Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee

The short code SOLADES1 and the full code SOLADES1SNG identify one and the same institution: Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee in Singen (Hohentwiel), Germany. Banks worldwide use these codes to route international transfers to the right bank. It comes up mainly for transfers between countries.

Below you will find the practical side: money coming in from abroad, paying someone in another country and how to verify the code before you confirm a payment. The SWIFT code on its own does not identify an individual account holder; for that you need the account number or IBAN .

8 or 11 characters: SOLADES1 versus SOLADES1SNG

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with an 8-character core: a four-letter bank code, two letters for the country and two characters for the location. That gives you SOLADES1.

XXX at the end of SOLADES1SNG is not a placeholder or an error: it indicates the head office of Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee. Some forms ask for 11 characters, and then you can add XXX after SOLADES1.

Enter the code in one piece, in upper case and without spaces, exactly as shown here. Watch for the letter O and the digit 0 and I versus 1, a common source of typos.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes using public sources and update our list from time to time. Institutions merge, close branches and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. The figures on this page reflect what is in our directory and not on information from Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee itself.

Treat our directory here as a handy check, and let the details from the recipient or Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee have the final say. GoldexPay is independent of Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee; we are a comparison site for money transfers. Spotted an error? Let us know via our contact form so we can correct it.

Head office or branch code at Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee?

Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee uses 2 separate SWIFT/BIC codes. One of them is the head office code; the rest belong to branches, and sometimes specific services.

For most payments to a private or business account, the head office code SOLADES1SNG is the right choice. When you receive a specific code, use it as it is rather than replacing it with the head office code.

The best way is to copy the code directly from the account holder’s invoice. Codes for branches are more prone to be retired than the head office code.

Paying Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee in euros within SEPA

Inside SEPA, euro transfers to an account in Germany follow common rules. The BIC field is often optional for those payments.

You still need SOLADES1SNG when sending payments in other currencies or money from outside the SEPA area. If a payment form has a field for the BIC regardless, adding SOLADES1 does no harm.

Instant euro transfers are widely supported across SEPA – whether Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee offers them for your account is worth checking. Fees for SEPA payments tend to be low as long as everything stays in euros.

How long does an international transfer to Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee take?

A SWIFT payment typically takes one to a few business days. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country can add extra days, since banks do not process on those days. Occasionally a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Every gpi transfer carries a unique reference, the UETR, which your bank can use to see where the money is. Specialist transfer services often provide tracking in their app showing where the payment has got.

A delayed transfer is traced by the sending bank on the basis of the transfer details. On the receiving end, you can look at your account for a partial amount.

Changed bank details? Be careful

One of the most common tricks works like this: an email arrives with a request claiming that a contact has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. The fact that SOLADES1 exists does not mean that a request mentioning it is legitimate.

Do not trust contact details from the same email that announces the new account. Be suspicious of time pressure, unusual wording or a sender address that is slightly off. When a payment was sent to the wrong account, call your bank right away: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Recipients can be targeted as well: a classic trick is an overpayment followed by a request to send back the difference abroad. Wait until the money has really arrived and check with Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee if anything seems off.

International transfers from Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee: the real cost

An international bank payment can cost rather more than the listed fee. On top of a fixed fee, banks in between may take a cut, and if currencies are converted, the bank often uses a rate below the actual market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the biggest item, and it is easy to miss. An easy check: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate for the same moment and look at the difference.

Money transfer services frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay lists transfer providers next to each other so you can see what actually arrives before you commit. Using a transfer service does not require closing your account at Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee: you simply pay the service from your account.

Getting paid from abroad into a Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee account

For an international payment into your account at Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee, the sender needs more than the SWIFT code. What they need is: the account holder’s name, account number or IBAN, SOLADES1SNG and, for some countries, your postal address.

Certain sending banks want the bank’s address; it does no harm to include it. A typo in the IBAN can be more trouble than you might think.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate applies. For business payments, you can state how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

The Euro and what conversion costs you

The currency of Germany is the Euro (EUR). When you pay another currency, the amount gets converted at some point. Each conversion eats into the amount, even when no fee is shown.

Where the conversion happens affects the final amount. Sending the money already in EUR often prevents a second conversion by Sparkasse Hegau-Bodensee.

The EUR rate fluctuates throughout the day, so the amount you see is usually only valid for a short time. On larger amounts, even seemingly small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

How to check SOLADES1 before you pay

The most reliable place for the correct BIC remains a document from the bank itself like a bank statement or the account page in online banking. If the code you have differs from SOLADES1 or SOLADES1SNG, do not guess.

With a wrong code, the transfer may be delayed, be returned or end up costing more. An error in the account number can be a bigger problem, because the money may be credited to someone else; check it just as carefully.

A format check by your bank only confirms that the IBAN exists, not that it is the right account. More and more banks check the name against the account before you confirm – do not ignore a mismatch warning. A small test payment can be worth it for large sums.