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

Bank SWIFT codes for United Kingdom

For United Kingdom our database holds 20757 SWIFT/BIC codes. You will need such a code mostly when making international transfers.

Each bank has its own page with its main code and if there are any, branch codes. Below the list we explain how a code from United Kingdom is put together, how to send money there at a fair price and what to check before you pay.

Paying in GBP: what conversion costs you

United Kingdom pays in the British Pound (GBP). If you send another currency, it has to be converted somewhere along the way – by your bank, a bank in between or the recipient’s bank.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on the final amount, since every bank sets its own rate. 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. On larger amounts, even a small difference in the rate adds up quickly.

United Kingdom and the SEPA area

Within the SEPA zone, euro transfers to United Kingdom use the same rules, so the IBAN does the job in most cases. A field for the BIC is usually optional in that case.

You will still need the BIC when sending payments in other currencies or transfers from countries outside SEPA. Instant payments in euros have become increasingly supported across SEPA – check whether your bank supports them. Fees are generally low as long as everything stays in euros.

How SWIFT codes from United Kingdom are built

Bank identifier codes follow the same format worldwide: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. Characters one to four stand for the bank, the fifth and sixth characters form the country code and characters seven and eight mark the location.

Whatever the bank, every code from United Kingdom share the same country code in positions five and six. If the country letters point to another country, the code belongs to a bank somewhere else – worth double-checking.

The optional last three characters stand for a branch or department; XXX is used for the head office. Use a branch code only when the recipient explicitly gives you one; otherwise the head office code is the safe choice.

Banks in United Kingdom starting with :letter

This list shows only the banks in United Kingdom whose name starts with :letter in alphabetical order. The figures for United Kingdom mentioned here cover every bank we list.

Some banks appear under their official name, which may start with words like Bank or Banco, so the letter can differ from what you expect. The full overview for United Kingdom remains available if you cannot find the bank here.

What a sender needs to pay you in United Kingdom

If you are waiting for a payment from another country on an account in United Kingdom, send the payer a complete set of details. Give them the account holder’s name, the IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and your address.

Look up your bank in the list on this page and compare the code with your own bank details, but take the code from your own bank details when in doubt. You can include your bank’s name and city as well because some forms have separate fields for it.

Expect that the incoming amount is below what the sender paid. Fees for incoming transfers differ from bank to bank. On invoices, state who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

How reliable is this list?

Have the recipient copy their bank details straight from their banking app. When the code you were given does not match our list, stop and ask – contact the recipient or their bank.

The directory on GoldexPay is compiled from publicly available sources. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes and our data may lag behind. Treat this list as a reference rather than the last word; the recipient’s bank details are leading. GoldexPay is an independent comparison site and is not affiliated with the banks listed.

Watch out for invoices containing changed bank details, especially when they come by email. Before paying, verify a change of bank details through a separate channel, using a number you already had.

Transfer times to United Kingdom

There is no fixed answer for transfers to United Kingdom: many arrive within a day. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday usually go out a business day later.

A growing number of banks use SWIFT gpi, which lets them follow a payment from bank to bank. Each gpi transfer gets a unique transaction reference, the UETR, which the sending bank can use to trace it. Specialist transfer services often provide tracking in their app, which makes it easier to see where the money is.

Sending money to United Kingdom for less

What you pay for a transfer to United Kingdom is made up of more than one component – not only the fee you see. You pay a transfer fee, sometimes charges from intermediary banks and, above all, the margin on the exchange rate when currencies differ.

That exchange rate margin is often the biggest part of the cost, even though it is not listed as a fee. A simple test: put the offered rate against the mid-market rate and look at the difference.

Money transfer services often use a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. Before your next transfer to United Kingdom, it is worth comparing the total cost via GoldexPay rather than accepting the first rate you see.

Which bank in United Kingdom has the most codes?

HSBC Bank PLC leads our list of United Kingdom banks when it comes to the number of SWIFT/BIC codes. The head office of HSBC Bank PLC has HBUKGB41XXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

Practice differs in whether they register branch codes – a high count is not a measure of size. Unless a branch code is given, the head office code HBUKGB41XXX works for a payment to HSBC Bank PLC.