Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. SWIFT/BIC code

Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. SWIFT code: BPNPPTPL

BPNPPTPL and BPNPPTPLXXX are two ways of writing the same SWIFT/BIC code, and both point to Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. in Lisbon. A SWIFT code tells the sending bank exactly which bank should receive the money, much like a postcode for banks. In practice you mostly come across it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and on the account details that Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. provides.

On this page we explain what the code is put together, when you need it and what else you need for a transfer to or from Banco Bic Portugues, S.A.. Remember that the BIC only identifies the bank, not the person: the IBAN or account number does that part.

Sending EUR to Banco Bic Portugues, S.A.

Portugal uses the Euro (EUR). Money sent in a different currency is exchanged into EUR, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. Every conversion costs something, even when no fee is shown.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount. In many cases it is cheaper if you send EUR straight away via a transfer service with a good rate, so that the receiving bank does not need to convert again.

The rate for EUR changes constantly. With bigger transfers, a small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

Changed bank details? Be careful

One of the most common tricks goes like this: you receive a request claiming that a supplier has a new bank account. That BPNPPTPL is a real code does not mean that the account is genuine.

Always confirm changed bank details through a phone call. Urgency and secrecy are warning signs. Acted too fast? Call the bank you paid from without delay and have them try to recall the payment; 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 send back the difference abroad. Do not act before the money is actually in your account.

Euro transfers to Banco Bic Portugues, S.A.: is a BIC needed?

Since Portugal is in the SEPA zone, a euro payment into Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. from within the SEPA area normally only needs the IBAN. Many banks no longer ask for the BIC for these payments or fill it in for you.

Outside the euro and for senders outside SEPA, BPNPPTPLXXX or BPNPPTPL is still part of the payment details. If your banking app has a field for the BIC regardless, adding BPNPPTPL does no harm.

Euro payments within SEPA normally land by the next business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Charges on SEPA payments are generally low, as long as no currency conversion is involved.

Why Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. has an 8- and an 11-character code

Each SWIFT/BIC code has an 8-character core: a four-letter bank code, two letters for the country and a two-character location code. The result is BPNPPTPL, the short form of the code.

The 11-character version has a three-character extension that identify a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, they simply mean the head office.

As a rule the code is written in capitals, without spaces or dashes. Pasting the code is safer than typing it by hand.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes from public sources and update our list from time to time. It can happen that a code on this page is out of date, for example after a merger. Counts and locations are from our directory and are not confirmed by Banco Bic Portugues, S.A..

Treat our directory on this page as a handy check. GoldexPay is independent of Banco Bic Portugues, S.A.. Should you notice a mistake, we welcome a message via the contact page.

Which of the 2 codes of Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. do you need?

With 2 codes, Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. belongs to the banks that register individual codes for branches and departments. The head office code is BPNPPTPLXXX.

In most cases there is no need to pick a branch: payments sent to BPNPPTPLXXX reach Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. correctly. Branch codes are only needed when the recipient’s bank explicitly asks for it, which is more common for corporate accounts and trade services.

Unsure which code to use? Ask the recipient or the bank itself. Codes for branches are more likely to be retired than the head office code.

How long does an international transfer to Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. take?

There is no single delivery time for international payments: many arrive within a day while others need several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday usually go out a business day later. Extra checks on larger or unusual payments may also cause a delay.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Save your transfer receipt until the money has arrived.

A missing payment is investigated by the sending bank, using the payment confirmation. On the receiving end, it helps to check your account for a slightly lower amount, since fees may have been deducted.

Incoming international payments to Banco Bic Portugues, S.A.

A sender in another country will ask for a few details from you. Give them your name as the bank knows it, the IBAN or account number, the BIC BPNPPTPLXXX and your address, which some banks require.

The sender’s bank may request the bank address of Banco Bic Portugues, S.A.. Double-check each detail before you send them – a sender rarely spots a mistake in someone else’s details.

An incoming payment will not always arrive in full. Charges on incoming payments differ from bank to bank – the price list of Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. tells you what applies. For business payments, you can state how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

What a transfer from Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. abroad really costs

If you transfer money to another country via Banco Bic Portugues, S.A., the visible fee is rarely all of the cost. You pay the transfer fee, sometimes charges from correspondent banks in between and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee: the bank converts using an exchange rate that includes a margin. Compare their rate against the mid-market rate; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For many currency pairs, a specialist provider is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the rate. On GoldexPay we compare the amount that arrives across providers. Choosing a specialist does not require leaving Banco Bic Portugues, S.A. – you pay the provider from your own account.

Is BPNPPTPL still correct? How to check

The most reliable place for the correct BIC remains a document from the bank itself like a bank statement or the account page in online banking. Check it against BPNPPTPL here.

If the code is wrong, the transfer may get stuck, bounce back or end up costing more – sometimes after weeks of searching. Remember the account number: a mistake there is harder to correct than a wrong code.

A validity check by your bank merely confirms that the code exists, not that it is the right account. Where available, a payee name check on the recipient adds extra certainty. When you pay someone new, some people send a small amount first.