Standard Chartered Bank SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Standard Chartered Bank

Whether a recipient gives you SCBLSGSG or SCBLSGSGXXX, it is the identical identifier for Standard Chartered Bank in Singapore. A SWIFT code tells the sending bank exactly which bank is meant to get the money. In practice you usually come across the code on international invoices, in payment forms and on the account details that Standard Chartered Bank provides.

On this page we explain how the code is put together, when you need it and which other details you need for a transfer to or from Standard Chartered Bank. Keep in mind that the SWIFT code just identifies the bank, not the person: the account number or IBAN does that part.

How to check SCBLSGSG before you pay

The most reliable source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details. When the code you were given differs from SCBLSGSG or SCBLSGSGXXX, do not guess: check with the recipient or with Standard Chartered Bank directly.

Errors in the BIC tend to be annoying more than disastrous – usually the money comes back, minus fees and time lost. An error in the account number is more serious because it can reach the wrong person; check it just as carefully.

A validity check by your bank only confirms that the code is valid, not that it is the right account. More and more banks check the name with the account before you confirm; take any warning seriously. For a first payment, some people start with a small test amount before sending the rest.

Changed bank details? Be careful

Scammers regularly send fake invoices with changed bank details. That SCBLSGSG is a real code does not mean that a request mentioning it is genuine; criminals use the codes of real banks too.

Always verify changed bank details by phone on a number you know, not one from the message. Pressure or requests to keep it quiet tend to be warning signs – a real supplier can wait a day. When a payment was sent to the wrong account, call your bank right away: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Fraud can also work the other way: someone claims to have sent more than agreed and wants you to refund the difference via a different route. Do not act before the money has really arrived.

International transfers from Standard Chartered Bank: the real cost

When you transfer money to another country through Standard Chartered Bank, the visible fee is rarely all of what you pay. You pay the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes charges from correspondent banks in between and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate when the money is converted.

The markup on the rate is often the biggest item because it is hidden in the rate. A simple test: set the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate for the same moment and work out the difference on your amount.

For many routes, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a bank – mostly thanks to the rate. Next time you send money, it is worth to compare what arrives via GoldexPay instead of going straight to your bank. You can still keep your account at Standard Chartered Bank to fund the transfer; only the conversion and sending happen elsewhere.

Why Standard Chartered Bank has an 8- and an 11-character code

Each SWIFT/BIC code has the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, two letters for the country and a two-character location code. In this case, that core is SCBLSGSG.

Most banks and apps work with either length. If a form asks for eleven characters, use SCBLSGSGXXX, otherwise SCBLSGSG is fine.

Do not add spaces, dots when you type SCBLSGSG. A wrong letter can send a payment to another bank, so check it twice.

Head office or branch code at Standard Chartered Bank?

We have 9 SWIFT/BIC codes for Standard Chartered Bank in 1 places. Next to the head office code SCBLSGSGXXX, there are codes for branches, departments or specific services.

In most cases there is no need to look up a branch: payments sent to SCBLSGSGXXX are routed within Standard Chartered Bank without problems. Just use a branch code when your contact explicitly asks for it, for example on a letter or invoice.

When in doubt, check with the recipient for the exact BIC in their bank details. Codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise.

About this information

The codes here come from publicly available data which we refresh regularly. It is possible that a code on this page is out of date. Figures such as the number of codes come from our own dataset and are not confirmed by Standard Chartered Bank.

For a payment that matters, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank or the recipient. GoldexPay has no connection to Standard Chartered Bank. Found outdated information? Tell us through the contact page.

Sending SGD to Standard Chartered Bank

Most accounts at Standard Chartered Bank are typically held in SGD, the local currency. Money sent in a different currency will be exchanged into SGD, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. Each conversion costs the amount, even when no fee is shown.

Who converts the payment matters: every bank has its own margin. In many cases it is cheaper if you send SGD straight away via a provider with a good rate.

The rate for SGD changes constantly, so the amount you see is usually only valid for a short time. With bigger transfers, a small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

Tracking a transfer to or from Standard Chartered Bank

There is no fixed answer for international payments: some arrive the same day or the next. Transfers sent late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday usually start the next business day. Sometimes a bank asks what the payment is for before releasing it.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms.

Only the sending bank can start an official trace or a recall. On the receiving end, it helps to check your statements for a slightly lower amount.

Getting paid from abroad into a Standard Chartered Bank account

When you expect a payment from another country, send the payer all details at once. What they need is: the account holder’s name, account number or IBAN, SCBLSGSGXXX or SCBLSGSG and often your home address.

The sender’s bank might request the address of your bank; the head office in Singapore is usually fine. Double-check each detail before you share them.

An incoming payment will not always arrive in full. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the currency changes, an exchange rate margin applies. On invoices, you can agree who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.