Sparkasse Heidelberg SWIFT/BIC code

What SOLADES1 means for a payment to Sparkasse Heidelberg

The 8-character code SOLADES1 and the 11-character code SOLADES1HDB identify one and the same institution: Sparkasse Heidelberg. A SWIFT code tells every bank in the chain which institution should receive the money. You will need it mainly for transfers between countries.

On this page we explain how the code means, when it matters and which other details you need for a transfer to or from Sparkasse Heidelberg. The SWIFT code alone does not identify a personal account; for that you need the account number or IBAN is for.

How to check SOLADES1 before you pay

Have the recipient send you their account details directly from their online banking. Check it against SOLADES1 on this page and ask if anything does not match.

Mistakes in the BIC tend to be annoying more than disastrous. Do not forget the account number: an error there can be more difficult to undo than a wrong code.

A validity check in your banking app merely confirms that the IBAN is valid – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. Some banks now check the name against the account. A small test payment can be a sensible step for large sums, even if it costs an extra fee.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

This directory is compiled from publicly available sources and we update it periodically. Banks merge, close branches and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Figures such as the number of codes are from our own dataset and are not confirmed by Sparkasse Heidelberg.

Before any payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank or the recipient. GoldexPay is a comparison site and not part of Sparkasse Heidelberg. If you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a short note via the contact page.

Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Most accounts at Sparkasse Heidelberg are typically held in EUR, the national currency of Germany. If you send another currency, the amount gets converted at some point – by your bank, by Sparkasse Heidelberg or by a bank in between. You rarely see a separate charge for that conversion; it is built into the rate.

Who does the conversion has an effect on how much arrives, since every bank sets its own rate. Compare what EUR the recipient gets with several services before choosing one.

Exchange rates change during the day. For recurring payments, a slightly better rate add up over time.

What to give a sender who pays you at Sparkasse Heidelberg

When you expect a payment from another country, send the payer everything they need in one go. What they need is: your name, IBAN or account number, SOLADES1HDB and, for some countries, your home address.

You can add Sparkasse Heidelberg and its city as well, since some forms ask for it. Double-check each detail before you share them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

What lands in your account can be lower than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank; check the price list of Sparkasse Heidelberg. For business payments, it is common to agree who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.

Paying someone abroad from your Sparkasse Heidelberg account

A bank transfer abroad costs rather more than the listed fee. There is the transfer fee, sometimes charges from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate if the currency changes.

Banks do not list their exchange rate markup as a cost. Compare the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For a lot of routes, a specialist provider is less expensive than a bank, mainly because of the exchange rate. Next time you send money, take a minute to compare the total cost on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank. Using a transfer service does not require closing your account at Sparkasse Heidelberg: you simply pay the service from your account.

8 or 11 characters: SOLADES1 versus SOLADES1HDB

A SWIFT code is built from fixed blocks: the first four letters stand for the bank, the next two give the country and characters seven and eight indicate the location. In this case, the 8-character core is SOLADES1.

The long version has three more characters that identify a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, they simply mean the head office.

As a rule the code is written in capitals. Pasting the code is safer than retyping it.

Do you need SOLADES1 for a SEPA transfer?

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to Sparkasse Heidelberg use common rules, so the IBAN does the job in most cases. The BIC field is often optional in that case.

Outside the euro and from non-SEPA countries, SOLADES1HDB is still part of the payment details. If a payment form has a field for the BIC regardless, entering SOLADES1 does no harm.

Euro payments within SEPA usually arrive by the next business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Fees for SEPA payments are generally low, as long as no currency conversion is involved.

When will the money arrive at Sparkasse Heidelberg?

An international transfer typically needs one to a few business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday usually go out the next business day. Occasionally a bank wants to know what the payment is for.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each payment gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Money transfer services often show a status in their app showing how far the payment is.

A missing payment has to be traced by the sending bank. As a recipient, it helps to look at your statements for a slightly lower amount.

Choosing between the 2 SWIFT codes of Sparkasse Heidelberg

We have 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Sparkasse Heidelberg in 2 cities. Next to the head office code SOLADES1HDB, you will find codes for regional offices and specialised units.

For most incoming transfers, the head office code SOLADES1HDB is what you need. When you receive a specific code, stick to it instead of swapping it for the head office code.

When in doubt, check with the recipient which code their bank gave them. Branch codes are more prone to be retired than the head office code when a bank merges or closes offices.

Changed bank details? Be careful

A common scam goes like this: you receive a message claiming that a contact has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. A correct SWIFT code says nothing about whether the request is genuine.

Always verify a change of bank details through a phone call. Pressure and requests to keep it quiet tend to be warning signs. Already paid? Call the bank you paid from straight away and have them start a recall and report the fraud.

Recipients are targeted too: a classic trick is a buyer who pays too much and then sends a request to send back the difference. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof.