Fairfax I.s. PLC SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of Fairfax I.s. PLC

The 8-character code FRFXGB21 and the full code FRFXGB21XXX identify one and the same institution: Fairfax I.s. PLC. A BIC does one job: it ensures that an international payment ends up at the right bank. In daily life you mostly see the code on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and in the bank details of Fairfax I.s. PLC customers.

This page is meant to help people who receives money at an account at Fairfax I.s. PLC. The SWIFT code on its own does not identify an individual account holder; for that you need the IBAN or account number .

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Fairfax I.s. PLC

There is no fixed delivery time: some arrive the same day or the next while others need several business days. Transfers sent late in the day or on a weekend or public holiday often go out a business day later. Extra checks by one of the banks can also cause some delay.

If the money is late, ask the sending bank for the tracking status or the UETR; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Specialist transfer services usually show a status online so you can see where the money has got.

If a payment has not arrived within the expected time, the person who paid needs to contact their own bank rather than Fairfax I.s. PLC. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation; that often settles the question quickly.

Incoming international payments to Fairfax I.s. PLC

A sender in another country will ask for a few details about your account, and missing ones are a common cause of delays. What they need is: the account holder’s name, IBAN or account number, FRFXGB21XXX or FRFXGB21 and often your postal address.

Some sending banks want the bank’s address in London; it does no harm to include it. Double-check every detail before you send them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

Expect that the incoming amount is below what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee, Fairfax I.s. PLC may charge for incoming payments, and if the currency changes, an exchange rate margin comes on top. For business payments, it is common to agree who bears the costs.

Why Fairfax I.s. PLC has an 8- and an 11-character code

Every SWIFT/BIC code starts with an 8-character core: a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. For Fairfax I.s. PLC, the 8-character core is FRFXGB21.

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 FRFXGB21XXX and FRFXGB21 lead to the same place.

Do not add spaces or dashes when you type FRFXGB21 or FRFXGB21XXX. Look out for the letter O and the digit 0 and the letter I and the digit 1, a common source of typos.

Changed bank details? Be careful

Stay wary if someone unexpectedly asks you to send money to a different account. A correct SWIFT code says nothing about who owns the account – scammers simply use real codes.

Verify changed bank details through a separate channel, not by replying to the message. Be suspicious of time pressure, odd spelling or an email address that differs by one letter. Acted too fast? Contact the bank you paid from straight away and ask them to start a recall.

Fraud also work the other way: someone claims to have sent more than agreed and wants you to refund the extra to a new account. Wait until the money has really arrived.

The British Pound and what conversion costs you

The national currency in United Kingdom is the British Pound (GBP). A payment in a foreign currency is converted into GBP before it reaches the account, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. You rarely see a separate charge for the conversion; it is built into the rate.

Who converts the payment makes a difference, because each party uses its own rate. Check how much GBP the recipient gets via several services before choosing one.

Exchange rates change all the time. For recurring payments, a slightly better rate make a real difference over time.

What a transfer from Fairfax I.s. PLC abroad really costs

If you transfer money to another country from Fairfax I.s. PLC, the visible fee is rarely all of the cost. On top of a fixed fee, correspondent or intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and when the money changes currency the bank usually applies a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

That exchange rate margin tends to be the largest item even though it is not listed as a fee. Check the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites. The difference is your real conversion cost.

For a lot of routes, a specialist provider is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the rate. On GoldexPay you can compare what recipients receive across services, so you can pick the cheapest route. Using a transfer service does not mean closing your account at Fairfax I.s. PLC.

Euro transfers to Fairfax I.s. PLC: is a BIC needed?

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

You will still need FRFXGB21XXX for payments in other currencies or money from outside the SEPA area. If a payment form asks for the BIC anyway, adding FRFXGB21 is fine.

Instant payments in euros are widely available across SEPA – whether Fairfax I.s. PLC offers them for your account is worth checking. Fees for SEPA payments are generally low, as long as no currency conversion is involved.

How to check FRFXGB21 before you pay

Ask the recipient to copy their bank details directly from their online banking. Compare that code against FRFXGB21 on this page.

If the code is wrong, the payment might get stuck, bounce back or end up costing more, and tracing it can take weeks. A mistake in the account number can be more serious, because the money may be credited to someone else.

An automatic check in your banking app only confirms that the IBAN is valid – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. Some banks now check the name with the account before you confirm. For a first payment, some people send a small amount first.

Choosing between the 2 SWIFT codes of Fairfax I.s. PLC

Having 2 codes in 1 cities, Fairfax I.s. PLC is one of the banks that register individual codes for branches. The head office code is FRFXGB21XXX.

Usually you do not need to look up a branch: transfers addressed to FRFXGB21XXX are routed within Fairfax I.s. PLC without problems. A branch code only makes sense if the account holder explicitly mentions it, which is more common for corporate accounts and specialised services.

Not sure which code applies? Ask the recipient or the bank itself. Branch codes are sometimes changed or retired over time, so a code from an old document is not always valid.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

This directory draws on public sources and we update it periodically. Institutions merge, change names and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Counts and locations are from our directory.

Treat our data as a starting point, not as the final word. GoldexPay is independent of Fairfax I.s. PLC. If you notice a mistake, we appreciate a message via the contact page.