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

United Kingdom: banks and their SWIFT/BIC codes

This overview lists 4648 banks and other institutions in United Kingdom, with 20757 SWIFT/BIC codes in total. You need a SWIFT/BIC code mostly when making payments across borders and for payments in a foreign currency.

Look for the bank you need below and open its page for all codes we have and what else a transfer requires. Further down we explain how codes from United Kingdom are built, how to send money to United Kingdom at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

What the letters in a United Kingdom BIC mean

Each SWIFT/BIC code consists of eight or eleven characters in a fixed order. It starts with four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

Whatever the bank, all United Kingdom codes share the same country code in positions five and six, namely the ISO code of United Kingdom. Codes with other letters in that position belong to another country, even if the bank name looks familiar.

If the last three are XXX, it means the head office and the short version works just as well. For most transfers the head office code is fine.

The largest SWIFT network in United Kingdom: HSBC Bank PLC

Of the 4648 banks in United Kingdom, HSBC Bank PLC is listed with the most SWIFT codes. Its main office has HBUKGB41XXX.

How many codes a bank has says something about how it organises its payments than about how big it is. Making a payment to HSBC Bank PLC? Go with HBUKGB41XXX unless a specific branch code is requested.

Check the code before you pay

Ask the recipient to copy their bank details straight from their online banking. If the code you have does not match our list, do not guess.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes using publicly available data and update them from time to time. Banks merge, close branches and retire codes, and no directory catches every change immediately. Use our data as a starting point rather than the last word; the recipient’s bank details are leading. GoldexPay is a comparison site, not a bank.

Be wary of payment requests containing a new account, especially when they come by email. A valid BIC says nothing about whether a request is genuine.

Banks in United Kingdom beginning with the letter :letter

Here you see a selection: just institutions in United Kingdom with a name starting with :letter. The figures for United Kingdom mentioned here apply to all 4648 banks and not only this letter.

If a bank is missing here, check another letter. Use the full list for United Kingdom if you are not sure how the name is spelled.

Sending money to United Kingdom for less

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

The markup on the rate is often the largest cost item, even though it is not listed as a fee. An easy check: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and work out the difference on your amount.

Specialised transfer providers often use rates closer to the mid-market rate and lower fees. On GoldexPay you can compare the amount that arrives in United Kingdom with different services, so you can pick the cheapest route.

Receiving money in United Kingdom from abroad

Someone abroad who wants to pay you needs a few details from you. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code of your bank and sometimes your postal address.

The code of your bank is in our list. You can include your bank’s name and city because some forms have separate fields for it.

Expect that the incoming amount is smaller than the amount on the sender’s receipt. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and if the money is converted, a markup on the rate applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

United Kingdom and the SEPA area

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 often optional for those payments.

You still need the BIC when sending non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. SEPA transfers normally land within one business day. As long as no conversion is involved, the transfer tends to be inexpensive.

The British Pound (GBP) and conversion costs

Most accounts in United Kingdom are typically held in GBP. When you pay another currency, the amount has to be converted at some point – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Who does the conversion affects the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. Often it is cheaper if you send GBP directly via a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate. Exchange rates change during the day, so a quote is usually valid only briefly.

When does money sent to United Kingdom arrive?

How quickly a payment arrives in United Kingdom is determined by several factors: which currency you send, how many intermediary banks are involved, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Bank holidays in either country add extra days, because banks do not process payments on those days.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi for faster and traceable payments. Each payment carries a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms – you will need it if something goes wrong.