Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale SWIFT/BIC code

MARKDEFF – the SWIFT/BIC code of Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale

Whether a recipient gives you MARKDEFF or MARKDEFFXXX, you are looking at the same address for Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale in Germany. Banks worldwide use BIC codes to direct international transfers to the right bank. In practice you usually see the code on international invoices, in your banking app and on the account details of Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale customers.

This page is meant to help people who pays into an account at Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale without mistakes. Keep in mind that the BIC just identifies the bank, not the account: the IBAN or account number does that part.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale

There is no fixed answer: some land the same day or the next. Bank holidays in either country can add extra days to the journey. Occasionally a bank wants to know what the payment is for.

If the money is delayed, contact the sending bank about the status or the UETR. Keep the payment confirmation until the money has arrived.

A missing payment is investigated by the sending bank on the basis of the transfer details. On the receiving end, you can look at your statements to see a partial amount.

Getting paid from abroad into a Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale account

For a transfer from abroad at Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale, the person paying you has to have more than the SWIFT code. That means: your full name as registered with Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale, your account number or IBAN, the BIC MARKDEFFXXX and, often, your postal address.

The sender’s bank may request the address of your bank, in which case the Frankfurt Am Main head office is the usual answer. A typo in your account number can be more trouble than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

The amount you receive can be less than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank – the price list of Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale tells you what applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

Changed bank details? Be careful

Criminals regularly send payment requests with new bank details, sometimes in an email that looks completely genuine. The fact that MARKDEFF exists is no guarantee that the account is genuine.

Always confirm a change of bank details by phone on a number you know, not one from the message. Urgency and requests to keep it quiet are warning signs – a real supplier can wait a day. Already paid? Call the bank you paid from without delay and have them try to recall the payment and report the fraud.

Scams also work the other way. Someone sends too much and asks you to refund the extra to a new account. Do not act before the money is actually in your account – ask Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale if something looks wrong.

8 or 11 characters: MARKDEFF versus MARKDEFFXXX

The structure of every SWIFT code never changes: a bank code of four letters, two for the country and a two-character location code, plus an optional branch code. Combined, those parts form MARKDEFF – the version you usually see online.

The 11-character version has three more characters that identify a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, they simply mean the head office, which is why MARKDEFFXXX and MARKDEFF lead to the same place.

As a rule the code is typed in capitals, without spaces or dashes. Pasting the code beats retyping it.

Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Germany pays in the Euro, code EUR. When you pay another currency it gets converted somewhere along the way. Every conversion eats into the amount – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Who converts the payment makes a difference. In many cases you pay less to send EUR directly via a provider that converts near the mid-market rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert.

The rate for EUR changes constantly. For regular payments, a slightly better rate add up over a year.

A note on our data

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and update our list regularly. It can happen that a code on this page is no longer current after a merger or reorganisation. Counts and locations come from our directory and may differ from what Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale publishes.

Treat the information on this page as a helpful check, and let the details from the recipient or Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale have the final say. GoldexPay has no connection to Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale. If you notice a mistake, we welcome a message.

Verifying the SWIFT code of Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale

The most reliable place for the correct BIC remains paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account details in online banking. Compare it against MARKDEFF on this page; if they differ, ask before you pay.

Errors in the SWIFT code tend to be costly more than disastrous. An error in the account number is a bigger problem because it can reach the wrong person.

Most online banking apps check the structure of an IBAN and some suggest the matching BIC, but that does not prove the account belongs to the right person. Where available, a name check on the recipient adds extra certainty. For a first payment, some people start with a small test amount and wait for confirmation.

Choosing between the 59 SWIFT codes of Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale

Having 59 codes, Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale belongs to the banks that register individual codes for parts of the organisation. The head office code remains MARKDEFFXXX.

If nobody asks you for a branch code, use MARKDEFFXXX or its short form MARKDEFF. Only use a branch code when the recipient explicitly asks for it.

Not sure which code applies? Check with the recipient or the bank itself. Codes for branches are more likely to change than the head office code when a bank merges or closes offices.

SEPA payments and the Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale BIC

Since Germany is part of the SEPA zone, a euro transfer to Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale from another SEPA country normally requires just an IBAN. Most banking apps no longer ask for the BIC for these payments or fill it in for you.

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

Euro payments within SEPA normally land within one business day; instant payments are faster if both banks offer them. Fees for SEPA transfers are generally low as long as everything stays in euros.

What a transfer from Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale abroad really costs

If you transfer money to another country through Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale, the fee you see is only part of what you pay. There is the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes fees charged by intermediary banks in between and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup if the currency changes.

Many banks rarely show the margin on the rate as a cost, but you pay it all the same. Check their rate against the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites. The difference is your real conversion cost.

Money transfer services often use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay compares these services next to each other so you can see what actually arrives. You can always keep your account at Deutsche Bundesbank, Zentrale to fund the transfer.