Barclays Bank PLC SWIFT/BIC code

Barclays Bank PLC SWIFT code: BARCSGSG

BARCSGSG and BARCSGSGXXX are the short and the long form of the same bank identifier, and both lead to Barclays Bank PLC in Singapore. Banks worldwide use these codes to direct payments between countries to the right bank. You will need it mostly for transfers between countries and payments in foreign currencies.

We wrote this page to help anyone who receives money at an account at Barclays Bank PLC without mistakes. Keep in mind that the BIC just identifies the bank, not the account: the account number or IBAN does that part.

Paying someone abroad from your Barclays Bank PLC account

An international bank payment can cost rather more than the fee suggests. There is the transfer fee, sometimes charges from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate when the money is converted.

Many banks rarely show their exchange rate markup as a cost. Compare the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites.

Specialised transfer providers frequently use rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before your next transfer, it is worth comparing the total cost on GoldexPay rather than accepting the bank’s rate by default. You can always use your account at Barclays Bank PLC; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

Before you send: check the Barclays Bank PLC code

Ask the recipient to copy the account details directly from a recent statement. When the code you were given differs from BARCSGSG or BARCSGSGXXX, stop and ask.

Errors in the SWIFT code tend to be annoying rather than disastrous: often the payment comes back, minus fees. A mistake in the IBAN or account number can be a bigger problem because it can reach the wrong person; check it just as carefully.

Most online banking apps validate the structure of an IBAN and some suggest the matching BIC – that confirms the format, not the owner. Some banks now compare the payee name against the account before you confirm; take any warning seriously. A small test payment is worth it for large sums.

BARCSGSG or BARCSGSGXXX – which one to use?

A BIC is built from a few fixed parts: the first four letters identify the bank, the next two show the country and the two after that indicate the location. That gives you BARCSGSG.

The 11-character version adds three more characters for a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, they simply mean the head office.

Type the code as one block, in upper case and without spaces, exactly as shown here. A wrong letter may route the money to another bank.

Singapore Dollar (SGD) and conversion costs

The local currency of Singapore is the Singapore Dollar (SGD). If you send another currency, the amount gets converted at some point – by your bank, by Barclays Bank PLC or by a bank in between. You rarely see a separate charge for that conversion – the cost sits in the rate.

Who does the conversion has an effect on how much arrives. Compare how much SGD arrives via several providers; the difference between options can be larger than you expect.

Rates for SGD move during the day, and some providers let you lock in a rate. For regular payments, a slightly better rate add up over time.

When will the money arrive at Barclays Bank PLC?

How quickly a payment arrives at Barclays Bank PLC depends on several factors: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, cut-off times and time zones. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually start the next business day. Extra checks on larger or unusual payments may also cause a delay, regardless of the details.

If a transfer is late, contact your bank for the tracking status and the transaction reference; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Money transfer services often provide tracking in their app showing where the payment has got.

If the money does not arrive after a few business days, the person who paid should start with the bank that sent it. Request from the sender the payment receipt including the reference; that often settles the question quickly.

Getting paid from abroad into a Barclays Bank PLC account

A sender in another country needs several details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. What they need is: the account holder’s name, account number or IBAN, BARCSGSGXXX or BARCSGSG and in many cases your postal address.

The sender’s bank might also ask for the bank address of Barclays Bank PLC. A typo in the IBAN is more trouble than it looks.

The amount you receive is often lower than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments vary per bank. On invoices, it is common to state who bears the costs.

Which of the 2 codes of Barclays Bank PLC do you need?

With 2 codes in 1 locations, Barclays Bank PLC belongs to the banks that register separate codes for branches and departments. The main code is BARCSGSGXXX.

For the vast majority of payments to a private or business account, the head office code BARCSGSGXXX is the right choice. When you receive a branch code, use it as it is rather than swapping it with the head office code.

The best way is to take the code straight from the account holder’s bank details. Branch codes are more likely to change than BARCSGSGXXX.

Watch out for payment fraud

Stay wary if someone suddenly wants you to send money to a different account. A valid SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Check new payment details via a separate channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract, never via the email that asked for the change. Be suspicious of time pressure, odd spelling or an email address that differs by one letter. Already paid? Call your bank straight away and have them start a recall; also report it to the police.

Fraud also target the receiver. Someone sends too much and wants you to refund the difference via a different route. A screenshot of a transfer proves nothing – check your own account.

About this information

We collect bank codes using public sources and update our list regularly. Institutions reorganise, close branches and change codes, and a directory never catches every change immediately. Figures such as the number of codes come from our own dataset and are not confirmed by Barclays Bank PLC.

Treat our data as a reference, rather than as the last word – the bank details from the recipient are leading. We are a comparison service and not part of Barclays Bank PLC. Spotted an error? Tell us through the contact page so we can correct it.