Bank of Montreal SWIFT/BIC code

BOFMHKHH – the SWIFT/BIC code of Bank of Montreal

BOFMHKHH and BOFMHKHHXXX are two spellings of the same SWIFT/BIC code, and both point to Bank of Montreal in Hong Kong. A BIC has a single purpose: it makes sure that money from abroad ends up at the right bank. In practice you usually come across it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and in the bank details of Bank of Montreal customers.

On this page you can read how the code means, when you need it and what else a transfer to or from Bank of Montreal requires. The SWIFT code alone does not identify an individual account holder; that is what the account number or IBAN is for.

When will the money arrive at Bank of Montreal?

There is no fixed answer: many arrive the same day or the next. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays often go out the next business day. Compliance checks on larger or unusual payments can also add a delay, even when all details are correct.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Save the payment confirmation until the money has arrived; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

If the money does not arrive after a few business days, the person who paid should contact the bank that sent it. On the receiving end, it helps to check your statements for a slightly lower amount, since fees may have been deducted.

What the XXX in BOFMHKHHXXX means

A BIC is built from a few fixed parts: the first four letters identify the bank, characters five and six show the country and characters seven and eight indicate the location. For Bank of Montreal, the 8-character core is BOFMHKHH.

The long version adds three more characters for a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, the code points to the head office, which is why BOFMHKHHXXX and BOFMHKHH lead to the same place.

Leave out spaces, dots when you type BOFMHKHH. Pasting the code is safer than typing it by hand: a typo can point to another bank.

Which of the 4 codes of Bank of Montreal do you need?

With 4 codes in 1 cities, Bank of Montreal is one of the banks that register separate codes for branches. The head office code is BOFMHKHHXXX.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, go with BOFMHKHHXXX or its short form BOFMHKHH. A branch code only makes sense if the recipient’s bank explicitly mentions it, which is more common for corporate accounts and specialised services.

Unsure which code to use? Ask the recipient, or look at a recent statement from Bank of Montreal. Branch codes are more prone to change than the head office code when a bank merges or closes offices.

Watch out for payment fraud

A common scam works like this: an email arrives with a request claiming that a supplier now has new bank details and asking you to pay there from now on. That BOFMHKHH is a real code is no guarantee that a request mentioning it is genuine.

Do not rely on contact details in the same message that announces the new account. Watch out for time pressure, odd spelling or an email address that differs by one letter. If money was sent to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Fraud can also target the receiver. Someone sends more than agreed and asks you to refund the difference. A screenshot of a transfer proves nothing.

Paying into Bank of Montreal in HKD

The currency in Hong Kong SAR China is the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD). A payment in a foreign currency is converted into HKD on its way to Bank of Montreal, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. Every conversion costs the amount.

Who does the conversion has an effect on the final amount. Check how much HKD arrives with different services.

The HKD rate changes constantly, so the amount you see is usually only valid for a short time. With bigger transfers, even seemingly small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Getting paid from abroad into a Bank of Montreal account

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs a few details about your account, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code BOFMHKHHXXX (or BOFMHKHH) and, often, your postal address.

Their bank might also ask for the address of your bank. A typo in the IBAN can be harder to fix than it looks.

Expect that the incoming amount is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Correspondent banks can take a fee, Bank of Montreal may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, a markup on the rate applies. Agree with the sender who covers the fees.

How to check BOFMHKHH before you pay

Ask the recipient to send you the account details directly from a recent statement. Compare that code against BOFMHKHH here.

A wrong SWIFT code may lead to delays, a returned payment or additional charges. Do not forget the account number: a mistake there is harder to undo than a wrong BIC.

A format check by your bank merely tells you that the IBAN is valid, not that it is the right account. More and more banks compare the payee name against the account before you confirm – do not ignore a mismatch warning. When you pay someone new, some people start with a small test amount and wait for confirmation.

What a transfer from Bank of Montreal abroad really costs

If you send money abroad via Bank of Montreal, the visible fee is rarely all of what you pay. On top of the transfer fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can deduct a fee, and if the money changes currency, the bank usually uses a rate that is less favourable than the actual market rate.

The markup on the rate is often the largest cost. A simple test: set the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For many routes, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the rate. GoldexPay compares these services next to each other, showing the amount the recipient gets before you commit. You can always keep your account at Bank of Montreal to fund the transfer; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

We collect bank codes using publicly available data and check our list from time to time. Institutions merge, change names and retire codes. Counts and locations come from our directory and are not confirmed by Bank of Montreal.

Treat this page as a starting point, rather than as the last word: the recipient’s bank details come first. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service for money transfers and not affiliated with Bank of Montreal. Spotted an error? Let us know through the contact page.