Barclays Bank PLC SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Barclays Bank PLC

The 8-character code BARCPTPC and the full code BARCPTPCXXX refer to the same bank: Barclays Bank PLC, with its head office in Lisbon. Banks worldwide use BIC codes to route payments between countries to the right institution. It comes up mostly when dealing with transfers between countries.

Below we go through the practical questions: receiving money at Barclays Bank PLC, sending money abroad and how to check the code before you hit send. A SWIFT code identifies an institution, never a single account; the IBAN or account number does that.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

One of the most common tricks goes like this: an email arrives with a message saying that a contact now has new bank details and that the next payment should go there. A correct SWIFT code says nothing about whether the request is genuine – scammers simply use real codes.

Do not rely on a phone number from the same email that announces the new account. Pressure and requests to keep it quiet tend to be warning signs – a real supplier can wait a day. Acted too fast? Contact your bank straight away and have them try to recall the payment.

People receiving money can be targeted as well: a classic trick is a buyer who pays too much followed by a request to send back the difference. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof – check your own account.

Sending money abroad from Barclays Bank PLC

An international bank payment costs more than the fee suggests. You pay the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes charges from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate if the currency changes.

The real cost is often in the rate: many banks convert at a rate that includes a margin. An easy check: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service turns out to be less expensive than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the rate. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives across services. Using a transfer service does not mean closing your account at Barclays Bank PLC.

How long does an international transfer to Barclays Bank PLC take?

There is no fixed delivery time: many land the same day or the next. Weekends and public holidays in the sending or receiving country can add extra days. Sometimes a bank wants to know what the payment is for.

When a payment takes longer than expected, contact your bank for the status or the UETR. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms – you will need it for any trace request.

The bank that sent the money is able to start an official trace. On the receiving end, it helps to look at your statements to see a slightly lower amount because fees can reduce the amount.

Barclays Bank PLC: head office code versus branch codes

Our directory lists 3 SWIFT/BIC codes for Barclays Bank PLC, spread over 2 cities. Besides the head office code BARCPTPCXXX, there are codes for regional offices and specialised units.

For the vast majority of payments to a private or business account, the head office code BARCPTPCXXX works fine. When you receive a specific code, use it as it is rather than replacing it with the head office code.

If you are not sure, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Codes for branches are more prone to be retired than BARCPTPCXXX.

Is BARCPTPC still correct? How to check

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient. If the code you have differs from BARCPTPC or BARCPTPCXXX, do not guess.

If the code is wrong, the payment might be delayed, bounce back or cost extra, and tracing it can take weeks. Remember the IBAN: a mistake there can be more difficult to undo than a wrong BIC.

An automatic check in your banking app only tells you that the code is valid – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. Some banks now compare the name with the account before you confirm. When you pay someone new, some people start with a small test amount before sending the rest.

Euro transfers to Barclays Bank PLC: is a BIC needed?

Portugal is a member of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), where euro transfers follow common rules. For a regular euro transfer from another SEPA country, you normally only need the IBAN and the BIC is often filled in automatically.

You still need BARCPTPCXXX for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Some banks and apps still ask for the BIC out of habit; if so, fill in BARCPTPC.

Instant euro transfers are widely supported within SEPA. As long as no currency is converted, the transfer tends to be inexpensive; it is the conversion that costs money.

What the XXX in BARCPTPCXXX means

A SWIFT code is made up of a few fixed parts: the first four letters identify the bank, the next two show the country and the two after that mark the location. The result is BARCPTPC for Barclays Bank PLC.

Many banks and apps work with either length. If a form asks for eleven characters, use BARCPTPCXXX; if it wants eight, use BARCPTPC.

Do not add spaces when you enter BARCPTPC or BARCPTPCXXX. Watch for O versus 0 or the letter I and the digit 1, a common source of typos.

Incoming international payments to Barclays Bank PLC

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs a few details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. Share the account holder’s name, the IBAN or account number, SWIFT code BARCPTPCXXX and your address, which some banks require.

It helps to add Barclays Bank PLC and Lisbon as well, since some forms ask for it. Double-check each detail before you share them.

Money from abroad does not always land for the full amount. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and if the currency changes, a markup on the rate applies. Agree with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.

About this information

The details here are taken from public sources that we update regularly. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes, so information can be out of date. Counts and locations come from our directory and may differ from what Barclays Bank PLC publishes.

Treat our data as a starting point, rather than as the last word. GoldexPay has no connection to Barclays Bank PLC. Found an error? Tell us through the contact page so we can correct it.

Paying into Barclays Bank PLC in EUR

Most accounts at Barclays Bank PLC are usually held in EUR, the national currency. When you pay money in a different currency has to be converted somewhere along the way: by your bank, an intermediary or Barclays Bank PLC itself. Each conversion costs the amount – usually through the rate rather than a fee.

Who does the conversion has an effect on how much arrives, since every bank sets its own rate. In many cases you pay less if you send EUR directly through a provider with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert.

Exchange rates move all the time, and some providers let you lock in a rate. With bigger transfers, even seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.