Bank of Punjab, The SWIFT/BIC code

Bank of Punjab, The SWIFT code: BPUNPKKA

Whether a recipient gives you BPUNPKKA or BPUNPKKAXXX, you are looking at the identical address for Bank of Punjab, The in Pakistan. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses BIC codes to direct international transfers to the right bank. You will need it mostly when dealing with transfers between countries.

Further down you will find the practical side: money coming in from abroad, paying someone in another country and how to check the code before you confirm a payment. The SWIFT code on its own does not identify a personal account; for that you need the account number or IBAN is for.

Before you send: check the Bank of Punjab, The code

Ask the recipient to copy their bank details straight from their banking app. Compare that code against BPUNPKKA here; if they differ, ask before you pay.

An incorrect BIC may lead to delays, a payment being sent back or additional charges along the way. An error in the IBAN or account number is more serious because it can reach the wrong person; check it just as carefully.

A format check in your banking app only tells you that the code exists, not that it is the right account. Some banks now check the payee name against the account before you confirm – do not ignore a mismatch warning. When you pay someone new, some people start with a small test amount and wait for confirmation.

Receiving money from abroad at Bank of Punjab, The

To receive an international payment at Bank of Punjab, The, the person paying you needs not just the SWIFT code. Share the account holder’s name, the IBAN or account number, the BIC BPUNPKKAXXX and your address.

The sender’s bank might also ask for the bank address of Bank of Punjab, The; the head office in Karachi is usually fine. Double-check the details before you share them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

Money from abroad does not always arrive for the full amount. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank – the price list of Bank of Punjab, The tells you what applies. For business payments, you can state how the fees are split.

8 or 11 characters: BPUNPKKA versus BPUNPKKAXXX

A SWIFT code is built from fixed blocks: the first four letters stand for the bank, the next two give the country and the two after that mark the location. Together, those parts form BPUNPKKA – the version you usually see online.

XXX at the end of BPUNPKKAXXX does not stand for a placeholder or a mistake: it stands for the head office of Bank of Punjab, The. Some banking apps ask for 11 characters, and then you can enter XXX after BPUNPKKA.

Do not add spaces or dashes when you enter BPUNPKKA or BPUNPKKAXXX. Look out for O versus 0 and the letter I and the digit 1; they are easy to mix up.

How up to date is this code?

The codes on this page are taken from public sources which we refresh regularly. Banks merge, change names and change codes. The figures we show are based on our own data, not official figures from Bank of Punjab, The.

Treat this page as a starting point, not as the final word – the bank details from the recipient are leading. We are an independent comparison service for money transfers and not part of Bank of Punjab, The. Spotted an error? Tell us via our contact form and we will look into it.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

One of the most common tricks works like this: an email arrives with a message claiming that a contact has new bank details and asking you to pay there from now on. A correct SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Always confirm changed bank details through a phone call on a number you know, not one from the message. Be suspicious of time pressure, unusual wording or an email address that differs by one letter. Already paid? Call the bank you paid from straight away and ask them to start a recall; also report it to the police.

Recipients are targeted too: a classic trick is a buyer who pays too much and then sends a request to refund the difference abroad. A payment confirmation from the sender proves nothing.

International transfers from Bank of Punjab, The: the real cost

An international bank payment can cost rather more than the fee suggests. There is the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup if the currency changes.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the largest cost even though it is not listed as a fee. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites.

Specialist money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate. GoldexPay compares what recipients receive with different providers, so you can pick the cheapest route. You can always keep your account at Bank of Punjab, The; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

Head office or branch code at Bank of Punjab, The?

Having 11 codes, Bank of Punjab, The is one of the banks that use individual codes for parts of the organisation. The main code is BPUNPKKAXXX.

For the vast majority of incoming transfers, the head office code BPUNPKKAXXX is the right choice. Just use a branch code when your contact explicitly asks for it.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Branch codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise, so do not rely on old paperwork.

Tracking a transfer to or from Bank of Punjab, The

How fast a transfer arrives at Bank of Punjab, The is determined by several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and time zones. Bank holidays in either country can add a day or more, since banks do not process on those days. Extra checks by one of the banks may also cause some delay.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each payment gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived – you will need it for any trace request.

The bank that sent the money is able to start an official trace or a recall – the recipient’s bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. As a recipient, you can check your statements for a slightly lower amount because fees can reduce the amount.