Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited SWIFT/BIC code

CITIHKAX – the SWIFT/BIC code of Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited

Whether you are given CITIHKAX or CITIHKAXXXX, you are looking at the same identifier for Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited in Hong Kong SAR China. A BIC has a single purpose: it ensures that a cross-border transfer ends up at the right bank. In practice you usually see it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and on the account details of Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited customers.

Below we go through the practical side: money coming in from abroad, sending money abroad and how to check a SWIFT code before you confirm a payment. The SWIFT code alone does not identify an individual account holder; that is what the IBAN or account number .

International transfers from Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited: the real cost

The price of an international transfer is made up of more than one component, and the transfer fee is only the most visible one. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can take a cut, and if currencies are converted the bank usually uses a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

Banks rarely list their exchange rate markup separately, but you pay it all the same. A simple test: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate for the same moment and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialist money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives across services. Using a transfer service does not require closing your account at Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited – you pay the provider from your own account.

Receiving money from abroad at Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited

When you expect a payment from another country, send the payer all details at once. Give them the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, SWIFT code CITIHKAXXXX and your address.

You can add Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited and its city as well, since some forms ask for it. A mistake in the IBAN can be more trouble than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

The amount you receive can be less than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers vary from bank to bank – the price list of Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited tells you what applies. For business payments, it is common to state who bears the costs.

Watch out for payment fraud

One of the most common tricks works like this: you receive a message saying that a supplier now has new bank details and asking you to pay there from now on. A valid SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account – scammers simply use real codes.

Before paying, confirm changed bank details through a phone call. Watch out for urgent requests, unusual wording or an email address that differs by one letter. Acted too fast? Call your bank straight away and ask them to start a recall; also report it to the police.

Scams also target the receiver. Someone claims to have sent more than agreed and asks you to return the extra to a new account. Wait until the money is actually in your account – ask Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited if something looks wrong.

Head office or branch code at Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited?

Having 2 codes, Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited is one of the banks that use individual codes for branches and departments. The main code is CITIHKAXXXX.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: transfers sent to CITIHKAXXXX are routed within Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited without problems. Branch codes are only needed if the account holder specifically asks for it.

Not sure which code applies? Check with the recipient or the bank itself. Codes for branches are more prone to change than the head office code when a bank merges or closes offices.

About this information

The codes on this page come from publicly available data that we update regularly. Institutions reorganise, close branches and change codes. The number of codes we show reflect what is in our directory and not on information from Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited itself.

Use this page as a starting point, rather than as the final word: the recipient’s bank details come first. We are a comparison site and not affiliated with Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited. Spotted outdated information? Let us know through the contact page.

What the XXX in CITIHKAXXXX means

Each SWIFT/BIC code has an 8-character core: a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code and two characters for the location. In this case, that core is CITIHKAX.

XXX at the end of CITIHKAXXXX does not stand for a placeholder or an error: it indicates the main office of Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited. Certain payment forms ask for 11 characters, and then you simply enter XXX after CITIHKAX.

As a rule the code is written in capitals, without spaces or dashes. Watch for O versus 0 or the letter I and the digit 1, a common source of typos.

Paying into Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited in HKD

Most accounts at Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited are typically held in HKD, the local currency. When you pay another currency gets converted at some point. There is rarely a separate charge for that conversion; it is built into the rate.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on the final amount, since every bank sets its own rate. Transferring the money already in HKD often avoids a second conversion at the receiving end – as long as your own rate is good.

The HKD rate fluctuates constantly. If you pay regularly, a slightly better rate make a real difference over time.

Before you send: check the Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited code

The best place to find the correct BIC is a document from the bank itself. Check it against CITIHKAX here and ask if anything does not match.

With a wrong code, the transfer may be delayed, be returned or cost extra, and tracing it can take weeks. Do not forget the IBAN: an error there can be more difficult to undo than a wrong BIC.

An automatic check by your bank only confirms that the code exists, not that it is the right account. More and more banks compare the name against the account. A small test payment is worth it for large sums, even if it costs an extra fee.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited

How quickly a transfer reaches Citibank (Hong Kong) Limited depends on several factors: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, cut-off times and time zones. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday usually start a business day later. Sometimes a bank asks about the purpose of a payment, which can hold things up.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Every payment gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Money transfer services usually provide a status online so you can see where the payment has got.

If a payment has not arrived after a few business days, the sender should contact their own bank. As a recipient, you can check your account for a slightly lower amount.