SWIFT/BIC codes in France: banks starting with W

SWIFT/BIC codes in France

In France our database holds 4924 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 2801 banks. A SWIFT code shows every bank in the chain which institution should receive the money.

Each bank is listed with its own page with the head office code and, where available, branch codes. Below the list you can read how codes from France are built, how to send money to France at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

Receiving money in France from abroad

For a transfer from abroad into a France account, the sender has to have more than the BIC. In practice that means: your name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and sometimes your postal address.

The code of your bank appears in our list. You can include the name and city of your bank as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin comes on top. For business payments, state how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

Credit Agricole and its SWIFT codes

In our directory, Credit Agricole has the most SWIFT/BIC codes in France. The head office uses AGRIFRPP802.

A large number of codes often reflects that the bank registers branches and departments separately – it says nothing about the size of the bank as such. Unless the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code AGRIFRPP802 works for a payment to Credit Agricole.

What the letters in a France BIC mean

Each SWIFT/BIC code has 8 or 11 characters. The first four letters stand for the bank, characters five and six form the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

For banks in France, letters five and six are the ISO country code of France, which makes these codes easy to recognise. Codes with a different country code belong to a bank abroad – a quick way to catch mistakes.

The long version adds three characters for a branch, where XXX means the head office. Choose a branch code just if the recipient explicitly gives you one – otherwise stick with the head office.

The cheapest way to send money to France

An international bank payment to France often costs more than the fee suggests. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent banks may take a cut, and when the money is converted the bank often uses a less favourable rate than the actual market rate.

The markup on the rate tends to be the biggest part of the cost. Compare the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites. The difference is your real cost.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the exchange rate. Before you send money to France, it is worth comparing what arrives on GoldexPay.

How long does a transfer to France take?

There is no single delivery time for payments to France: some arrive within a day, others take several business days. Payments made late in the day or on weekends and holidays often start a business day later.

When a payment takes longer than expected, the sender should contact their own bank; only the sending side can start an official trace. Keep the payment confirmation – you will need it if something goes wrong.

The Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

The local currency in France is the Euro (EUR). When you pay another currency, it has to be converted somewhere along the way: by your bank, an intermediary or the receiving bank.

Who converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Check how much EUR the recipient gets via different providers before choosing one. Exchange rates move during the day – some providers let you lock in a rate.

About our data and how to check a code

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a statement or their online banking. When the code you were given differs from the code listed here, do not guess: check with the recipient or the bank.

We collect bank codes using publicly available data and update them from time to time. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes, so information can be out of date. Treat this list as a starting point, not as the final word: the bank details from the recipient come first. We are an independent comparison site for money transfers.

Be wary of invoices with changed bank details – a common fraud method. Always confirm changed details through a separate channel, using a number you already had.

SWIFT codes in France: banks under :letter

The letter filter limits the list down to banks from France that begin with :letter to make searching quicker. The totals mentioned above still refer to the whole country.

If the bank you need is missing here, try another letter: banks are often registered under their full legal name. The full overview for France is available if you cannot find the bank here.

SEPA transfers to France

Since France is in SEPA, a euro transfer to a bank in France normally only needs an IBAN. Most banking apps no longer ask for the BIC in that case.

The BIC does matter when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. Euro payments within SEPA usually arrive by the next business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Provided the payment stays in euros, the transfer is usually inexpensive.