Westpac Banking Corporation SWIFT/BIC code

Westpac Banking Corporation SWIFT code: WPACSGSG

The 8-character code WPACSGSG and the full code WPACSGSGXXX identify one and the same institution: Westpac Banking Corporation. A BIC has a single purpose: it makes sure that an international payment reaches the right bank. In daily life you usually come across it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and in the bank details that Westpac Banking Corporation provides.

On this page you will find how the code is put together, when it matters and what else you need for a transfer to or from Westpac Banking Corporation. Keep in mind that the BIC only identifies the bank, not the account: the account number or IBAN does that part.

Why Westpac Banking Corporation has an 8- and an 11-character code

The structure of a BIC is always the same: four characters for the institution, a two-letter country code and two for the location, sometimes followed by a branch code. The result is WPACSGSG, the short form of the code.

XXX at the end of WPACSGSGXXX is not a placeholder or an error: it stands for the main office of Westpac Banking Corporation. Certain payment forms ask for 11 characters, and then you simply add XXX behind WPACSGSG.

Enter the code as one block, in upper case and without separators. A wrong letter can send a payment to a different institution, so copy it carefully.

Incoming international payments to Westpac Banking Corporation

To receive an international payment into your account at Westpac Banking Corporation, the person paying you has to have not just the BIC. In practice that means: your name as registered with Westpac Banking Corporation, your account number or IBAN, the BIC WPACSGSGXXX and, often, your address.

Some sending banks also ask for the address of Westpac Banking Corporation. Double-check every detail before you share them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

What lands in your account is often lower than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the currency changes, a markup on the rate applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

When will the money arrive at Westpac Banking Corporation?

How fast a transfer reaches Westpac Banking Corporation depends on a few things: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, cut-off times and differences in time zone. Weekends and public holidays in either country add extra days, since banks do not process on those days. Extra checks on larger or unusual payments may also cause a delay.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Money transfer services usually provide tracking in their app so you can see where the money is.

If the money does not arrive after a few business days, the person who paid needs to start with their own bank. Request from the sender the payment receipt – it helps your own bank look for the money.

International transfers from Westpac Banking Corporation: the real cost

An international bank payment can cost rather more than the listed fee. Besides the transfer fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can take a cut, and when currencies are converted, the bank usually applies a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

The markup on the rate is often the largest cost, and it is easy to miss. Check their rate with the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites. The difference is your real conversion cost.

Specialist money transfer services often use a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before your next transfer, it is worth comparing the total cost via GoldexPay. You can still use your account at Westpac Banking Corporation to fund the transfer, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.

Which of the 3 codes of Westpac Banking Corporation do you need?

Westpac Banking Corporation uses 3 different SWIFT/BIC codes. One of them is the head office code; the rest identify branches.

For most incoming transfers, the head office code WPACSGSGXXX is what you need. Branch codes are only needed if the account holder explicitly asks for it, which is more common for corporate accounts and specialised services.

Not sure which code applies? Check with the recipient or the bank itself. Codes for branches are more prone to change than WPACSGSGXXX when a bank merges or closes offices.

How to check WPACSGSG before you pay

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. If the code you have differs from WPACSGSG or WPACSGSGXXX, do not guess.

If the code is wrong, the payment might get stuck, be returned or cost extra – sometimes after weeks of searching. Remember the IBAN: an error there is harder to correct than a wrong BIC.

Many banking apps validate the format of an IBAN. More and more banks compare the payee name with the account before you confirm – do not ignore a mismatch warning. For a first payment, many people send a small amount first before sending the rest.

About this information

The details here come from publicly available data which we refresh regularly. Even so, banks merge or retire codes, so information can be out of date. The number of codes we show are based on our own data, not official figures from Westpac Banking Corporation.

Before a payment of any size, always confirm the code with Westpac Banking Corporation or the recipient. GoldexPay is independent of Westpac Banking Corporation. Found an error? Tell us via our contact form.

Protect yourself against fake payment requests

A common scam goes like this: you receive a request saying that a company has a new bank account. The fact that WPACSGSG exists is no guarantee that the account is legitimate; criminals use the codes of real banks too.

Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a phone call, using a number you already had. Urgency and secrecy are warning signs; a genuine business can wait for you to check. Already paid? Contact the bank you paid from without delay and ask them to try to recall the payment; also report it to the police.

Recipients can be targeted as well: one known trick is an overpayment and then sends a request to refund the difference to another account. A screenshot of a transfer is no proof – check your own account.

Sending SGD to Westpac Banking Corporation

Accounts at Westpac Banking Corporation are typically held in SGD, the local currency. If you send another currency it gets converted at some point – by your bank, by Westpac Banking Corporation or by a bank in between. Every conversion eats into something.

Who converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Sending the money directly in SGD often avoids a second conversion by Westpac Banking Corporation – as long as your own rate is good.

The SGD rate changes constantly, so the amount you see is usually only valid for a short time. With bigger transfers, even seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.