Bank of China Limited SWIFT/BIC code

What BKCHSGSG means for a payment to Bank of China Limited

The 8-character code BKCHSGSG and the full code BKCHSGSGXXX refer to one and the same institution: Bank of China Limited in Singapore, Singapore. A SWIFT code tells the sending bank exactly which bank is meant to get the money, much like a postcode for banks. You will need it mostly for payments that cross a border or a currency.

This page is meant to help anyone who pays into an account at Bank of China Limited without mistakes. Remember that the SWIFT code just identifies the bank, not the person: the IBAN or account number takes care of that.

Singapore Dollar (SGD) and conversion costs

Singapore uses the Singapore Dollar, code SGD. If you send money in a different currency gets converted at some point. You rarely see a separate charge for the conversion – the cost sits in the rate.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount. Check how much SGD arrives with different providers; the difference between options can be larger than you expect.

The SGD rate changes constantly and quotes are often valid only for a short time. On larger amounts, a seemingly small gap in the rate adds up quickly.

A note on our data

The details on this page come from publicly available data which we refresh regularly. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or retire codes. The figures on this page are based on what is in our directory, not official figures from Bank of China Limited.

Treat the information here as a handy check and rely on the recipient or Bank of China Limited for the final confirmation. GoldexPay is independent of Bank of China Limited, we only compare transfer services. Should you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a message.

Paying someone abroad from your Bank of China Limited account

If you transfer money abroad via Bank of China Limited, the fee you see is rarely all of the cost. On top of the transfer fee, banks in between may deduct a fee, and if currencies are converted the bank often applies a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

Many banks do not list their exchange rate markup as a cost. A simple test: put the bank’s rate next to the mid-market rate for the same moment and look at the difference.

For a lot of routes, a specialist provider turns out to be less expensive than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the exchange rate. On GoldexPay we compare the amount that arrives with different services, which makes the cheapest option easy to spot. Using a transfer service does not mean closing your account at Bank of China Limited.

Tracking a transfer to or from Bank of China Limited

A SWIFT payment typically takes anywhere from one to several business days – it depends on currency, route and the banks in between. Transfers sent late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday often go out the next business day. Sometimes a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment before releasing it.

If a transfer seems delayed, ask your bank for the tracking status; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Specialist transfer services usually show a status in their app so you can see how far the payment has got.

A missing payment has to be 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 because fees can reduce the amount.

Bank of China Limited: head office code versus branch codes

Having 3 codes, Bank of China Limited is one of the banks that register individual codes for parts of the organisation. The head office code remains BKCHSGSGXXX.

For the vast majority of incoming transfers, the head office code BKCHSGSGXXX is the right choice. Only use a branch code when the account holder gives you that exact code, for example on an invoice or in their bank details.

When in doubt, check with the recipient for the exact BIC in their bank details. Codes can change when banks reorganise, so a code from an old document is not always valid.

Before you send: check the Bank of China Limited code

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. Compare that code with BKCHSGSG on this page and ask if anything does not match.

If the code is wrong, the payment may be delayed, be returned or end up costing more, and tracing it can take weeks. A mistake in the IBAN or account number is a bigger problem, because the money may be credited to someone else, so check that just as carefully.

Most online banking apps check the format of an IBAN and sometimes look up the BIC automatically. More and more banks check the name against the account. A small test payment can be worth it for a large first payment despite the extra fee.

Incoming international payments to Bank of China Limited

If you expect money from abroad, send the payer all details at once. Share the account holder’s name, your account number or IBAN, SWIFT code BKCHSGSGXXX and your address, which some banks require.

It helps to include the bank name and Singapore too, because some payment forms have separate fields for them. Double-check every detail before you send them.

The amount you receive is often less than what was sent. Fees for incoming transfers differ from bank to bank – the price list of Bank of China Limited tells you what applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

Fraudsters often use payment requests with changed bank details sent from what looks like a familiar address. A real SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Verify changed bank details via a separate channel, such as a phone number you already know, not by replying to the message. Watch out for time pressure, unusual wording or a sender address that is slightly off. Acted too fast? Contact your bank straight away and ask them to start a recall; also report it to the police.

People receiving money are targeted too: a classic trick is an overpayment followed by a request to send back the difference to another account. Wait until the money has really arrived – ask Bank of China Limited if something looks wrong.

8 or 11 characters: BKCHSGSG versus BKCHSGSGXXX

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: four letters for the bank, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. Combined, these eight characters form BKCHSGSG, the code most people search for.

Most banks and apps work with either length. If yours asks for eleven characters, enter BKCHSGSGXXX, otherwise BKCHSGSG is fine.

Leave out spaces when you enter BKCHSGSG or BKCHSGSGXXX. Copying the code beats typing it by hand: a typo can point to another bank.