National Treasury Services PLC SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC code of National Treasury Services PLC

NATVGB21 and NATVGB21XXX are two spellings of the same SWIFT/BIC code, and both lead to National Treasury Services PLC in London. A SWIFT code shows the banks handling a payment exactly which bank should receive the money. You will need it mostly for payments that cross a border and payments in foreign currencies.

On this page you will find how the code means, when it matters and which other details a transfer to or from National Treasury Services PLC requires. Remember that the SWIFT code just identifies the bank, not the person: the account number or IBAN does that part.

About this information

The codes on this page are taken from public sources. Institutions reorganise, change names and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. Figures such as the number of codes come from our own dataset and may differ from what National Treasury Services PLC publishes.

Before any payment that matters, always confirm the BIC with National Treasury Services PLC or the recipient. We are an independent comparison site for money transfers and not affiliated with National Treasury Services PLC. Should you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a message.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to National Treasury Services PLC

There is no single answer for every transfer: some land the same day or the next while others need several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on a weekend or public holiday usually go out the next business day. Occasionally a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment before releasing it.

When a payment takes longer than expected, contact your bank about the status. Keep your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms.

A missing payment has to be traced by the sending bank. Ask the sender for the payment receipt; that often settles the question quickly.

Receiving money from abroad at National Treasury Services PLC

For an international payment at National Treasury Services PLC, the person paying you needs more than the SWIFT code. In practice that means: your name as registered with National Treasury Services PLC, your IBAN or account number, the BIC NATVGB21XXX and sometimes your postal address.

Certain sending banks also ask for the name and address of National Treasury Services PLC in London; it does no harm to include it. Double-check each detail before you share them, because the sender’s bank usually copies them as is.

The amount you receive can be lower than the amount sent. Correspondent banks can take a fee, National Treasury Services PLC may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate comes on top. On invoices, it is common to agree how the fees are split to avoid a shortfall.

What the XXX in NATVGB21XXX means

Each SWIFT/BIC code has the same eight core characters: a four-letter bank code, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. For National Treasury Services PLC, the 8-character core is NATVGB21.

The 11-character version has three more characters that identify a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, they simply mean the head office.

Enter the code in one piece, in capitals and without separators. Copying the code beats retyping it, because one wrong letter changes the bank.

SEPA payments and the National Treasury Services PLC BIC

Because United Kingdom is part of SEPA, a euro transfer to National Treasury Services PLC from another SEPA country usually only needs the IBAN. Most banking apps do not require the BIC in that case or fill it in for you.

You still need NATVGB21XXX when sending payments in other currencies or money from outside the SEPA area. Some forms still ask for the BIC out of habit; in that case, fill in NATVGB21.

SEPA transfers usually arrive by the next business day. Provided no currency is converted, the transfer tends to be cheap; costs rise once a conversion is involved.

Watch out for payment fraud

Be alert when someone suddenly wants you to send money to another account abroad. A valid SWIFT code tells you nothing about whether the request is genuine – scammers simply use real codes.

Before paying, verify changed bank details through a phone call. Be suspicious of time pressure, unusual wording or a sender address that is slightly off. When a payment was sent to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Recipients 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 screenshot of a transfer proves nothing – check your own account.

National Treasury Services PLC: head office code versus branch codes

Having 3 codes, National Treasury Services PLC is one of the banks that register separate codes for parts of the organisation. The head office code remains NATVGB21XXX.

For most incoming transfers, the head office code NATVGB21XXX works fine. If you have been given a branch code, stick to it rather than replacing it with the head office code.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying for the exact BIC in their bank details. Codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise.

Before you send: check the National Treasury Services PLC code

Ask the recipient to send you the bank details straight from their online banking. When the code you were given does not match NATVGB21 or NATVGB21XXX, stop and ask – contact the recipient or National Treasury Services PLC.

If the code is wrong, the payment may get stuck, bounce back or end up costing more, and tracing it can take weeks. A mistake in the IBAN or account number is more serious because it can reach the wrong person, so check that just as carefully.

Most online banking apps check the format of an IBAN and some suggest the matching BIC, but that does not prove the account belongs to the right person. Where available, a name check on the recipient gives extra certainty. A small test payment can be a sensible step for a large first payment.

The British Pound and what conversion costs you

The currency in United Kingdom is the British Pound (GBP). Money sent in a different currency will be exchanged into GBP – and the bank that does it picks the rate. There is rarely a separate charge for that conversion; it is built into the rate.

Where the conversion happens affects how much arrives, as rates and margins differ per bank. In many cases it is cheaper to send GBP straight away through a provider with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert.

Rates for GBP change during the day, and some providers let you lock in a rate. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate add up over time.

What a transfer from National Treasury Services PLC abroad really costs

What you pay for an international transfer has several parts – not just the fee on your screen. There is the fee for the transfer itself, possibly charges from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup when the money is converted.

The markup on the rate tends to be the biggest cost because it is hidden in the rate. Check their rate with the mid-market rate; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For many routes, a transfer service is less expensive than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the rate. GoldexPay lists transfer providers next to each other, showing the amount the recipient gets before you commit. You can always use your account at National Treasury Services PLC.