BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA SWIFT/BIC code

BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA SWIFT code: BPPBCHGG

Whether a recipient gives you BPPBCHGG or BPPBCHGGXXX, you are looking at the same identifier for BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA in Switzerland. The code does one job: it ensures that a cross-border transfer reaches the right bank. It comes up mostly when dealing with payments that cross a border or a currency.

Further down we go through the practical side: receiving money at BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA, paying someone in another country and how to verify the code before you confirm a payment. Remember that the SWIFT code just identifies the bank, not the account: the account number or IBAN takes care of that.

Choosing between the 2 SWIFT codes of BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA

We have 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA, spread over 1 cities. Next to the head office code BPPBCHGGXXX, there are codes for individual branches and departments.

For the vast majority of incoming transfers, the head office code BPPBCHGGXXX works fine. Only use a branch code when your contact gives you that exact code.

The safest approach is to take the code directly from the account holder’s statement. Branch codes are more prone to change than the head office code.

How to check BPPBCHGG before you pay

Ask the recipient to send you the bank details straight from their online banking. Check that code with BPPBCHGG here.

With a wrong code, the payment may get stuck, be returned or cost extra, and tracing it can take weeks. A mistake in the IBAN or account number is a bigger problem because it can reach the wrong person, so check that just as carefully.

A format check by your bank only confirms that the code exists – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. More and more banks check the name with the account before you confirm. For a first payment, many people send a small amount first before sending the rest.

The Swiss Franc and what conversion costs you

Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc. A payment in a foreign currency will be converted into CHF on its way to BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. There is rarely a separate line for the conversion.

Who converts the money makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Transferring the amount already in CHF usually prevents an extra conversion at the receiving end.

Rates for CHF move all the time. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate add up over a year.

SEPA payments and the BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA BIC

Switzerland belongs to the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), where euro transfers follow common rules. For a regular euro transfer from another SEPA country, the IBAN is usually enough and the BIC is often filled in automatically.

The BIC still matter for payments in other currencies, and for transfers from outside SEPA. A few banks and apps also show a field for the BIC out of habit; in that case, enter BPPBCHGG or BPPBCHGGXXX.

Instant payments in euros are increasingly available within SEPA. Fees for SEPA payments tend to be low as long as everything stays in euros.

Watch out for payment fraud

Stay wary if someone unexpectedly asks you to pay into a different account or a bank in another country. The fact that BPPBCHGG exists is no guarantee that the account is genuine.

Check new payment details via a different channel like a call to a number from an earlier contract, not by replying to the message. Be suspicious of urgent requests, odd spelling or an email address that differs by one letter. Already paid? Call your bank without delay and have them try to recall the payment and report the fraud.

Fraud can also target the receiver. Someone sends more than agreed and asks you to return the extra to a new account. Wait until the money is actually in your account.

Why BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA has an 8- and an 11-character code

The structure of a BIC is always the same: a bank code of four letters, a two-letter country code and two for the location, plus an optional branch code. The result is BPPBCHGG.

The long version adds a three-character extension that identify a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, the code points to the head office, so BPPBCHGGXXX and BPPBCHGG are interchangeable.

In practice the code is typed in capitals. Copying the code is safer than retyping it: a typo can point to another bank.

Incoming international payments to BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA

If you are waiting for money from abroad, give the sender all details at once. Give them your name as the bank knows it, the IBAN or account number, the BIC BPPBCHGGXXX and your address, which some banks require.

Their bank might also ask for the address of your bank. Check every detail before you send them.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers differ from bank to bank – the price list of BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA tells you what applies. Agree with the sender who covers the fees, especially for larger amounts.

What a transfer from BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA abroad really costs

A bank transfer abroad can cost rather more than the listed fee. You pay the transfer fee, possibly charges from correspondent banks along the way and, above all, the exchange rate markup when the money is converted.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee: many banks convert at a rate that includes a margin. A simple test: put the rate you get against the mid-market rate for the same moment and look at the difference.

For many routes, a specialist provider is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the exchange rate. Before your next transfer, it is worth to compare what arrives via GoldexPay rather than accepting the bank’s rate by default. Using a transfer service does not mean closing your account at BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA – you pay the provider from your own account.

When will the money arrive at BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA?

A SWIFT payment typically takes one to a few business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually start a business day later. Extra checks by one of the banks can also cause a delay, even when all details are correct.

Many 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. Keep the payment confirmation until the recipient confirms; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

Only the sending bank is able to start an official trace – the recipient’s bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. Request from the sender the payment receipt including the reference; that often settles the question quickly.

About this information

We gather bank codes from publicly available data and check them from time to time. It can happen that a code on this page is no longer current. Figures such as the number of codes are from our directory.

Treat the information on this page as a helpful check and rely on the recipient or BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA for the final confirmation. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and not affiliated with BNP Paribas (Suisse) SA. Found an error? Tell us through the contact page.