Starling Bank Limited SWIFT/BIC code

What SRLGGB2L means for a payment to Starling Bank Limited

SRLGGB2L and SRLGGB2LXXX are the short and the long form of the same bank identifier, and both lead to Starling Bank Limited in London. The code does one job: it makes sure that a cross-border transfer ends up at the right bank. In daily life you mostly come across it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and in the bank details that Starling Bank Limited provides.

Further down we go through the practical side: receiving money at Starling Bank Limited, paying someone in another country and how to verify a SWIFT code before you confirm a payment. A SWIFT code identifies a bank or branch, not a specific account.

Starling Bank Limited: head office code versus branch codes

We have 2 SWIFT/BIC codes for Starling Bank Limited. Next to the head office code SRLGGB2LXXX, there are codes for regional offices and specialised units.

For most incoming transfers, the head office code SRLGGB2LXXX is what you need. If you have been given a specific code, stick to it rather than swapping it with the head office code.

The best way is to copy the code straight from the account holder’s bank details. Codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise, so a code from an old document is not always valid.

Changed bank details? Be careful

One of the most common tricks works like this: you receive a request claiming that a contact has new bank details. A correct SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Always verify changed bank details by phone. Pressure and requests to keep it quiet tend to be red flags. If a payment was sent to the wrong account, contact your bank immediately.

People receiving money are targeted too: one known trick is an overpayment followed by a request to refund the difference. Do not act before the money has really arrived.

What the XXX in SRLGGB2LXXX means

Each SWIFT/BIC code starts with an 8-character core: a four-letter bank code, two letters for the country and a two-character location code. In this case, the 8-character core is SRLGGB2L.

XXX at the end of SRLGGB2LXXX is not a missing value or a mistake: it indicates the main office of Starling Bank Limited. Certain payment forms insist on 11 characters, and then you simply enter XXX after SRLGGB2L.

In practice the code is typed in capitals. A wrong letter can send the money to another bank, so copy it carefully.

Euro transfers to Starling Bank Limited: is a BIC needed?

United Kingdom is part of the SEPA area. When you send euros from another SEPA country, you normally only need the IBAN and the BIC is often filled in automatically.

You still need SRLGGB2LXXX for non-euro payments or money from outside the SEPA area. A few forms still ask for the BIC; in that case, fill in SRLGGB2L.

Instant payments in euros are increasingly supported across SEPA. Fees for SEPA transfers are generally low, as long as no currency conversion is involved.

Tracking a transfer to or from Starling Bank Limited

A SWIFT payment usually takes anywhere from one to several business days, depending on the currency, the route and the banks involved. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before weekends and holidays usually start a business day later. Sometimes a bank asks about the purpose of a payment, which can hold things up.

When a payment takes longer than expected, contact your bank for the status. Keep the payment confirmation.

A missing payment is investigated from the sending side. Ask the sender for the payment receipt; that often settles the question quickly.

Getting paid from abroad into a Starling Bank Limited account

When you expect a payment from another country, give the sender everything they need in one go. In practice that means: your name as registered with Starling Bank Limited, your account number or IBAN, the BIC SRLGGB2LXXX (or SRLGGB2L) and sometimes your address.

Some banks also ask for the address of Starling Bank Limited. A typo in the IBAN can be more trouble than it looks; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

Expect that the incoming amount is below the amount on the sender’s receipt. Charges on incoming payments vary from bank to bank – the price list of Starling Bank Limited tells you what applies. Agree with the sender who pays which costs.

Paying someone abroad from your Starling Bank Limited account

An international bank payment can cost more than the listed fee. On top of the transfer fee, correspondent or intermediary banks may take a cut, and when the money changes currency the bank usually uses a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

Many banks do not show the margin on the rate as a cost, but you pay it all the same. An easy check: set the bank’s rate next to the mid-market rate for the same moment and look at the difference.

Money transfer services often use a rate near the mid-market rate and lower fees. GoldexPay compares what recipients receive across providers, so you can pick the cheapest route. You can still keep your account at Starling Bank Limited to fund the transfer.

Sending GBP to Starling Bank Limited

Most accounts at Starling Bank Limited are typically held in GBP, the local currency of United Kingdom. If you send money in a different currency gets converted somewhere along the way. Each conversion eats into something, even when no fee is shown.

Who does the conversion affects how much arrives. In many cases you pay less if you send GBP directly via a transfer service with a good rate.

The GBP rate fluctuates throughout the day and quotes are often valid only for a short time. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate add up over a year.

About this information

The codes here come from public sources. Banks reorganise, change names and retire codes, and a directory never catches every change immediately. The number of codes we show are based on what is in our directory.

Before a payment of any size, always check the code with Starling Bank Limited or with the recipient. GoldexPay is a comparison site for money transfers and not affiliated with Starling Bank Limited. If you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a message via the contact page.

How to check SRLGGB2L before you pay

Ask the recipient to copy their account details straight from their online banking. If the code you have does not match SRLGGB2L or SRLGGB2LXXX, do not guess.

If the code is wrong, the transfer might get stuck, be returned or cost extra, and tracing it can take weeks. An error in the account number is a bigger problem, because the money may be credited to someone else.

Most online banking apps check the structure of an IBAN. Where available, a payee name check before sending gives an extra layer of safety. A small test payment is worth it for large sums despite the extra fee.