Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV SWIFT/BIC code

What BNYMDEF1 means for a payment to Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV

BNYMDEF1 and BNYMDEF1XXX are two ways of writing the same SWIFT/BIC code, and both point to Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV in Frankfurt Am Main. The code does one job: it ensures that a cross-border transfer ends up at the right bank. In practice you usually see it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and in the bank details of Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV customers.

On this page we explain what the code is put together, when it matters and which other details you need for a transfer to or from Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV. Remember that the BIC just identifies the bank, not the person: the IBAN or account number does that part.

About this information

The codes here are taken from publicly available data which we refresh regularly. Even so, banks merge or change codes, so information can be out of date. Figures such as the number of codes are from our own dataset and may differ from what Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV publishes.

Treat our data as a starting point, not as the last word – the bank details from the recipient are leading. We are a comparison service and not affiliated with Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV. Found outdated information? Tell us through the contact page.

Which of the 2 codes of Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV do you need?

Having 2 codes in 1 locations, Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV belongs to the banks that register individual codes for parts of the organisation. The main code remains BNYMDEF1XXX.

For the vast majority of payments to a private or business account, the head office code BNYMDEF1XXX works fine. A branch code only makes sense when the account holder explicitly mentions it, which is more common for corporate accounts and trade services.

If you are not sure, check with the recipient which code their bank gave them. Branch codes are more likely to change than BNYMDEF1XXX.

Incoming international payments to Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for several details about your account, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. The basics are: the account holder’s name, account number or IBAN, BNYMDEF1XXX and, for some countries, your postal address.

Certain sending banks want the name and address of Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV; it does no harm to include it. A typo in your account number can be more trouble than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

An incoming payment will not always land for the full amount. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the currency changes, an exchange rate margin applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

Do you need BNYMDEF1 for a SEPA transfer?

Since Germany is in the SEPA zone, a euro payment into Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV from another SEPA country normally only needs the IBAN. Many banks do not require the BIC for these payments.

You will still need BNYMDEF1XXX when sending payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. If a payment form has a field for the BIC anyway, adding BNYMDEF1 is fine.

Euro payments within SEPA normally land within one business day; instant payments are faster if both banks offer them. Charges on SEPA transfers are generally low.

Is BNYMDEF1 still correct? How to check

Have the recipient send you their account details straight from their banking app. If the code you have does not match BNYMDEF1 or BNYMDEF1XXX, stop and ask.

With a wrong code, the transfer may get stuck, bounce back or end up costing more. Do not forget the IBAN: a mistake there can be more difficult to undo than a wrong BIC.

A format check by your bank only tells you that the IBAN exists – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. Some banks now check the name with the account. For a first payment, some people start with a small amount first.

Sending EUR to Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV

The currency of Germany is the Euro (EUR). Money sent in a different currency will be converted into EUR before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate. Every conversion costs the amount – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Sending the money already in EUR often avoids an extra conversion by Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV, provided the rate you get is fair.

Exchange rates move all the time, and some providers let you lock in a rate. If you pay regularly, a slightly better rate make a real difference over time.

Why Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV has an 8- and an 11-character code

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, two letters for the country and a two-character location code. The result is BNYMDEF1.

The full version has a three-character extension that identify a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, they simply mean the head office, so BNYMDEF1XXX and BNYMDEF1 are interchangeable.

Leave out spaces, dots when you type BNYMDEF1 or BNYMDEF1XXX. Watch for O versus 0 and the letter I and the digit 1.

Changed bank details? Be careful

One of the most common tricks goes like this: an email arrives with a message claiming that a supplier has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. A valid SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Before paying, confirm changed bank details through a phone call on a number you know, not one from the message. Be suspicious of time pressure, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. If money was sent to a fraudster, call your bank right away.

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

How long does an international transfer to Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV take?

There is no single delivery time: many arrive the same day or the next, others take several business days. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country can add extra days. Sometimes a bank asks what the payment is for before releasing it.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each payment carries a unique reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services often show tracking online so you can see where the payment has got.

A missing payment is traced by the sending bank on the basis of the transfer details. On the receiving end, it helps to look at your statements for a slightly lower amount.

What a transfer from Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV abroad really costs

If you transfer money to another country from Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV, the fee you see is only part of what you pay. There is the transfer fee, possibly fees charged by intermediary banks in between and, above all, the exchange rate markup.

Banks do not show their exchange rate markup as a cost, but you pay it all the same. Compare 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.

Money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before your next transfer, it is worth to compare the total cost on GoldexPay rather than accepting the bank’s rate by default. Choosing a specialist does not mean leaving Bank of New York Mellon SA/NV.