Barclays Bank PLC SWIFT/BIC code

What BARCGIGI means for a payment to Barclays Bank PLC

The short code BARCGIGI and the full code BARCGIGIXXX refer to the same bank: Barclays Bank PLC, with its head office in Gibraltar. The code does one job: it ensures that money from abroad ends up at the right bank. You will need it mainly for payments that cross a border and payments in foreign currencies.

On this page you will find what the code means, when you need it and what else you need for a transfer to or from Barclays Bank PLC. Remember that the BIC just identifies the bank, not the person: the IBAN or account number does that part.

Receiving money from abroad at Barclays Bank PLC

For an international payment into your account at Barclays Bank PLC, the sender has to have not just the BIC. That means: your name as registered with Barclays Bank PLC, your account number or IBAN, the BIC BARCGIGIXXX and, often, your postal address.

Some sending banks want the address of Barclays Bank PLC in Gibraltar; it does no harm to include it. A typo in the IBAN is more trouble than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

What lands in your account is often less than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, Barclays Bank PLC may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate comes on top. On invoices, it is common to agree how the fees are split, so that nobody is left short.

Why Barclays Bank PLC has an 8- and an 11-character code

Each SWIFT/BIC code has the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code and two characters for the location. The result is BARCGIGI, the short form of the code.

Many banks and apps accept both lengths. If a form requires eleven characters, use BARCGIGIXXX; if it wants eight, use BARCGIGI.

In practice the code is typed in capitals, without spaces or dashes. Copying the code is safer than typing it by hand: a typo can point to another bank.

How to check BARCGIGI before you pay

Ask the recipient to send you their account details directly from a recent statement. Check that code with BARCGIGI on this page and ask if anything does not match.

Errors in the BIC are costly more than disastrous: often the payment comes back, minus fees. An error in the account number is a bigger problem; check it just as carefully.

An automatic check by your bank merely tells you that the IBAN exists, not that it is the right account. If your bank offers it, a payee name check before sending adds extra certainty. When you pay someone new, many people start with a small test amount before sending the rest.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and update our list from time to time. It is possible that information here is out of date after a merger or reorganisation. Counts and locations come from our own dataset and are not confirmed by Barclays Bank PLC.

Treat our directory here as a handy check. GoldexPay is independent of Barclays Bank PLC; we are a comparison site for money transfers. If you notice a mistake, we appreciate a message via the contact page.

When will the money arrive at Barclays Bank PLC?

A SWIFT payment usually needs one to a few business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays often start a business day later. Occasionally a bank asks about the purpose of a payment, which can hold things up.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Money transfer services usually show tracking online so you can see how far the payment has got.

The bank that sent the money is able to start an official trace. Ask the sender for the payment receipt with the date and reference.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

Criminals regularly send payment requests with changed bank details, sometimes in an email that looks completely genuine. A correct SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account.

Check changed bank details through a different channel. Be suspicious of time pressure, unusual wording or an email address that differs by one letter. Acted too fast? Call the bank you paid from without delay and have them try to recall the payment; also report it to the police.

People receiving money can be targeted as well: a classic trick is a buyer who pays too much and then sends a request to refund the difference abroad. Wait until the money is actually in your account.

Sending money abroad from Barclays Bank PLC

A bank transfer abroad costs rather more than the listed fee. There is the transfer fee, sometimes charges from correspondent banks in between and, above all, the exchange rate markup when the money is converted.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest cost even though it is not listed as a fee. Compare their rate with the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites.

Money transfer services frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before your next transfer, take a minute comparing the total cost via GoldexPay rather than accepting the bank’s rate by default. You can always keep your account at Barclays Bank PLC to fund the transfer; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

Head office or branch code at Barclays Bank PLC?

Our directory lists 3 SWIFT/BIC codes for Barclays Bank PLC, spread over 1 locations. Next to the head office code BARCGIGIXXX, there are codes for branches, departments or specific services.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: payments addressed to BARCGIGIXXX are routed within Barclays Bank PLC without problems. When you receive a branch code, use it as it is instead of swapping it with the head office code.

The safest approach is to copy the code straight from the recipient’s invoice. Codes can change when banks reorganise, so a code from an old document is not always valid.