Bpce SWIFT/BIC code

What BPCEFRPP means for a payment to Bpce

BPCEFRPP and BPCEFRPPXXX are two ways of writing the same bank identifier, and both lead to Bpce in Paris. A SWIFT code tells the banks handling a payment which institution should receive the money, a bit like a postal address for banks. In daily life you usually see the code on international invoices, in your banking app and in the bank details that Bpce provides.

On this page you can read how the code means, when it matters and what else you need for a transfer to or from Bpce. Keep in mind that the BIC only identifies the bank, not the account: the IBAN or account number does that part.

SEPA payments and the Bpce BIC

France is part of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), the zone for standardised euro payments. When you send euros within SEPA, you normally only need the IBAN.

For anything other than euros and for senders outside SEPA, BPCEFRPPXXX or BPCEFRPP is still required. A few forms also ask for the BIC; in that case, fill in BPCEFRPP or BPCEFRPPXXX.

Instant payments in euros have become widely supported within SEPA; check with Bpce whether it applies to your account. As long as the payment stays in euros, a SEPA transfer tends to be cheap; costs rise once a conversion is involved.

BPCEFRPP or BPCEFRPPXXX – which one to use?

Every SWIFT/BIC code has the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. In this case, that core is BPCEFRPP.

Many payment forms work with either length. If a form asks for eleven characters, use BPCEFRPPXXX, otherwise BPCEFRPP is fine.

Leave out spaces when you type BPCEFRPP. Copying the code beats retyping it.

What to give a sender who pays you at Bpce

If you are waiting for a payment from another country, give the sender all details at once. What they need is: the account holder’s name, account number or IBAN, BPCEFRPPXXX and often your postal address.

Certain banks also ask for the name and address of Bpce in Paris; it does no harm to include it. Double-check every detail before you send them – a sender rarely spots a mistake in someone else’s details.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank. Agree with the sender who covers the fees, especially for larger amounts.

Paying someone abroad from your Bpce account

A bank transfer abroad costs rather more than the listed fee. Besides a fixed fee, banks in between can take a cut, and when currencies are converted, the bank often applies a rate below the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee: many banks convert using an exchange rate that includes a margin. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For many routes, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the exchange rate. Before your next transfer, take a minute to compare the total cost on GoldexPay rather than accepting the bank’s rate by default. Choosing a specialist does not require closing your account at Bpce – you pay the provider from your own account.

Is BPCEFRPP still correct? How to check

The best place to find the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account details in online banking. If the code you have differs from BPCEFRPP or BPCEFRPPXXX, do not guess: check with the recipient or with Bpce directly.

With a wrong code, the payment may be delayed, bounce back or cost extra. Do not forget the account number: a mistake there can be harder to correct than a wrong code.

Most online banking apps validate the format of IBANs and some suggest the matching BIC, but that does not prove the account belongs to the right person. If your bank offers it, a name check before sending gives extra certainty. A small test payment is worth it for a large first payment despite the extra fee.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

The codes on this page come from public sources that we update regularly. Still, banks merge or retire codes, so information can be out of date. The figures we show reflect our own data, not official figures from Bpce.

See the information on this page as a handy check. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers and not part of Bpce. Found outdated information? Let us know via our contact form and we will look into it.

Sending EUR to Bpce

France uses the Euro, code EUR. A payment in a foreign currency is converted into EUR on its way to Bpce. Every conversion costs something.

Who converts the money matters. Often you pay less to send EUR directly through a transfer service with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert.

The rate for EUR fluctuates constantly and quotes are often valid only for a short time. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate make a real difference over a year.

Tracking a transfer to or from Bpce

There is no fixed delivery time for international payments: some land within a day, others take several business days. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country can add extra days to the journey. Sometimes a bank wants to know what the payment is for before releasing it.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services usually show tracking online showing where the money has got.

If a payment has not arrived after a few business days, the person who paid should contact the bank that sent it. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation with the date and reference.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

A common scam works 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. That BPCEFRPP is a real code does not mean that a request mentioning it is genuine.

Verify changed payment details through a separate channel, not by replying to the message. Be suspicious of time pressure, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. If money has already gone to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

People receiving money are targeted too: a classic trick is an overpayment and then sends a request to refund the difference. Do not act before the money is actually in your account and check with Bpce if anything seems off.

Head office or branch code at Bpce?

Having 2 codes, Bpce belongs to the banks that register separate codes for parts of the organisation. The head office code remains BPCEFRPPXXX.

For the vast majority of payments to a private or business account, the head office code BPCEFRPPXXX works fine. If you have been given a branch code, use it as it is rather than replacing it for the head office code.

Not sure which code applies? Check with the recipient. Branch codes are more likely to change than BPCEFRPPXXX.