Banque Pouyanne SA SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Banque Pouyanne SA

The 8-character code POUYFR21 and the 11-character code POUYFR21XXX identify one and the same institution: Banque Pouyanne SA, with its head office in Orthez. A BIC does one job: it makes sure that money from abroad ends up at the right bank. It comes up mostly for transfers between countries or a currency.

We wrote this page to help people who sends money to an account at Banque Pouyanne SA. The SWIFT code on its own does not identify an individual account holder; that is what the account number or IBAN is for.

Before you send: check the Banque Pouyanne SA code

The best place to find the correct BIC remains paperwork issued by the bank. Compare it with POUYFR21 on this page.

An incorrect BIC can cause a delay, a returned payment or additional charges. Do not forget the IBAN: a mistake there can be more difficult to undo than a wrong code.

Many banking apps check the structure of IBANs and sometimes look up the BIC automatically, but that does not prove the account belongs to the right person. Where available, a payee name check before sending gives extra certainty. For a first payment, some people start with a small amount first and wait for confirmation.

Sending money abroad from Banque Pouyanne SA

The price of a payment abroad has more than one component, and the transfer fee is only the most visible one. On top of the transfer fee, banks in between can deduct a fee, and when currencies are converted the bank often uses a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

Banks do not show the margin on the rate as a cost, but you pay it all the same. An easy check: set the bank’s rate next to the mid-market rate for the same moment and look at the difference.

For a lot of routes, a specialist provider turns out to be less expensive than a bank, mainly because of the exchange rate. On GoldexPay you can compare the amount that arrives with different providers, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot. Using a transfer service does not require leaving Banque Pouyanne SA – you pay the provider from your own account.

POUYFR21 or POUYFR21XXX – which one to use?

A BIC is built from a few fixed parts: characters one to four identify the bank, characters five and six give the country and characters seven and eight mark the location. For Banque Pouyanne SA, the 8-character core is POUYFR21.

XXX at the end of POUYFR21XXX is not a placeholder or an error: it indicates the main office of Banque Pouyanne SA. Some banking apps insist on 11 characters, and then you can enter XXX behind POUYFR21.

Do not add spaces when you type POUYFR21; the code is always written in one block. Pasting the code is safer than retyping it: a typo can point to another bank.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

One of the most common tricks goes like this: an email arrives with a request saying that a supplier now has new bank details and that the next payment should go there. The fact that POUYFR21 exists is no guarantee that a request mentioning it is legitimate.

Verify changed bank details through a different channel, such as a phone number you already know, not by replying to the message. Pressure and secrecy are warning signs – a real supplier can wait a day. When a payment has already gone to the wrong account, contact your bank immediately.

People receiving money can be targeted as well: a classic trick is a buyer who pays too much followed by a request to refund the difference abroad. A screenshot of a transfer proves nothing.

Getting paid from abroad into a Banque Pouyanne SA account

If you expect a payment from another country, send the payer all details at once. The basics are: your name, IBAN or account number, POUYFR21XXX and often your postal address.

Certain banks also ask for the address of Banque Pouyanne SA. A mistake in your account number is more trouble than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the currency changes, a markup on the rate applies. On invoices, it is common to state who bears the costs.

Which of the 3 codes of Banque Pouyanne SA do you need?

Having 3 codes, Banque Pouyanne SA is one of the banks that register individual codes for parts of the organisation. The head office code remains POUYFR21XXX.

For most incoming transfers, the head office code POUYFR21XXX is the right choice. Just use a branch code when the account holder gives you that exact code, for example on a letter or invoice.

Not sure which code to use? Ask the recipient or the bank itself. Branch codes can change when banks reorganise, so do not rely on old paperwork.

Paying Banque Pouyanne SA in euros within SEPA

Because France is in the SEPA zone, a euro transfer into Banque Pouyanne SA from within the SEPA area normally only needs the IBAN. Many banks do not require the BIC in that case or fill it in for you.

You still need POUYFR21XXX when sending payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. If a payment form has a field for the BIC regardless, adding POUYFR21 is fine.

Euro payments within SEPA usually arrive by the next business day; instant payments are faster if both banks offer them. Provided no currency is converted, a SEPA transfer is inexpensive.

Tracking a transfer to or from Banque Pouyanne SA

There is no fixed delivery time for international payments: many arrive the same day or the next. Bank holidays in either country add extra days, since banks do not process on those days. Occasionally a bank asks what the payment is for, which can hold things up.

When a payment takes longer than expected, contact your bank for the tracking status and the transaction reference; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Money transfer services often show a status in their app so you can see where the payment is.

If the money does not arrive within the expected time, the person who paid needs to start with the bank that sent it rather than Banque Pouyanne SA. Request from the sender a copy of the payment confirmation – it helps your own bank look for the money.

Sending EUR to Banque Pouyanne SA

Accounts at Banque Pouyanne SA are typically held in EUR, the local currency of France. When you pay money in a different currency, the amount gets converted at some point – by your bank, by Banque Pouyanne SA or by a bank in between. You rarely see a separate charge for the conversion; it is built into the rate.

Who converts the payment matters: every bank has its own margin. Compare how much EUR arrives via several services before choosing one.

The EUR rate fluctuates constantly, so the amount you see is usually only valid for a short time. If you pay regularly, a slightly better rate add up over a year.

About this information

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and check our list from time to time. It is possible that a code here is no longer current after a merger or reorganisation. The number of codes on this page reflect what is in our directory.

Use this page as a starting point, not as the final word: the recipient’s bank details come first. We are a comparison site for money transfers and not part of Banque Pouyanne SA. If you notice something that is out of date, we appreciate a short note.