SWIFT/BIC codes in Philippines: banks starting with S

Philippines: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

For Philippines we have 456 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 411 banks. Each code points to an institution or one of its branches, so a payment from abroad reaches the right place.

Pick the bank below to view its head office code and its other codes. The rest of this page covers how the codes work, the cost of transfers and the checks worth doing.

Paying a bank in Philippines from abroad

Philippines is not part of the SEPA area. International transfers to Philippines usually go through the SWIFT network – which is why you need the BIC of the recipient’s bank.

Depending on the country, the account is identified by a domestic account number rather than an IBAN, sometimes with an extra bank or branch code. Check with the recipient which details their bank requires for payments from abroad; banks often publish instructions for this. International transfers can pass through one or more intermediary banks, each of which may deduct a fee.

About our data and how to check a code

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient. If the code you have does not match our list, do not guess: check with the recipient or the bank.

The directory on GoldexPay is based on publicly available sources. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes, so information can be out of date. For any payment of any size, confirm the BIC with the recipient. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Watch out for invoices with a new account. Always verify a change of bank details by phone, using a number you already had.

SWIFT codes in Philippines: banks under :letter

The letter filter narrows the list down to banks in Philippines starting with :letter. The figures for Philippines mentioned here apply to all 411 banks, not just the ones under :letter.

Cannot find the bank? The registered name might begin with another word, for example the full legal name rather than a brand name. Try the full list for Philippines if you are not sure the exact name.

Sending PHP to Philippines

The currency of Philippines is the Philippine Peso (PHP). A payment in a foreign currency will be converted into PHP before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate.

Who does the conversion has an effect on how much arrives. Compare what PHP the recipient gets with different services; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. Exchange rates change all the time, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

The cheapest way to send money to Philippines

What you pay for a transfer to Philippines is made up of more than one component, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. There is the transfer fee, sometimes fees from correspondent banks and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate if the money is converted.

The markup on the rate tends to be the largest cost item, even though it is not listed as a fee. A simple test: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Specialist money transfer services often offer a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. Before you send money to Philippines, take a minute to compare what arrives on GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank.

When does money sent to Philippines arrive?

There is no single delivery time for transfers to Philippines: many land the same day or the next, others take several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday often start the next business day.

Many banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Save the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms – you will need it if something goes wrong.

Recognising a SWIFT code from Philippines

A SWIFT code is either 8 or 11 characters long and follows a fixed pattern. It starts with four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and two characters for the location.

For banks in Philippines, characters five and six are the two-letter ISO code of Philippines, which makes these codes easy to recognise. If the country letters point to another country, you are looking at a bank somewhere else.

The last three characters, if present, stand for a branch or department; XXX means the head office. Use a branch code only when the recipient’s bank asks for it – otherwise stick with the head office.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in Philippines

If you expect a payment from another country in Philippines, send the payer a complete set of details. That means: your name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and sometimes your address.

The code of your bank appears in the list on this page. You can include your bank’s name and city, since some payment forms ask for it.

The amount you receive is often lower than the amount sent. Charges on incoming payments differ from bank to bank. For business payments, agree how the fees are split, so nobody is left short.

Which bank in Philippines has the most codes?

Asiatrust Bank tops our list of Philippines banks when it comes to the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. Its head office code is ATDBPHM1XXX – the code most transfers need.

A large number of codes often reflects separate codes for branches, departments or services. Making a payment to Asiatrust Bank? Use ATDBPHM1XXX unless a specific branch code is requested.