Citibank N.a. SWIFT/BIC code

What CITIGR21 means for a payment to Citibank N.a.

CITIGR21 and CITIGR21XXX are two ways of writing the same SWIFT/BIC code, and both lead to Citibank N.a. in Larissa. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses these codes to direct payments between countries to the right institution. You will need it mainly when dealing with payments that cross a border and payments in foreign currencies.

Further down we go through the practical questions: money coming in from abroad, sending money abroad and how to check the code before you confirm a payment. Remember that the BIC just identifies the bank, not the person: the account number or IBAN does that part.

Choosing between the 3 SWIFT codes of Citibank N.a.

Citibank N.a. uses 3 different SWIFT/BIC codes across 3 locations. One of them is the head office code, CITIGR21XXX; the others identify branches or departments.

In most cases there is no need to pick a branch: transfers sent to CITIGR21XXX are routed within Citibank N.a. correctly. If you have been given a specific code, stick to it rather than replacing it with the head office code.

Unsure which code to use? Ask the recipient, or look at a recent statement from Citibank N.a.. Codes can change when banks reorganise, so a code from an old document is not always valid.

Verifying the SWIFT code of Citibank N.a.

Ask the recipient to copy the account details straight from their online banking. When the code you were given differs from CITIGR21 or CITIGR21XXX, do not guess – contact the recipient or Citibank N.a..

Errors in the SWIFT code tend to be costly more than disastrous. An error in the IBAN or account number is more serious because it can reach the wrong person; check it just as carefully.

Most online banking apps validate the structure of an IBAN and sometimes look up the BIC automatically, but that does not prove the account belongs to the right person. If your bank offers it, a payee name check before sending adds an extra layer of safety. For a first payment, some people start with a small test amount before sending the rest.

Paying someone abroad from your Citibank N.a. account

What you pay for a payment abroad is made up of several parts, and the transfer fee is only the most visible one. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the money changes currency the bank often uses a rate below the actual market rate.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, not in the fee: the bank converts at a rate with a margin built in. An easy check: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialised transfer providers frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists these services side by side so you can see the amount the recipient gets. You can still use your account at Citibank N.a. as the source of the money, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Incoming international payments to Citibank N.a.

When you expect money from abroad, send the payer everything they need in one go. In practice that means: your name as registered with Citibank N.a., your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code CITIGR21XXX (or CITIGR21) and, often, your postal address.

You can add the bank name and its city as well. Double-check each detail before you share them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

An incoming payment does not always land in full. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank; check the price list of Citibank N.a.. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs before the money is sent.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

A common scam goes like this: you receive a request claiming that a contact has new bank details and asking you to pay there from now on. A correct SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account – scammers simply use real codes.

Check new bank details via a separate channel, never via the email that asked for the change. Pressure or requests to keep it quiet are red flags. Already paid? Contact your bank straight away and ask them to start a recall and report the fraud.

Fraud also target the receiver. Someone sends more than agreed and asks you to refund the extra to a new account. Wait until the money is actually in your account – ask Citibank N.a. if something looks wrong.

8 or 11 characters: CITIGR21 versus CITIGR21XXX

A SWIFT code is built from a few fixed parts: the first four letters identify the bank, characters five and six give the country and the two after that mark the location. Combined, those parts form CITIGR21, the code most people search for.

The 11-character version adds a three-character extension that identify a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, the code points to the head office, which is why CITIGR21XXX and CITIGR21 lead to the same place.

Do not add spaces, dots when you enter CITIGR21. Copying the code beats typing it by hand, because one wrong letter changes the bank.

Sending EUR to Citibank N.a.

Most accounts at Citibank N.a. are usually held in EUR, the local currency. If you send money in a different currency it has to be converted somewhere along the way: by your bank, an intermediary or Citibank N.a. itself. There is rarely a separate charge for the conversion; it is built into the rate.

Who converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Sending the money already in EUR often prevents a second conversion – as long as your own rate is good.

The rate for EUR changes throughout the day. For recurring payments, a slightly better rate make a real difference over a year.

Euro transfers to Citibank N.a.: is a BIC needed?

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to an account in Greece use common rules. A field for the BIC is often optional for those payments.

You still need CITIGR21XXX for payments in other currencies or money from outside the SEPA area. If a payment form has a field for the BIC anyway, entering CITIGR21 does no harm.

Instant payments in euros have become widely available within SEPA. Charges on SEPA payments tend to be low as long as everything stays in euros.

When will the money arrive at Citibank N.a.?

An international transfer typically needs anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Transfers sent late in the day or on a weekend or public holiday often go out a business day later. Sometimes a bank wants to know what the payment is for, which can hold things up.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each payment carries a unique reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services often provide tracking online showing how far the payment is.

The bank that sent the money is able to request a trace or a recall. Ask the sender for the payment receipt with the date and reference; that often settles the question quickly.

About this information

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes using public sources and check them from time to time. It is possible that information here is out of date after a merger or reorganisation. Figures such as the number of codes are from our own dataset and are not confirmed by Citibank N.a..

See our directory here as a helpful check and rely on the recipient or Citibank N.a. for the final confirmation. GoldexPay is not affiliated with Citibank N.a.; we are a comparison site for money transfers. If you notice a mistake, we appreciate a message via the contact page.