Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited

Whether a recipient gives you BKCHHKHH or BKCHHKHHXXX, you are looking at the same address for Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited in Hong Kong SAR China. Banks worldwide use these codes to direct payments between countries to the correct bank. In practice you mostly come across it on invoices from abroad, in payment forms and in the bank details of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited customers.

On this page we explain how the code is put together, when it matters and which other details you need for a transfer to or from Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited. Keep in mind that the SWIFT code just identifies the bank, not the account: the account number or IBAN does that part.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited

An international transfer usually takes anywhere from one to several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often go out a business day later. Sometimes a bank asks about the purpose of a payment.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment gets a unique reference, the UETR. Money transfer services usually provide a status in their app so you can see where the money is.

Only the sending bank is able to request a trace or a recall. As a recipient, you can look at your statements to see a slightly lower amount, since fees may have been deducted.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

A common scam goes like this: an email arrives with a request claiming that a company has a new bank account. That BKCHHKHH is a real code does not mean that the account is genuine; criminals use the codes of real banks too.

Before paying, verify changed bank details through a phone call on a number you know, not one from the message. Urgency and requests to keep it quiet are warning signs; a genuine business can wait for you to check. If a payment was sent to a fraudster, call your bank right away – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

Fraud also work the other way. Someone claims to have sent too much and wants you to refund the extra. Wait until the money is actually in your account and check with Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited if anything seems off.

What to give a sender who pays you at Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for a few details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. Give them your name as the bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the BIC BKCHHKHHXXX and your address.

Certain banks also ask for the address of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited. A typo in the IBAN is more trouble than it looks.

The amount you receive can be lower than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank. Agree with the sender who covers the fees.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

We collect bank codes from public sources and check our list from time to time. It can happen that information on this page is no longer current after a merger or reorganisation. Figures such as the number of codes come from our own dataset.

Use our data as a reference, not as the final word. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service for money transfers and not part of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited. Spotted outdated information? Let us know via our contact form.

Sending HKD to Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited

The currency of Hong Kong SAR China is the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD). If you send another currency, the amount has to be converted somewhere along the way. Each conversion eats into something – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount. In many cases it is cheaper if you send HKD directly via a provider that converts near the mid-market rate, so that the receiving bank does not need to convert again.

Rates for HKD move during the day. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate add up over time.

Sending money abroad from Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited

A bank transfer abroad can cost rather more than the listed fee. You pay the fee for the transfer itself, possibly fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup.

The markup on the rate tends to be the biggest item because it is hidden in the rate. Check their rate against the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites.

For a lot of currency pairs, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a bank. On GoldexPay you can compare the amount that arrives with different providers. You can still use your account at Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited as the source of the money, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Verifying the SWIFT code of Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited

The most reliable source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details. Check it with BKCHHKHH here.

An incorrect BIC may lead to delays, a payment being sent back or additional charges for investigation. Do not forget the account number: a mistake there can be more difficult to correct than a wrong code.

Most online banking apps validate the structure of IBANs and some suggest the matching BIC. 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, even if it costs an extra fee.

BKCHHKHH or BKCHHKHHXXX – which one to use?

A SWIFT code is made up of a few fixed parts: characters one to four stand for the bank, the next two give the country and the two after that indicate the location. In this case, that core is BKCHHKHH.

The 11-character version has three more characters that identify a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, the code points to the head office, which is why BKCHHKHHXXX and BKCHHKHH lead to the same place.

Do not add spaces, dots when you type BKCHHKHH or BKCHHKHHXXX. Watch for O versus 0 and the letter I and the digit 1.

Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited: head office code versus branch codes

We have 4 SWIFT/BIC codes for Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited in 1 cities. Next to the head office code BKCHHKHHXXX, there are codes for regional offices and specialised units.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: transfers addressed to BKCHHKHHXXX reach Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited correctly. A branch code only makes sense when the recipient’s bank specifically mentions it.

Not sure which code applies? Check with the recipient or the bank itself. Codes can change over time, so do not rely on old paperwork.