HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA SWIFT/BIC code

What BLICCHGG means for a payment to HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA

The 8-character code BLICCHGG and the 11-character code BLICCHGGXXX refer to one and the same institution: HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA, with its head office in Geneva. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses BIC codes to direct payments between countries to the right bank. In practice you mostly come across the code on invoices from abroad, in payment forms and on the account details of HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA customers.

Below we go through the practical side: money coming in from abroad, sending money abroad and how to verify the code before you confirm a payment. The SWIFT code alone cannot identify an individual account holder; that is what the IBAN or account number .

How to check BLICCHGG before you pay

The best place to find the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account details in online banking. When the code you were given does not match BLICCHGG or BLICCHGGXXX, stop and ask.

Errors in the BIC tend to be costly rather than disastrous – usually the money comes back, minus fees and time lost. Do not forget the account number: an error there is harder to correct than a wrong code.

A format check in your banking app merely tells you that the IBAN exists – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. More and more banks compare the payee name with the account. For a first payment, many people start with a small amount first.

HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA: head office code versus branch codes

HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA has 7 separate SWIFT/BIC codes across 3 cities. Only one is the head office code, BLICCHGGXXX; the others identify branches.

If nobody asks you for a branch code, use BLICCHGGXXX. If you have been given a branch code, stick to it instead of replacing it with the head office code.

If you are not sure, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Branch codes are more prone to change than BLICCHGGXXX.

A note on our data

The details here come from public sources which we refresh regularly. Banks reorganise, close branches and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. Counts and locations come from our own dataset and may differ from what HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA publishes.

For a payment of any size, confirm the BIC with HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA or the recipient. GoldexPay has no connection to HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA. Should you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a message via the contact page.

The Swiss Franc and what conversion costs you

Switzerland pays in the Swiss Franc. Money sent in a different currency is converted into CHF before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate. There is rarely a separate charge for that conversion – the cost sits in the rate.

Which bank converts the money makes a difference. Often you pay less if you send CHF straight away via a provider that converts near the mid-market rate, so that the receiving bank does not need to convert again.

Rates for CHF move all the time – some services let you fix a rate in advance. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate add up over a year.

Paying HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA in euros within SEPA

Because Switzerland is part of SEPA, a euro transfer to HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA from another SEPA country normally requires just the IBAN. Most banking apps do not require the BIC for these payments.

You still need BLICCHGGXXX for non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. A few banks and apps also show a field for the BIC; in that case, enter BLICCHGG.

Instant payments in euros are widely available across SEPA; check with HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA whether it applies to your account. Fees for SEPA transfers tend to be low, as long as no currency conversion is involved.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

Scammers regularly send fake invoices containing new bank details. The fact that BLICCHGG exists is no guarantee that the account is genuine – fraudsters use real bank codes as well.

Do not rely on contact details in the same message that announces the change. Pressure and requests to keep it quiet tend to be warning signs; a genuine business can wait for you to check. When money was sent to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately – speed improves the chance of getting it back.

Recipients are targeted too: a classic trick is a buyer who pays too much followed by a request to refund the difference. A payment confirmation from the sender proves nothing.

Incoming international payments to HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA

When you are waiting for a payment from another country, give the sender a complete set of details. In practice that means: your full name as registered with HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA, your IBAN or account number, the BIC BLICCHGGXXX (or BLICCHGG) and sometimes your address.

It helps to include HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA and its city as well, since some forms ask for it. A mistake in the IBAN can be harder to fix than it looks.

What lands in your account can be less than what was sent. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the currency changes, an exchange rate margin comes on top. On invoices, you can state who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.

What the XXX in BLICCHGGXXX means

The structure of every SWIFT code never changes: a bank code of four letters, a two-letter country code and two for the location. Combined, those parts make up BLICCHGG, the code most people search for.

Many payment forms work with either length. If yours asks for eleven characters, enter BLICCHGGXXX.

Enter the code in one piece, in capitals and without spaces. Look out for O versus 0 or the letter I and the digit 1, a common source of typos.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA

There is no fixed delivery time for international payments: many land within a day. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country can add extra days to the journey. Occasionally a bank wants to know what the payment is for.

When a payment takes longer than expected, ask your bank about the status and the transaction reference. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms.

Only the sending bank can start an official trace; the receiving side usually has nothing to trace yet. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation.

What a transfer from HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA abroad really costs

When you send money abroad via HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA, the fee you see is only part of the cost. Besides a fixed fee, banks in between may take a cut, and if the money changes currency, the bank often applies a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

Banks rarely show their exchange rate markup separately – you only notice it if you compare. A simple test: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

For many routes, a transfer service is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the exchange rate. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives across providers, so you can pick the cheapest route. You can still keep your account at HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA to fund the transfer, while a cheaper service handles the conversion.