Bank of China SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Bank of China

Whether you are given BKCHDEFF or BKCHDEFFXXX, it is the identical identifier for Bank of China in Germany. A SWIFT code tells the sending bank which institution is meant to get the money. In practice you mostly come across it on international invoices, in payment forms and in the bank details of Bank of China customers.

On this page we explain how the code means, when you need it and what else you need for a transfer to or from Bank of China. The SWIFT code on its own cannot identify a personal account; that is what the account number or IBAN is for.

Before you send: check the Bank of China code

The best place to find the correct BIC is a document from the bank itself like a bank statement or the account page in online banking. When the code you were given does not match BKCHDEFF or BKCHDEFFXXX, stop and ask.

A wrong SWIFT code may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges. A mistake in the account number is more serious because it can reach the wrong person.

Most online banking apps validate the structure of IBANs – that confirms the format, not the owner. More and more banks compare the name against the account. For a first payment, some people start with a small test amount before sending the rest.

What a transfer from Bank of China abroad really costs

An international bank payment can cost rather more than the listed fee. On top of the transfer fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can take a cut, and when the money changes currency, the bank usually uses a rate below the actual market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest cost because it is hidden in the rate. An easy check: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialised transfer providers often use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay compares what recipients receive with different providers, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot. Choosing a specialist does not require closing your account at Bank of China: you simply pay the service from your account.

Incoming international payments to Bank of China

To receive a transfer from abroad into your account at Bank of China, the person paying you needs more than the BIC. That means: your full name as registered with Bank of China, your account number or IBAN, the BIC BKCHDEFFXXX and, often, your address.

The sender’s bank may request the address of your bank. A typo in the IBAN is harder to fix than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

Money from abroad will not always land for the full amount. Fees for incoming transfers differ from bank to bank – the price list of Bank of China tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

What the XXX in BKCHDEFFXXX means

The structure of every SWIFT code never changes: four characters for the institution, a two-letter country code and two for the location, sometimes followed by a branch code. Together, these eight characters form BKCHDEFF, the code most people search for.

The long version has a three-character extension that identify a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, the code points to the head office, so BKCHDEFFXXX and BKCHDEFF are interchangeable.

Do not add spaces, dots when you type BKCHDEFF. Look out for O versus 0 and I versus 1.

Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Germany pays in the Euro. A payment in a foreign currency is converted into EUR, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. There is rarely a separate line for the conversion; it is built into the rate.

Who converts the money makes a difference. Compare what EUR the recipient gets via different services; the difference between options can be larger than you expect.

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

A note on our data

The details on this page come from public sources. It can happen that a code on this page is no longer current. Counts and locations are from our own dataset and are not confirmed by Bank of China.

Treat our directory on this page as a handy check and rely on the recipient or Bank of China for the final confirmation. GoldexPay has no connection to Bank of China, we only compare transfer services. If you notice something that is out of date, we appreciate a message.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

Be wary when a contact suddenly wants you to send money to a different account or a bank in another country. That BKCHDEFF is a real code is no guarantee that a request mentioning it is genuine.

Do not rely on a phone number from the same email that contains the change. Urgency or secrecy tend to be warning signs – a real supplier can wait a day. Acted too fast? Contact the bank you paid from straight away and ask them to try to recall the payment; also report it to the police.

Scams also work the other way. Someone sends more than agreed and asks you to return the extra to a new account. A payment confirmation from the sender proves nothing; only your own account shows what has arrived.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Bank of China

An international transfer typically needs one to a few business days. Payments made late in the day or on weekends and holidays usually start a business day later. Sometimes a bank asks about the purpose of a payment.

If the money seems delayed, ask your bank for the status or the UETR; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Keep your transfer receipt – you will need it for any trace request.

A delayed transfer is traced from the sending side, using the payment confirmation. On the receiving end, it helps to look at your statements to see a slightly lower amount, since fees may have been deducted.

Do you need BKCHDEFF for a SEPA transfer?

Because Germany is in the SEPA zone, a euro payment to Bank of China from another SEPA country usually requires just the IBAN. Most banking apps no longer ask for the BIC in that case or fill it in for you.

The BIC does matter for payments in other currencies, and for transfers from outside SEPA. A few forms still ask for the BIC; if so, fill in BKCHDEFF.

SEPA transfers usually arrive by the next business day. As long as no currency is converted, a SEPA transfer is cheap.

Choosing between the 3 SWIFT codes of Bank of China

With 3 codes in 2 locations, Bank of China is one of the banks that use separate codes for branches and departments. The main code is BKCHDEFFXXX.

For the vast majority of payments to a private or business account, the head office code BKCHDEFFXXX is what you need. When you receive a branch code, stick to it rather than swapping it with the head office code.

The best way is to take the code straight from the account holder’s statement. Branch codes are more likely to change than BKCHDEFFXXX.