BNP Paribas Securities Services SWIFT/BIC code

BNP Paribas Securities Services SWIFT code: PARBHKHH

PARBHKHH and PARBHKHHXXX are the short and the long form of the same bank identifier, and both lead to BNP Paribas Securities Services in Hong Kong. The code does one job: it makes sure that money from abroad reaches the right bank. It comes up mainly for payments that cross a border.

On this page we explain what the code is put together, when you need it and what else a transfer to or from BNP Paribas Securities Services requires. Keep in mind that the BIC only identifies the bank, not the account: the IBAN or account number does that part.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and check our list from time to time. Banks merge, close branches and retire codes, and a directory never catches every change immediately. Counts and locations are from our own dataset and are not confirmed by BNP Paribas Securities Services.

Treat the information on this page as a helpful check. GoldexPay is not affiliated with BNP Paribas Securities Services. If you notice a mistake, we welcome a short note.

Head office or branch code at BNP Paribas Securities Services?

With 2 codes, BNP Paribas Securities Services belongs to the banks that use individual codes for parts of the organisation and departments. The main code remains PARBHKHHXXX.

If nobody asks you for a branch code, go with PARBHKHHXXX. Only use a branch code when your contact gives you that exact code, for example on a letter or invoice.

Unsure which code applies? Check with the recipient. Branch codes are more prone to be retired than PARBHKHHXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.

Is PARBHKHH still correct? How to check

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. Check it with PARBHKHH on this page; if they differ, ask before you pay.

If the code is wrong, the payment might be delayed, bounce back or end up costing more. Do not forget the IBAN: a mistake there is more difficult to correct than a wrong code.

Most online banking apps check the format of IBANs. If your bank offers it, a name check before sending gives an extra layer of safety. For a first payment, some people start with a small amount first before sending the rest.

Getting paid from abroad into a BNP Paribas Securities Services account

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for a few details about your account. The basics are: the account holder’s name, account number or IBAN, PARBHKHHXXX or PARBHKHH and in many cases your home address.

You can add the bank name and Hong Kong too, because some payment forms have separate fields for them. A mistake in the IBAN can be harder to fix than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

Expect that the incoming amount is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank – the price list of BNP Paribas Securities Services tells you what applies. For business payments, you can agree how the fees are split, so that nobody is left short.

Watch out for payment fraud

A common scam works like this: you receive a message saying that a company has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. That PARBHKHH is a real code does not mean that the account is genuine – fraudsters use real bank codes as well.

Always verify changed bank details through a phone call, using a number you already had. Pressure and secrecy are warning signs. When a payment has already gone to a fraudster, call your bank right away: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Fraud can also work the other way. Someone claims to have sent more than agreed and asks you to refund the extra via a different route. Wait until the money has really arrived and check with BNP Paribas Securities Services if anything seems off.

What the XXX in PARBHKHHXXX means

A SWIFT code is built from fixed blocks: the first four letters stand for the bank, characters five and six show the country and the two after that mark the location. In this case, that core is PARBHKHH.

XXX at the end of PARBHKHHXXX is not a placeholder or a mistake: it indicates the head office of BNP Paribas Securities Services. Certain payment forms ask for 11 characters, in which case you simply enter XXX after PARBHKHH.

In practice the code is typed in capitals. Watch for the letter O and the digit 0 and I versus 1.

Sending HKD to BNP Paribas Securities Services

The local currency in Hong Kong SAR China is the Hong Kong Dollar (HKD). Money sent in a different currency will be exchanged into HKD before it reaches the account, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. Each conversion costs the amount – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. Check how much HKD the recipient gets via different providers.

The HKD rate fluctuates constantly and quotes are often valid only for a short time. With bigger transfers, even seemingly small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

Sending money abroad from BNP Paribas Securities Services

The price of a payment abroad has several parts. You pay the fee for the transfer itself, possibly charges from correspondent banks in between and, above all, the exchange rate markup.

The markup on the rate is often the largest cost. A simple test: put the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialist money transfer services frequently use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay lists transfer providers side by side so you can see the amount the recipient gets for the same amount sent. Using a transfer service does not require leaving BNP Paribas Securities Services: you simply pay the service from your account.

Tracking a transfer to or from BNP Paribas Securities Services

There is no fixed delivery time for international payments: some land the same day or the next while others need several business days. Bank holidays in either country add a day or more. Extra checks on larger or unusual payments can also add a delay, even when all details are correct.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi. Every payment gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which your bank can use to see where the money is. Money transfer services often provide a status in their app so you can see where the money has got.

A delayed transfer is investigated by the sending bank on the basis of the transfer details. As a recipient, it helps to look at your statements for a slightly lower amount.