

We collect bank codes using public sources and update our list regularly. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes and our data may lag behind. Counts and locations come from our own dataset and are not confirmed by Banco Pichincha C.a..

For a payment of any size, confirm the code with Banco Pichincha C.a. or the recipient. GoldexPay is a comparison service for money transfers and not part of Banco Pichincha C.a.. If you notice something that is out of date, we appreciate a message.

Is PICHECEQ still correct? How to check

The most reliable source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. When the code you were given differs from PICHECEQ or PICHECEQXXX, do not guess: check with the recipient or with Banco Pichincha C.a. directly.

An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a returned payment or additional charges along the way. An error in the account number can be more serious.

An automatic check by your bank only tells you that the code exists, not that it is the right account. Some banks now compare the name with the account. For a first payment, many people send a small amount first and wait for confirmation.

Why Banco Pichincha C.a. has an 8- and an 11-character code

The layout of every SWIFT code is always the same: four characters for the institution, a two-letter country code and two for the location, sometimes followed by a branch code. In this case, that core is PICHECEQ.

XXX at the end of PICHECEQXXX does not stand for a placeholder or a mistake: it indicates the main office of Banco Pichincha C.a.. Some forms ask for 11 characters, and then you simply enter XXX after PICHECEQ.

Enter the code in one piece, in upper case and without spaces, exactly as shown here. A single character may route a payment to a different institution, so check it twice.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

Stay alert when someone unexpectedly asks you to pay into a different account. A valid SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Check changed payment details through a separate channel, such as a phone number you already know, not by replying to the message. Watch out for urgent requests, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. Already paid? Contact your bank straight away and ask them to try to recall the payment and report the fraud.

Fraud can also work the other way: someone claims to have sent too much and wants you to return the extra to a new account. A screenshot of a transfer is no proof; only your own account shows what has arrived.

International transfers from Banco Pichincha C.a.: the real cost

When you transfer money abroad through Banco Pichincha C.a., the visible fee is rarely all of what you pay. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate when the money is converted.

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. Check their rate with the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For a lot of routes, a transfer service is less expensive than a bank – mostly thanks to the rate. GoldexPay compares these services side by side, showing what actually arrives for the same amount sent. You can still keep your account at Banco Pichincha C.a. to fund the transfer.

Which of the 88 codes of Banco Pichincha C.a. do you need?

Our directory lists 88 SWIFT/BIC codes for Banco Pichincha C.a. in 17 cities. Next to the head office code PICHECEQXXX, you will find codes for regional offices and specialised units.

For the vast majority of payments to a private or business account, the head office code PICHECEQXXX works fine. Just use a branch code when your contact gives you that exact code.

Not sure which code applies? Ask the recipient, or look at a recent statement from Banco Pichincha C.a.. Codes for branches are more prone to change than PICHECEQXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.

Sending USD to Banco Pichincha C.a.

Accounts at Banco Pichincha C.a. are usually held in USD, the national currency. If you send money in a different currency gets converted at some point – by your bank, by Banco Pichincha C.a. or by a bank in between. There is rarely a separate line for the conversion – the cost sits in the rate.

Who converts the money makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Compare how much USD arrives via several services before choosing one.

The rate for USD fluctuates throughout the day and quotes are often valid only for a short time. On larger amounts, a small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Banco Pichincha C.a.

How quickly a transfer arrives at Banco Pichincha C.a. is determined by a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and time zones. Payments made late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday usually start the next business day. Occasionally a bank asks what the payment is for.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

If a payment has not arrived within the expected time, the person who paid needs to contact the bank that sent it rather than Banco Pichincha C.a.. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation with the date and reference.