Bank of Nova Scotia, The SWIFT/BIC code

Bank of Nova Scotia, The SWIFT code: NOSCHKHH

If an invoice shows NOSCHKHH or NOSCHKHHXXX, you are looking at the identical identifier for Bank of Nova Scotia, The in Hong Kong SAR China. A BIC has a single purpose: it makes sure that an international payment ends up at the right bank. In daily life you mostly see the code on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and on the account details that Bank of Nova Scotia, The provides.

On this page you can read what the code means, when it matters and what else you need for a transfer to or from Bank of Nova Scotia, The. A SWIFT code names a bank or branch, not a single account, which is why you always need the account number too.

When will the money arrive at Bank of Nova Scotia, The?

A SWIFT payment typically takes one to a few business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays often start the next business day. Occasionally a bank asks about the purpose of a payment.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every gpi transfer carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Money transfer services usually provide tracking in their app so you can see how far the payment is.

A missing payment has to be investigated by the sending bank, using the payment confirmation. On the receiving end, it helps to look at your account for a slightly lower amount.

NOSCHKHH or NOSCHKHHXXX – which one to use?

The structure of a BIC is always the same: four characters for the institution, two for the country and a two-character location code, plus an optional branch code. In this case, the 8-character core is NOSCHKHH.

The 11-character version adds three more characters for a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, they simply mean the head office, so NOSCHKHHXXX and NOSCHKHH are interchangeable.

Enter the code in one piece, in upper case and without spaces. Watch for the letter O and the digit 0 or I versus 1, a common source of typos.

About this information

We gather bank codes from public sources and check our list regularly. It is possible that a code here is out of date, for example after a merger. The number of codes on this page reflect what is in our directory, not official figures from Bank of Nova Scotia, The.

Use our data as a reference, rather than as the last word – the bank details from the recipient are leading. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service for money transfers and not part of Bank of Nova Scotia, The. Spotted outdated information? Let us know via our contact form and we will look into it.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

Scammers regularly send payment requests with new bank details sent from what looks like a familiar address. The fact that NOSCHKHH exists is no guarantee that a request mentioning it is genuine.

Do not rely on a phone number in the same message that announces the new account. Watch out for urgent requests, 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.

Scams also work the other way. Someone sends more than agreed and asks you to refund the difference to a new account. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof; only your own account shows what has arrived.

Receiving money from abroad at Bank of Nova Scotia, The

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for a few details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. What they need is: the account holder’s name, account number or IBAN, NOSCHKHHXXX and, for some countries, your home address.

The sender’s bank might also ask for the address of your bank. Check every detail before you send them.

The amount you receive can be lower than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers vary per bank – the price list of Bank of Nova Scotia, The tells you what applies. On invoices, it is common to agree who bears the costs, so that nobody is left short.

Head office or branch code at Bank of Nova Scotia, The?

Bank of Nova Scotia, The has 3 different SWIFT/BIC codes. Only one is the head office code; the others belong to branches.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: payments sent to NOSCHKHHXXX are routed within Bank of Nova Scotia, The correctly. Just use a branch code when the recipient gives you that exact code, for example on a letter or invoice.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Codes for branches are more prone to change than NOSCHKHHXXX.

Paying someone abroad from your Bank of Nova Scotia, The account

When you send money abroad from Bank of Nova Scotia, The, the fee you see is only part of the cost. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can take a cut, and when the money changes currency, the bank usually applies a rate below the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee: many banks convert using an exchange rate that includes a margin. A simple test: set the rate you get against the mid-market rate for the same moment and look at the difference.

Specialised transfer providers often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before your next transfer, it is worth comparing what arrives via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank. You can always use your account at Bank of Nova Scotia, The, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Paying into Bank of Nova Scotia, The in HKD

The local currency in Hong Kong SAR China is the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD). A payment in a foreign currency will be converted into HKD on its way to Bank of Nova Scotia, The – and the bank that does it picks the rate. There is rarely a separate charge for the conversion – the cost sits in the rate.

Which bank converts the money matters: every bank has its own margin. Compare what HKD the recipient gets with different providers.

Exchange rates change during the day. On larger amounts, even small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Is NOSCHKHH still correct? How to check

Ask the recipient to copy the bank details straight from a recent statement. If the code you have does not match NOSCHKHH or NOSCHKHHXXX, stop and ask.

Errors in the BIC are costly more than disastrous: often the payment comes back, minus fees. An error in the account number is more serious because it can reach the wrong person.

Most online banking apps validate the format of an IBAN – that confirms the format, not the owner. Some banks now compare the name with the account; take any warning seriously. A small test payment can be worth it for large sums, even if it costs an extra fee.