SWIFT/BIC codes in Philippines: banks starting with E

Philippines: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

Our directory contains 411 banks and other institutions in Philippines, with 456 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. A BIC tells the banks handling a transfer exactly which bank is meant to get an international payment.

Each bank is listed with its own page with its main code and, where available, codes for branches and departments. The rest of this page covers how the codes work, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes before you send money.

Transfer times to Philippines

There is no single delivery time for transfers to Philippines: some arrive within a day. Payments made late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday usually start a business day later.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Money transfer services often show a status online, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

Sending money to Philippines for less

When you send money to Philippines through a regular bank, the stated fee is only part of the cost. Besides a fixed fee, correspondent banks can deduct a charge and, if currencies are converted, the bank often applies a rate below the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the largest part of the cost because it is hidden in the rate. An easy check: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialised transfer providers often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate. Before you send money to Philippines, it is worth comparing the total cost via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

How SWIFT codes from Philippines are built

SWIFT/BIC codes use one international format: 8 characters plus an optional three-character extension. Characters one to four identify the bank, characters five and six form the country code and characters seven and eight give the location.

You can recognise a bank code from Philippines from letters five and six. When the country letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank in another country – worth double-checking.

The long version ends in three characters for a branch, where XXX means the head office. In most cases the head office code is fine.

Most SWIFT codes in Philippines: Asiatrust Bank

In our directory, Asiatrust Bank holds the largest number of SWIFT/BIC codes of all banks in Philippines. Its main office uses ATDBPHM1XXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

The number of codes tells you something about how it registers branches and services than about how big it is. Unless the recipient asks for a branch, the head office code ATDBPHM1XXX works for transfers to this bank.

What a sender needs to pay you in Philippines

A sender in another country will ask for a few details from you, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. Give them the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, your bank’s SWIFT code and your address.

Look up your bank in the list on this page. It helps to add the name and city of your bank as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

Expect that the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate comes on top. For business payments, agree who bears the costs.

Paying in PHP: what conversion costs you

Philippines uses the Philippine Peso (PHP). A payment in a foreign currency is exchanged into PHP before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who does the conversion affects how much arrives, as rates and margins differ per bank. Compare how much PHP the recipient gets with several services; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. With bigger transfers, even a small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Paying a bank in Philippines from abroad

Since Philippines does not belong to SEPA, a transfer from abroad is usually sent as a SWIFT payment. That means the payment always needs the SWIFT/BIC code of the receiving bank.

In some countries, the account is identified by a domestic account number instead of an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. Ask the recipient exactly which details their bank requires for incoming international payments. SWIFT payments sometimes go via one or more intermediary banks.

Verifying a SWIFT code from Philippines

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details. An incorrect BIC may lead to delays, a payment being sent back or additional charges – compare it with the code in our list.

The directory on GoldexPay is compiled from publicly available sources that we update periodically. Still, banks merge or retire codes. Before a payment that matters, confirm the BIC with the recipient. GoldexPay is not a bank.

Watch out for invoices with changed bank details, especially when they come by email. A valid BIC tells you nothing about who owns the account: criminals use real codes too.

SWIFT codes in Philippines: banks under :letter

This page only shows banks in Philippines beginning with :letter in alphabetical order. The totals mentioned above always refer to the whole country and not only this selection.

Bank not listed? The registered name may begin with another word. Use the full list for Philippines if you do not know how the name is spelled.