Commercial Bank of Ethiopia SWIFT/BIC code

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia SWIFT code: CBETETAA

The 8-character code CBETETAA and the full code CBETETAAXXX refer to the same bank: Commercial Bank of Ethiopia, with its head office in Addis Abeba. A BIC does one job: it ensures that a cross-border transfer reaches the right bank. In practice you mostly come across the code on international invoices, in your banking app and in the bank details of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia customers.

This page is meant to help people who pays into an account at Commercial Bank of Ethiopia without mistakes. Keep in mind that the SWIFT code only identifies the bank, not the person: the account number or IBAN takes care of that.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

Scammers regularly send payment requests with new bank details sent from what looks like a familiar address. A real SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account.

Verify changed payment details via a separate channel, such as a phone number you already know, never via the email that asked for the change. Watch out for time pressure, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. When money has already gone to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Fraud can also target the receiver: someone claims to have sent more than agreed and asks you to return the extra. Wait until the money has really arrived and check with Commercial Bank of Ethiopia if anything seems off.

Getting paid from abroad into a Commercial Bank of Ethiopia account

A sender in another country needs several details from you. The basics are: your name, account number or IBAN, CBETETAAXXX or CBETETAA and, for some countries, your home address.

Their bank may request the address of your bank, in which case the Addis Abeba head office is the usual answer. A mistake in your account number is harder to fix than you might think; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

Expect that the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

Paying someone abroad from your Commercial Bank of Ethiopia account

An international bank payment can cost more than the listed fee. You pay the fee for the transfer itself, possibly charges from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee: many banks convert using an exchange rate with a margin built in. An easy check: set the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate for the same moment and work out the difference on your amount.

For many routes, a transfer service turns out to be less expensive than a bank – mostly thanks to the rate. Before your next transfer, take a minute to compare what arrives via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank. Choosing a specialist does not require leaving Commercial Bank of Ethiopia: you simply pay the service from your account.

How to check CBETETAA before you pay

Ask the recipient to send you their account details directly from a recent statement. Compare it with CBETETAA on this page.

Errors in the BIC tend to be annoying rather than fatal. A mistake in the IBAN or account number is more serious, because the money may be credited to someone else.

Many banking apps validate the structure of IBANs. More and more banks compare the name against the account before you confirm – do not ignore a mismatch warning. Sending a small amount first is a sensible step for a large first payment, even if it costs an extra fee.

Why Commercial Bank of Ethiopia has an 8- and an 11-character code

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

The full version adds a three-character extension for a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, they simply mean the head office, which is why CBETETAAXXX and CBETETAA lead to the same place.

Do not add spaces or dashes when you type CBETETAA or CBETETAAXXX. Look out for O versus 0 and the letter I and the digit 1, a common source of typos.

How long does an international transfer to Commercial Bank of Ethiopia take?

An international transfer usually needs anywhere from one to several business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays often go out a business day later. Sometimes a bank wants to know what the payment is for before releasing it.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each gpi transfer carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Keep your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms.

If a payment has not arrived within the expected time, the person who paid needs to start with their own bank. As a recipient, you can look at your account to see a slightly lower amount because fees can reduce the amount.

How up to date is this code?

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and update them from time to time. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes. Figures such as the number of codes come from our directory and may differ from what Commercial Bank of Ethiopia publishes.

Treat our data as a reference, rather than as the last word. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and not affiliated with Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. Spotted an error? Tell us via our contact form.

Head office or branch code at Commercial Bank of Ethiopia?

Commercial Bank of Ethiopia has 9 different SWIFT/BIC codes. One of them is the head office code; the rest belong to branches or departments, and sometimes internal departments.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, use CBETETAAXXX or its short form CBETETAA. Branch codes are only needed if the recipient’s bank explicitly asks for it, which is more common for business accounts and trade services.

If you are not sure, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Codes for branches are more prone to be retired than CBETETAAXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.