Caixa Geral de Depositos SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Caixa Geral de Depositos

The short code CGDIPTPL and the 11-character code CGDIPTPLXXX identify one and the same institution: Caixa Geral de Depositos in Lisbon, Portugal. A BIC has a single purpose: it makes sure that money from abroad ends up at the right bank. In practice you usually see the code on international invoices, in your banking app and in the bank details of Caixa Geral de Depositos customers.

Below we go through the practical side: receiving money at Caixa Geral de Depositos, paying someone in another country and how to verify the code before you hit send. The SWIFT code alone cannot identify a personal account; for that you need the IBAN or account number .

Before you send: check the Caixa Geral de Depositos code

The most reliable place for the correct BIC remains a document from the bank itself. When the code you were given differs from CGDIPTPL or CGDIPTPLXXX, do not guess.

With a wrong code, the payment might be delayed, bounce back or end up costing more. Do not forget the account number: an error there is more difficult to correct than a wrong code.

An automatic check in your banking app only tells you that the IBAN exists. Some banks now compare the name against the account – do not ignore a mismatch warning. Sending a small amount first is worth it for large sums, even if it costs an extra fee.

Head office or branch code at Caixa Geral de Depositos?

Our directory lists 3 SWIFT/BIC codes for Caixa Geral de Depositos. Next to the head office code CGDIPTPLXXX, there are codes for individual branches and departments.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, go with CGDIPTPLXXX. When you receive a specific code, use it as it is rather than swapping it for the head office code.

When in doubt, check with the recipient for the exact BIC in their bank details. Branch codes are more likely to change than the head office code.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

This directory is based on public sources. Banks reorganise, close branches and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Counts and locations come from our directory.

See our directory on this page as a handy check, and let the details from the recipient or Caixa Geral de Depositos have the final say. We are an independent comparison site and not part of Caixa Geral de Depositos. Should you notice a mistake, we appreciate a message.

Sending EUR to Caixa Geral de Depositos

Most accounts at Caixa Geral de Depositos are typically held in EUR, the national currency. If you send money in a different currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, by Caixa Geral de Depositos or by a bank in between. There is rarely a separate charge for that conversion – the cost sits in the rate.

Which bank converts the payment matters. Check how much EUR the recipient gets via several providers.

The rate for EUR changes constantly. On larger amounts, even seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Euro transfers to Caixa Geral de Depositos: is a BIC needed?

Since Portugal is part of the SEPA zone, a euro payment into Caixa Geral de Depositos from within the SEPA area normally requires just an IBAN. Many banks do not require the BIC in that case or fill it in for you.

You will still need CGDIPTPLXXX for non-euro payments or transfers from countries outside SEPA. If your banking app has a field for the BIC regardless, entering CGDIPTPL is fine.

Instant payments in euros are widely available within SEPA – whether Caixa Geral de Depositos offers them for your account is worth checking. Charges on SEPA payments are generally low.

Paying someone abroad from your Caixa Geral de Depositos account

A bank transfer abroad can cost more than the listed fee. There is the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup.

Most of the cost usually sits in the exchange rate, rather than in the fee: the bank converts using an exchange rate with a margin built in. An easy check: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate for the same moment and look at the difference.

Money transfer services frequently offer rates closer to the mid-market rate. GoldexPay lists these services next to each other so you can see what actually arrives before you commit. You can always use your account at Caixa Geral de Depositos as the source of the money.

Watch out for payment fraud

One of the most common tricks works like this: you receive a message saying that a company has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. The fact that CGDIPTPL exists is no guarantee that the account is genuine.

Check new payment details through a different channel, not by replying to the message. Pressure and secrecy are red flags; a genuine business can wait for you to check. Already paid? Call your bank without delay and have them try to recall the payment; also report it to the police.

Recipients are targeted too: one known trick is a buyer who pays too much followed by a request to refund the difference abroad. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof; only your own account shows what has arrived.

Why Caixa Geral de Depositos has an 8- and an 11-character code

A SWIFT code is made up of a few fixed parts: the first four letters identify the bank, the next two give the country and the two after that mark the location. Combined, those parts form CGDIPTPL – the version you usually see online.

XXX at the end of CGDIPTPLXXX does not stand for a placeholder or an error: it stands for the main office of Caixa Geral de Depositos. Some forms ask for 11 characters, and then you can add XXX behind CGDIPTPL.

Leave out spaces when you enter CGDIPTPL. Copying the code is safer than retyping it: a typo can point to another bank.

Getting paid from abroad into a Caixa Geral de Depositos account

For a transfer from abroad at Caixa Geral de Depositos, the person paying you needs more than the BIC. That means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code CGDIPTPLXXX (or CGDIPTPL) and, often, your postal address.

It helps to add the bank name and its city too. Double-check each detail before you send them.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Caixa Geral de Depositos

There is no fixed answer for every transfer: some land within a day while others need several business days. Weekends and public holidays in either country can add extra days. Compliance checks on larger or unusual payments may also add some delay.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each payment carries a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Save your transfer receipt; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

A delayed transfer is traced by the sending bank. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation with the date and reference – it helps your own bank look for the money.