Valiant Bank AG SWIFT/BIC code

What VABECH22 means for a payment to Valiant Bank AG

The 8-character code VABECH22 and the 11-character code VABECH22XXX refer to the same bank: Valiant Bank AG, with its head office in Berne. The code has a single purpose: it ensures that a cross-border transfer reaches the right bank. It comes up mainly when dealing with transfers between countries or a currency.

Below you will find the practical questions: receiving money at Valiant Bank AG, paying someone in another country and how to verify a SWIFT code before you confirm a payment. A SWIFT code names an institution, not a single account, which is why you always need the account number too.

Is VABECH22 still correct? How to check

Ask the recipient to copy the bank details directly from their online banking. When the code you were given does not match VABECH22 or VABECH22XXX, stop and ask.

Errors in the BIC tend to be costly rather than disastrous – usually the money comes back, minus fees and time lost. A mistake in the account number can be more serious, because the money may be credited to someone else, so check that just as carefully.

Many banking apps validate the format of an IBAN and some suggest the matching BIC, but that does not prove the account belongs to the right person. If your bank offers it, a payee name check before sending adds extra certainty. For a first payment, many people send a small test amount and wait for confirmation.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

The directory on GoldexPay draws on publicly available sources. It is possible that information on this page is no longer current after a merger or reorganisation. The figures on this page reflect our own data.

Treat this page as a starting point, rather than as the last word – the bank details from the recipient are leading. GoldexPay is a comparison service and not part of Valiant Bank AG. Should you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a message.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

One of the most common tricks works like this: you receive a message saying that a supplier has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. That VABECH22 is a real code is no guarantee that the account is genuine – fraudsters use real bank codes as well.

Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a phone call, using a number you already had. Be suspicious of urgent requests, unusual wording or an email address that differs by one letter. Acted too fast? Call the bank you paid from without delay and have them try to recall the payment; also report it to the police.

People receiving money are targeted too: one known trick is a buyer who pays too much and then sends a request to refund the difference to another account. A payment confirmation from the sender proves nothing; only your own account shows what has arrived.

International transfers from Valiant Bank AG: the real cost

The price of a payment abroad has more than one component – not just the fee on your screen. You pay the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes fees charged by intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup when the money is converted.

Banks rarely show their exchange rate markup separately. A simple test: put the bank’s rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For many routes, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. GoldexPay compares these services side by side, showing the amount the recipient gets before you commit. Choosing a specialist does not require leaving Valiant Bank AG: you simply pay the service from your account.

SEPA payments and the Valiant Bank AG BIC

Switzerland is part of the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), where euro transfers follow common rules. For a regular euro transfer within SEPA, the IBAN is usually enough and the BIC is often filled in automatically.

You will still need VABECH22XXX when sending non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. If your banking app has a field for the BIC regardless, entering VABECH22 does no harm.

Euro payments within SEPA usually arrive within one business day, and instant transfers in seconds where both banks support them. Charges on SEPA transfers are generally low.

Which of the 10 codes of Valiant Bank AG do you need?

Having 10 codes in 9 locations, Valiant Bank AG belongs to the banks that register separate codes for parts of the organisation and departments. The head office code is VABECH22XXX.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, go with VABECH22XXX. Just use a branch code when the account holder gives you that exact code, for example on a letter or invoice.

The safest route is to copy the code straight from the account holder’s invoice. Codes for branches are more likely to change than the head office code.

Incoming international payments to Valiant Bank AG

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for several details about your account, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. That means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code VABECH22XXX (or VABECH22) and usually your address.

It helps to include the bank name and Berne as well, since some forms ask for it. A typo in your account number can be more trouble than it looks; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

What lands in your account can be less than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers vary per bank. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs.

How long does an international transfer to Valiant Bank AG take?

A SWIFT payment typically takes anywhere from one to several business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays usually start a business day later. Occasionally a bank wants to know what the payment is for before releasing it.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment carries a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to trace it. Specialist transfer services usually provide tracking in their app showing how far the payment has got.

If the money does not arrive after a few business days, the sender should contact the bank that sent it, not the receiving bank. Request from the sender a copy of the payment confirmation – it helps your own bank look for the money.

Paying into Valiant Bank AG in CHF

Most accounts at Valiant Bank AG are typically held in CHF, the national currency. If you send another currency, the amount gets converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, by Valiant Bank AG or by a bank in between. Each conversion costs the amount.

Who converts the money makes a difference. Compare how much CHF the recipient gets with several providers.

Rates for CHF change all the time – some services let you fix a rate in advance. On larger amounts, a small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

VABECH22 or VABECH22XXX – which one to use?

A SWIFT code is built from fixed blocks: characters one to four stand for the bank, the next two show the country and the two after that indicate the location. Together, those parts form VABECH22 – the version you usually see online.

The 11-character version has a three-character extension for a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, they simply mean the head office, which is why VABECH22XXX and VABECH22 lead to the same place.

In practice the code is written in capitals, without spaces or dashes. Watch for the letter O and the digit 0 and I versus 1, a common source of typos.