Public Bank SWIFT/BIC code

PUBBRU3C – the SWIFT/BIC code of Public Bank

The 8-character code PUBBRU3C and the full code PUBBRU3CXXX refer to one and the same institution: Public Bank. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses these codes to route payments between countries to the right bank. In practice you usually come across it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and on the account details of Public Bank customers.

On this page you will find what the code is put together, when you need it and what else you need for a transfer to or from Public Bank. Remember that the SWIFT code just identifies the bank, not the person: the IBAN or account number takes care of that.

Getting paid from abroad into a Public Bank account

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for several details from you. The basics are: your name, IBAN or account number, PUBBRU3CXXX and often your postal address.

Some sending banks also ask for the bank’s address; it does no harm to include it. A typo in your account number is more trouble than it looks.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank – the price list of Public Bank tells you what applies. Agree with the sender who covers the fees, especially for larger amounts.

PUBBRU3C or PUBBRU3CXXX – which one to use?

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, two letters for the country and two characters for the location. The result is PUBBRU3C, the short form of the code.

Most banks and apps work with either length. If yours asks for eleven characters, enter PUBBRU3CXXX; if it wants eight, use PUBBRU3C.

As a rule the code is written in capitals and without spaces. Look out for the letter O and the digit 0 or the letter I and the digit 1; they are easy to mix up.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

Scammers often send payment requests with changed bank details, sometimes in an email that looks completely genuine. A correct SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine – scammers simply use real codes.

Check new bank details through a separate channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract, never via the email that asked for the change. Pressure or requests to keep it quiet tend to be warning signs. When a payment was sent to a fraudster, call your bank right away.

Fraud also work the other way: someone sends more than agreed and wants you to refund the extra via a different route. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof – check your own account.

What a transfer from Public Bank abroad really costs

An international bank payment can cost rather more than the fee suggests. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks may take a cut, and if the money changes currency, the bank often applies a rate below the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin is often the largest item. An easy check: set the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Money transfer services often use a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay compares these services next to each other, showing what actually arrives. You can always use your account at Public Bank as the source of the money, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Tracking a transfer to or from Public Bank

There is no single answer: some land the same day or the next. Payments made after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday usually go out a business day later. Sometimes a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask your bank for the tracking status and the transaction reference so they can trace it along the chain. Save the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

A missing payment is traced from the sending side on the basis of the transfer details. As a recipient, it helps to look at your account to see a slightly lower amount.

A note on our data

The codes on this page come from public sources which we refresh regularly. Still, banks merge or retire codes. The number of codes on this page are based on our own data, not official figures from Public Bank.

Before any payment that matters, confirm the code with the recipient’s bank or with the recipient. We are an independent comparison service and not affiliated with Public Bank. Should you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a short note.

How to check PUBBRU3C before you pay

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details – an invoice, a statement or a screenshot from online banking. Compare it against PUBBRU3C here and ask if anything does not match.

If the code is wrong, the transfer might be delayed, bounce back or end up costing more. Remember the account number: an error there can be more difficult to undo than a wrong BIC.

Most online banking apps validate the format of an IBAN and some suggest the matching BIC – that confirms the format, not the owner. Some banks now check the payee name with the account before you confirm. A small test payment is a sensible step for a large first payment, even if it costs an extra fee.

Head office or branch code at Public Bank?

Public Bank has 2 separate SWIFT/BIC codes across 2 locations. One of them is the head office code, PUBBRU3CXXX; the others identify branches or departments.

For the vast majority of payments to a private or business account, the head office code PUBBRU3CXXX works fine. If you have been given a branch code, use it as it is instead of replacing it for the head office code.

The best way is to take the code directly from the account holder’s statement. Branch codes are more prone to be retired than the head office code when a bank merges or closes offices.