Bank Alfalah Limited SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Bank Alfalah Limited

The short code ALFHPKKA and the 11-character code ALFHPKKAXXX refer to one and the same institution: Bank Alfalah Limited in Karachi, Pakistan. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses these codes to route payments between countries to the correct institution. You will need it mainly for payments that cross a border or a currency.

Further down you will find the practical side: receiving money at Bank Alfalah Limited, paying someone in another country and how to check the code before you hit send. A SWIFT code identifies an institution, not a single account.

When will the money arrive at Bank Alfalah Limited?

An international transfer typically needs anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country add a day or more to the journey. Occasionally a bank asks about the purpose of a payment before releasing it.

If a transfer is delayed, ask your bank about the tracking status or the UETR. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms – you will need it for any trace request.

A delayed transfer has to be investigated from the sending side on the basis of the transfer details. Request from the sender a copy of the payment confirmation.

Changed bank details? Be careful

A common scam works like this: you receive a request saying that a company has new bank details. The fact that ALFHPKKA exists does not mean that a request mentioning it is legitimate; criminals use the codes of real banks too.

Check new payment details via a separate channel, such as a phone number you already know. Urgency or requests to keep it quiet tend to be warning signs – a real supplier can wait a day. Acted too fast? Call your bank without delay and ask them to try to recall the payment; also report it to the police.

Recipients can be targeted as well: a classic trick is an overpayment followed by a request to send back the difference abroad. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof; only your own account shows what has arrived.

A note on our data

We collect SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and update our list regularly. It is possible that a code here is no longer current. The number of codes we show are based on our own data.

For any payment of any size, always confirm the code with Bank Alfalah Limited or with the recipient. GoldexPay is independent of Bank Alfalah Limited, we only compare transfer services. Spotted outdated information? Tell us via our contact form and we will look into it.

Sending money abroad from Bank Alfalah Limited

What you pay for a payment abroad has several parts, and the transfer fee is only the most visible one. On top of the transfer fee, banks in between may take a cut, and if currencies are converted, the bank often applies a rate below the real market rate.

The markup on the rate tends to be the biggest item even though it is not listed as a fee. Check the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites.

For many currency pairs, a specialist provider is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the rate. Next time you send money, it is worth to compare the total cost on GoldexPay rather than accepting the bank’s rate by default. You can still use your account at Bank Alfalah Limited as the source of the money; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

Choosing between the 14 SWIFT codes of Bank Alfalah Limited

Our database contains 14 SWIFT/BIC codes for Bank Alfalah Limited, spread over 6 locations. Next to the head office code ALFHPKKAXXX, there are codes for individual branches and departments.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, use ALFHPKKAXXX. A branch code only makes sense if the account holder explicitly mentions it, which is more common for corporate accounts and specialised services.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying for the exact BIC in their bank details. Codes are sometimes changed or retired over time, so a code from an old document is not always valid.

ALFHPKKA or ALFHPKKAXXX – which one to use?

A BIC is built from fixed blocks: characters one to four stand for the bank, the next two show the country and characters seven and eight indicate the location. That gives you ALFHPKKA for Bank Alfalah Limited.

The long version has a three-character extension that identify a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, the code points to the head office, which is why ALFHPKKAXXX and ALFHPKKA lead to the same place.

Leave out spaces when you type ALFHPKKA. Look out for the letter O and the digit 0 and the letter I and the digit 1, a common source of typos.

What to give a sender who pays you at Bank Alfalah Limited

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs a few details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. Give them your name as the bank knows it, your account number or IBAN, the BIC ALFHPKKAXXX and your address.

You can add Bank Alfalah Limited and its city 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.

Money from abroad will not always land for the full amount. Charges on incoming payments differ per bank. On invoices, it is common to state who bears the costs, so that nobody is left short.

How to check ALFHPKKA before you pay

The most reliable source for the BIC is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. Check it against ALFHPKKA on this page.

Mistakes in the BIC are costly rather than fatal. A mistake in the IBAN or account number can be more serious because it can reach the wrong person, so check that just as carefully.

Most online banking apps check the structure of IBANs – that confirms the format, not the owner. Some banks now compare the name with the account; take any warning seriously. Sending a small amount first is a sensible step for a large first payment.