Banco Santander S.A. SWIFT/BIC code

Banco Santander S.A. SWIFT code: BSCHGB2L

The 8-character code BSCHGB2L and the full code BSCHGB2LXXX refer to one and the same institution: Banco Santander S.A.. The code does one job: it ensures that a cross-border transfer reaches the right bank. It comes up mainly when dealing with payments that cross a border and payments in foreign currencies.

On this page you can read what the code means, when you need it and what else a transfer to or from Banco Santander S.A. requires. The SWIFT code on its own does not identify an individual account holder; that is what the IBAN or account number is for.

When will the money arrive at Banco Santander S.A.?

An international transfer typically takes anywhere from one to several business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Weekends and public holidays in either country can add a day or more to the journey. Extra checks by one of the banks can also add a delay, regardless of the details.

A growing number of banks are connected to SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Every payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR. Specialist transfer services often provide tracking in their app showing how far the payment has got.

Only the sending bank can request a trace or a recall – the recipient’s bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. As a recipient, it helps to check your account to see a partial amount.

A note on our data

The details on this page are taken from public sources that we update regularly. It can happen that a code on this page is out of date, for example after a merger. The number of codes we show are based on what is in our directory, not official figures from Banco Santander S.A..

For a payment of any size, always check the code with the recipient’s bank or the recipient. GoldexPay has no connection to Banco Santander S.A.; we are a comparison site for money transfers. Should you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a short note.

The British Pound and what conversion costs you

United Kingdom pays in the British Pound (GBP). A payment in a foreign currency is converted into GBP. Each conversion eats into the amount.

Who converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Transferring the amount already in GBP usually prevents an extra conversion at the receiving end – as long as your own rate is good.

The rate for GBP changes constantly, so the amount you see is usually only valid for a short time. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

Why Banco Santander S.A. 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 a two-character location code, sometimes followed by a branch code. That gives you BSCHGB2L.

The 11-character version adds a three-character extension for a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, they simply mean the head office, which is why BSCHGB2LXXX and BSCHGB2L lead to the same place.

Type the code as one block, in upper case and without separators. Pasting the code is safer than typing it by hand, because one wrong letter changes the bank.

Sending money abroad from Banco Santander S.A.

When you send money abroad through Banco Santander S.A., the fee you see is rarely all of the cost. There is the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes fees charged by intermediary banks in between and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate when the money is converted.

The markup on the rate is often the biggest cost, and it is easy to miss. A simple test: put the rate you get next to the mid-market rate for the same moment and work out the difference on your amount.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider is cheaper than a traditional bank transfer. Before your next transfer, it is worth to compare the total cost via GoldexPay. Choosing a specialist does not mean closing your account at Banco Santander S.A. – you pay the provider from your own account.

Before you send: check the Banco Santander S.A. code

The safest source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. Check it with BSCHGB2L on this page; if they differ, ask before you pay.

An incorrect BIC may lead to delays, a returned payment or extra fees along the way. An error in the IBAN or account number is a bigger problem because it can reach the wrong person, so check that just as carefully.

An automatic check in your banking app only confirms that the IBAN is valid, not that it is the right account. More and more banks check the name against the account before you confirm. When you pay someone new, some people send a small amount first.

Do you need BSCHGB2L for a SEPA transfer?

United Kingdom belongs to the SEPA area, where euro transfers follow common rules. When you send euros from another SEPA country, you normally only need the IBAN; many banks no longer ask for the BIC.

A SWIFT code like BSCHGB2L still matter when the currency is not euros and when the money comes from outside SEPA. If your banking app asks for the BIC anyway, entering BSCHGB2L does no harm.

Instant euro transfers have become widely available within SEPA. Charges on SEPA payments are generally low.

What to give a sender who pays you at Banco Santander S.A.

If you expect a payment from another country, send the payer a complete set of details. What they need is: your name, IBAN or account number, BSCHGB2LXXX and often your home address.

Certain sending banks also ask for the address of Banco Santander S.A., so keep it at hand. Check each detail before you send them.

Money from abroad will not always arrive in full. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee and your own bank may charge for processing, and if the currency changes, an exchange rate margin comes on top. For business payments, it is common to agree who bears the costs.

Watch out for payment fraud

Fraudsters regularly send fake invoices containing changed bank details, sometimes in an email that looks completely genuine. A valid SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account – scammers simply use real codes.

Check changed bank details via a different channel, never via the email that asked for the change. Urgency and requests to keep it quiet are warning signs. Acted too fast? Contact your bank straight away and ask them to start a recall and report the fraud.

People receiving money are targeted too: a classic trick is an overpayment and then sends a request to refund the difference abroad. Do not act before the money has really arrived – ask Banco Santander S.A. if something looks wrong.

Head office or branch code at Banco Santander S.A.?

Our database contains 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Banco Santander S.A. in 1 cities. Besides the head office code BSCHGB2LXXX, there are codes for branches, departments or specific services.

For the vast majority of incoming transfers, the head office code BSCHGB2LXXX is the right choice. Only use a branch code when the recipient explicitly asks for it.

The best way is to take the code straight from the recipient’s statement. Branch codes are more prone to be retired than BSCHGB2LXXX.