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

Finding a SWIFT code in United Kingdom

For United Kingdom our database holds 20757 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 4648 institutions. You will need a SWIFT/BIC code mainly for international transfers, and especially for payments in foreign currencies.

Search for the recipient’s bank in the list and click through 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 to United Kingdom at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

Sending GBP to United Kingdom

United Kingdom uses the British Pound, with the currency code GBP. If you send money in a different currency, it gets converted at some point.

Who converts the money makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. In many cases you pay less to send GBP straight away through a provider with a good rate rather than letting the receiving bank convert. Rates for GBP move all the time.

Banks in United Kingdom beginning with the letter :letter

You are looking at a filtered list: only banks in United Kingdom with a name starting with :letter. The totals mentioned above still cover all banks in United Kingdom.

Bank not listed? Its official name might start with a different letter, for example the full legal name rather than a brand name. The full overview for United Kingdom is one click away if you cannot find the bank here.

Verifying a SWIFT code from United Kingdom

Have the recipient copy the account details directly from a recent statement. If the code you have differs from our list, stop and ask.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and update our list regularly. Even so, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes. Before any payment of any size, confirm the code with the recipient’s bank. We are a comparison service for money transfers, not a bank.

Be wary of invoices containing changed bank details – a common fraud method. Always verify a change of bank details by phone.

Sending money to United Kingdom for less

A bank transfer to United Kingdom often costs rather more than the fee suggests. Besides the fee, intermediary banks may deduct a charge, and when the money is converted the bank usually applies a less favourable rate than the real market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, not in the fee: banks convert at a rate with a margin built in. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites; the gap is what conversion costs you.

For a lot of routes, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer, mainly because of the rate. GoldexPay lists these providers next to each other, showing what actually arrives in United Kingdom.

Most SWIFT codes in United Kingdom: HSBC Bank PLC

Of all banks we list for United Kingdom, HSBC Bank PLC is listed with the largest number of SWIFT codes. The head office of HSBC Bank PLC has HBUKGB41XXX.

The number of codes tells you more about how it registers branches and services than about how big it is. Making a payment to HSBC Bank PLC? Go with HBUKGB41XXX unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

The structure of a United Kingdom SWIFT/BIC code

SWIFT/BIC codes use the same format worldwide: 8 characters. The first four letters stand for the bank, characters five and six are the country code and the next two give the location.

Whatever the bank, every code from United Kingdom have the same fifth and sixth letters. If the country letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else, so check again.

The optional last three characters stand for a branch or department; XXX means the head office. Use a branch code only if the recipient’s bank asks for it – otherwise stick with the head office.

When does money sent to United Kingdom arrive?

There is no single delivery time for transfers to United Kingdom: some land within a day while others need several business days. Payments made late in the day or just before a weekend or public holiday usually start the next business day.

If a transfer is delayed, ask the sender to contact the sending bank and ask for the status or the UETR. Keep the payment confirmation – you will need it if something goes wrong.

Incoming international payments in United Kingdom

If you are waiting for a payment from another country in United Kingdom, give the sender a complete set of details. In practice that means: your name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and, often, your address.

Find your bank in the list above – your bank statement is the final word. Some banks may also want your bank’s address, so keep it at hand.

Expect that the incoming amount is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Correspondent banks can take a fee, your bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate comes on top. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

Paying in euros to United Kingdom

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to United Kingdom follow the same rules and in most cases need only the IBAN. The BIC field is usually optional in that case.

You still need the BIC for payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Euro payments within SEPA normally land within one business day or faster with instant payments. As long as no conversion is involved, a SEPA transfer tends to be cheap.