Cecabank, S.A. SWIFT/BIC code

Cecabank, S.A. SWIFT code: CECAESMM

The 8-character code CECAESMM and the full code CECAESMMXXX refer to one and the same institution: Cecabank, S.A. in Madrid, Spain. A BIC does one job: it ensures that money from abroad reaches the right bank. It comes up mostly for payments that cross a border and payments in foreign currencies.

We wrote this page to help people who sends money to an account at Cecabank, S.A. and wants to get the details right. Keep in mind that the BIC just identifies the bank, not the account: the IBAN or account number takes care of that.

Is CECAESMM still correct? How to check

The best place to find the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank. Check it with CECAESMM on this page.

Errors in the SWIFT code tend to be costly rather than fatal. Remember the IBAN: an error there can be harder to undo than a wrong BIC.

Many banking apps validate the format of IBANs – that confirms the format, not the owner. If your bank offers it, a payee name check on the recipient adds extra certainty. For a first payment, some people send a small test amount before sending the rest.

Head office or branch code at Cecabank, S.A.?

Having 2 codes, Cecabank, S.A. is one of the banks that use separate codes for parts of the organisation and departments. The head office code remains CECAESMMXXX.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: transfers sent to CECAESMMXXX reach Cecabank, S.A. correctly. When you receive a specific code, stick to it rather than replacing it with the head office code.

If you are not sure, ask the person you are paying for the exact BIC in their bank details. Branch codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise, so do not rely on old paperwork.

Do you need CECAESMM for a SEPA transfer?

Spain belongs to the SEPA area. For a standard euro transfer within SEPA, the IBAN is usually enough.

You still need CECAESMMXXX for non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. If a payment form has a field for the BIC anyway, adding CECAESMM does no harm.

SEPA transfers usually arrive within one business day; instant payments are faster if both banks offer them. Charges on SEPA transfers tend to be low.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

Our SWIFT/BIC directory draws on publicly available sources and we update it periodically. It is possible that information on this page is no longer current after a merger or reorganisation. Counts and locations are from our own dataset and are not confirmed by Cecabank, S.A..

Use this page as a starting point, rather than as the last word – the bank details from the recipient are leading. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site for money transfers and not part of Cecabank, S.A.. Found an error? Tell us through the contact page.

Euro (EUR) and conversion costs

Spain uses the Euro (EUR). Money sent in a different currency will be converted into EUR on its way to Cecabank, S.A., and whoever converts it chooses the rate. There is rarely a separate charge for that conversion.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on how much arrives, since every bank sets its own rate. Compare how much EUR arrives with several providers before choosing one.

Exchange rates move all the time. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate make a real difference over a year.

Watch out for payment fraud

One of the most common tricks goes like this: you receive a message saying that a supplier has new bank details and asking you to pay there from now on. That CECAESMM is a real code is no guarantee that a request mentioning it is genuine.

Verify changed bank details via a different channel. Be suspicious of urgent requests, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. If a payment was sent to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately.

Recipients can be targeted as well: one known trick is a buyer who pays too much followed by a request to refund the difference. A screenshot of a transfer is no proof – check your own account.

Receiving money from abroad at Cecabank, S.A.

A sender in another country needs a few details from you, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code CECAESMMXXX (or CECAESMM) and usually your address.

Some sending banks also ask for the address of Cecabank, S.A., so keep it at hand. Double-check every detail before you share them – a sender rarely spots a mistake in someone else’s details.

What lands in your account is often less than what was sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate comes on top. For business payments, it is common to state who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.

Paying someone abroad from your Cecabank, S.A. account

What you pay for an international transfer has more than one component – not just the fee on your screen. On top of a fixed fee, banks in between can take a cut, and if the money changes currency, the bank often applies a rate below the real market rate.

The markup on the rate is often the biggest item because it is hidden in the rate. Compare the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites.

Specialist money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate. GoldexPay lists these services next to each other, showing what actually arrives. Using a transfer service does not mean leaving Cecabank, S.A. – you pay the provider from your own account.

8 or 11 characters: CECAESMM versus CECAESMMXXX

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. For Cecabank, S.A., the 8-character core is CECAESMM.

XXX at the end of CECAESMMXXX is not a placeholder or a mistake: it stands for the head office of Cecabank, S.A.. Some forms insist on 11 characters, and then you simply enter XXX behind CECAESMM.

Leave out spaces when you type CECAESMM; the code is always written in one block. A wrong letter can send the money to another bank.

Tracking a transfer to or from Cecabank, S.A.

There is no fixed answer: many land within a day, others take several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday usually start a business day later. Sometimes a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment before releasing it.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR. Money transfer services usually show tracking online so you can see how far the money has got.

The bank that sent the money can request a trace or a recall – the recipient’s bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation – it helps your own bank look for the money.