SWIFT/BIC codes in United Kingdom: banks starting with O

Finding a SWIFT code in United Kingdom

Our directory contains 4648 banks and other institutions in United Kingdom and 20757 SWIFT/BIC codes between them. You need such a code mostly when making payments across borders, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Look for the recipient’s bank below and open its page to see all codes we have and the details a transfer needs. Further down you can read how a code from United Kingdom is put together, how to send money there at a fair price and how to check a code before you pay.

Transfer times to United Kingdom

There is no fixed answer for payments to United Kingdom: some land the same day or the next. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday usually start a business day later.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Every payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Save the payment confirmation.

The largest SWIFT network in United Kingdom: HSBC Bank PLC

Of all banks in United Kingdom, HSBC Bank PLC is listed with the most codes. The head office uses HBUKGB41XXX – the code most transfers need.

How many codes a bank has tells you more about how it registers branches and services than about its size. Paying someone at HSBC Bank PLC? Go with HBUKGB41XXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

How SWIFT codes from United Kingdom are built

A BIC is either 8 or 11 characters long and follows a fixed pattern. It starts with a four-letter bank code, then a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

Whatever the bank, every code from United Kingdom have the same country code in positions five and six: the ISO code of the country. When the country letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else, so check again.

If the last three are XXX, it means the head office and the short version works just as well. Choose a branch code only when the recipient explicitly gives you one; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

Sending GBP to United Kingdom

The local currency of United Kingdom is the British Pound (GBP). When you pay another currency, it gets converted somewhere along the way.

Which bank converts the money makes a difference. Check how much GBP the recipient gets via different providers; the difference between options can be larger than you expect. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small difference in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

Paying in euros to United Kingdom

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to United Kingdom use the same rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. A field for the BIC is often optional in that case.

You will still need the BIC when sending payments in other currencies or money from outside the SEPA area. Instant payments in euros have become widely available within SEPA, though not every bank offers them for every account. As long as no conversion is involved, the transfer is usually cheap.

Incoming international payments in United Kingdom

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs a few details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. Give them the account holder’s name, the IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and your address, which some banks require.

Your bank’s code appears in the list on this page, yet the version on your own statement or in your banking app is leading. It helps to include your bank’s name and city as well, since some payment forms ask for it.

Expect that the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers differ per bank; check the price list of your bank. For business payments, state who bears the costs to avoid a shortfall.

Sending money to United Kingdom for less

When you transfer money to United Kingdom with a regular bank, the fee you see is only part of the cost. You pay the transfer fee, possibly charges from intermediary banks along the way and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup when currencies differ.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. A simple test: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

For a lot of currency pairs, a specialist provider turns out to be cheaper than a bank. On GoldexPay you can compare the amount that arrives in United Kingdom across services, so you can pick the cheapest route.

Filter: banks in United Kingdom with :letter

This filter limits the list to banks from United Kingdom that begin with :letter. The totals mentioned above still refer to all banks in United Kingdom and not only this selection.

Bank not listed? Its official name may begin with another word – think of the full legal name instead of the brand. The full overview for United Kingdom remains one click away if the letter filter does not help.

How reliable is this list?

The best place to find the right code remains a document from the bank itself. When the code you were given differs from the code listed here, stop and ask.

We gather bank codes using publicly available data and update our list regularly. Even so, banks merge or change codes. Use our data as a reference. We are an independent comparison site, not a bank.

Scammers regularly use fake invoices carrying new bank details from what looks like a familiar address. Always verify changed details through a separate channel on a number you know.