Bank of New Zealand SWIFT/BIC code

What BKNZNZ22 means for a payment to Bank of New Zealand

Whether you are given BKNZNZ22 or BKNZNZ22XXX, it is the identical identifier for Bank of New Zealand in New Zealand. Banks worldwide use these codes to direct international transfers to the correct bank. You will need it mainly for transfers between countries and payments in foreign currencies.

This page is meant to help anyone who sends money to an account at Bank of New Zealand without mistakes. The SWIFT code on its own does not identify a personal account; that is what the account number or IBAN is for.

Verifying the SWIFT code of Bank of New Zealand

The most reliable place for the right code is a document from the bank itself like a bank statement or the account page in online banking. Check that code against BKNZNZ22 here.

A wrong SWIFT code may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges along the way. Remember the account number: an error there can be more difficult to correct than a wrong BIC.

A validity check in your banking app only tells you that the IBAN is valid, not that it is the right account. If your bank offers it, a payee name check on the recipient gives extra certainty. When you pay someone new, many people start with a small amount first and wait for confirmation.

Watch out for payment fraud

Criminals often use payment requests containing changed bank details, sometimes in an email that looks completely genuine. That BKNZNZ22 is a real code is no guarantee that a request mentioning it is genuine – fraudsters use real bank codes as well.

Never trust contact details from the same email that contains the change. Be suspicious of urgent requests, unusual wording or a sender address that is slightly off. Acted too fast? Call your bank straight away and have them try to recall the payment and report the fraud.

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

Where our SWIFT data comes from

The directory on GoldexPay is based on publicly available sources and we update it periodically. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes, so information can be out of date. The figures we show reflect what is in our directory, not official figures from Bank of New Zealand.

Treat this page as a starting point, not as the last word – the bank details from the recipient are leading. GoldexPay is independent of Bank of New Zealand; we are a comparison site for money transfers. Found outdated information? Let us know through the contact page so we can correct it.

Receiving money from abroad at Bank of New Zealand

If you expect money from abroad, send the payer all details at once. The basics are: your name, IBAN or account number, BKNZNZ22XXX or BKNZNZ22 and, for some countries, your home address.

You can add the bank name and Wellington as well, since some forms ask for it. A typo in your account number can be more trouble than it looks; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

Money from abroad does not always arrive for the full amount. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank – the price list of Bank of New Zealand tells you what applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

Paying someone abroad from your Bank of New Zealand account

When you transfer money to another country from Bank of New Zealand, the fee you see is only part of what you pay. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate when the money is converted.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate: many banks convert at a rate that includes a margin. An easy check: set the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For many routes, a specialist provider turns out to be less expensive than a bank – mostly thanks to the rate. GoldexPay compares what recipients receive across services. You can always keep your account at Bank of New Zealand as the source of the money.

Head office or branch code at Bank of New Zealand?

Bank of New Zealand has 6 separate SWIFT/BIC codes. Only one is the head office code; the others belong to branches, and sometimes internal departments.

In most cases there is no need to look up a branch: transfers addressed to BKNZNZ22XXX are routed within Bank of New Zealand correctly. Just use a branch code when the recipient gives you that exact code, for example on a letter or invoice.

The safest route is to take the code directly from the account holder’s bank details. Codes can change over time.

Paying into Bank of New Zealand in NZD

Accounts at Bank of New Zealand are typically held in NZD, the local currency. A payment in a foreign currency will be exchanged into NZD on its way to Bank of New Zealand – and the bank that does it picks the rate. Each conversion eats into something.

Who converts the money makes a difference. In many cases you pay less to send NZD directly through a transfer service with a good rate.

Exchange rates change during the day, and some providers let you lock in a rate. For recurring payments, a slightly better rate make a real difference over time.

BKNZNZ22 or BKNZNZ22XXX – which one to use?

A SWIFT code is made up of a few fixed parts: the first four letters identify the bank, the next two show the country and characters seven and eight mark the location. In this case, the 8-character core is BKNZNZ22.

XXX at the end of BKNZNZ22XXX does not stand for a placeholder or a mistake: it indicates the head office of Bank of New Zealand. Certain payment forms insist on 11 characters, in which case you can add XXX behind BKNZNZ22.

Do not add spaces or dashes when you type BKNZNZ22. Copying the code beats retyping it: a typo can point to another bank.

How long does an international transfer to Bank of New Zealand take?

A SWIFT payment typically takes one to a few business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often start the next business day. Sometimes a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment, which can hold things up.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask the sending bank for the status or the UETR; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Keep the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms.

Only the sending bank can request a trace. Request from the sender a copy of the payment confirmation including the reference.