Westpac Banking Corporation SWIFT/BIC code

What WPACGB2L means for a payment to Westpac Banking Corporation

The short code WPACGB2L and the 11-character code WPACGB2LXXX refer to the same bank: Westpac Banking Corporation. The code does one job: it ensures that money from abroad reaches the right bank. You will need it mainly when dealing with transfers between countries.

Further down we go through the practical questions: money coming in from abroad, paying someone in another country and how to check a SWIFT code before you hit send. The BIC identifies a bank or branch, not a specific account, which is why you always need the account number too.

Getting paid from abroad into a Westpac Banking Corporation account

If you are waiting for a payment from another country, give the sender a complete set of details. In practice that means: your full name exactly as it appears on the account, your account number or IBAN, the SWIFT/BIC code WPACGB2LXXX and, often, your address.

It helps to include the bank name and London too, since some forms ask for it. A mistake in your account number is harder to fix than it looks, so copy the details from your online banking.

The amount you receive is often lower than the amount sent. Fees for incoming transfers differ from bank to bank. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees, especially for larger amounts.

Scams that use SWIFT codes

Be alert if someone unexpectedly wants you to pay into another account abroad. A correct SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account.

Always confirm a change of bank details by phone, using a number you already had. Watch out for urgent requests, odd spelling or a sender address that is slightly off. If money was sent to a fraudster, contact your bank immediately: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Scams can also target the receiver: someone sends more than agreed and wants you to return the extra to a new account. A payment confirmation from the sender proves nothing.

British Pound (GBP) and conversion costs

The national currency of United Kingdom is the British Pound (GBP). A payment in a foreign currency is converted into GBP before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate. You rarely see a separate charge for that conversion.

Where the conversion happens affects the final amount. Often you pay less to send GBP directly through a transfer service that converts near the mid-market rate, so that the receiving bank does not need to convert again.

The rate for GBP changes constantly. For recurring payments, small differences in the rate add up over time.

Sending money abroad from Westpac Banking Corporation

If you transfer money to another country through Westpac Banking Corporation, the visible fee is only part of the cost. Besides the transfer fee, correspondent or intermediary banks may take a cut, and when the money changes currency, the bank often uses a rate that is less favourable than the actual market rate.

The real cost is often in the rate, rather than in the fee: many banks convert using an exchange rate with a margin built in. Compare the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate. The difference is your real conversion cost.

For many currency pairs, a transfer service turns out to be cheaper than a traditional bank transfer – mostly thanks to the rate. GoldexPay compares the amount that arrives with different providers. You can still use your account at Westpac Banking Corporation to fund the transfer.

How to check WPACGB2L before you pay

The most reliable source for the BIC is the bank details provided by the recipient: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. When the code you were given differs from WPACGB2L or WPACGB2LXXX, do not guess: check with the recipient or with Westpac Banking Corporation directly.

An incorrect BIC may lead to delays, a returned payment or additional charges for investigation. Do not forget the account number: a mistake there is harder to correct than a wrong code.

An automatic check by your bank merely confirms that the IBAN exists – not that it belongs to the person you mean to pay. Some banks now compare the name against the account. When you pay someone new, many people start with a small test amount.

WPACGB2L or WPACGB2LXXX – which one to use?

A SWIFT code is made up of a few fixed parts: characters one to four identify the bank, the next two show the country and characters seven and eight indicate the location. That gives you WPACGB2L, the short form of the code.

Many banks and apps work with both lengths. If yours asks for eleven characters, use WPACGB2LXXX, otherwise WPACGB2L is fine.

As a rule the code is written in capitals and without spaces. A wrong character may route the money to a different institution, so copy it carefully.

Head office or branch code at Westpac Banking Corporation?

Having 2 codes in 1 cities, Westpac Banking Corporation is one of the banks that register separate codes for branches and departments. The head office code remains WPACGB2LXXX.

For the vast majority of incoming transfers, the head office code WPACGB2LXXX works fine. A branch code only makes sense when the account holder specifically asks for it, which is more common for business accounts and specialised services.

If you are not sure, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Branch codes can change over time, so a code from an old document is not always valid.

Do you need WPACGB2L for a SEPA transfer?

Within the SEPA zone, euro payments to an account in United Kingdom follow the same rules, so the IBAN does the job in most cases. A field for the BIC is often optional in that case.

For anything other than euros and for senders outside SEPA, WPACGB2LXXX or WPACGB2L is still part of the payment details. If a payment form has a field for the BIC anyway, entering WPACGB2L is fine.

Instant euro transfers have become widely supported within SEPA – whether Westpac Banking Corporation offers them for your account is worth checking. As long as the payment stays in euros, a SEPA transfer tends to be cheap; costs rise once a conversion is involved.

When will the money arrive at Westpac Banking Corporation?

A SWIFT payment usually needs one to a few business days. Bank holidays in the sending or receiving country add extra days to the journey. Occasionally a bank asks what the payment is for.

If a transfer seems late, contact the sending bank for the tracking status or the UETR; with that reference banks can see where the payment is. Money transfer services usually show tracking online so you can see how far the money has got.

The bank that sent the money can request a trace; the receiving side usually has nothing to trace yet. On the receiving end, it helps to check your account for a slightly lower amount.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

The details here come from public sources which we refresh regularly. Institutions reorganise, change names and retire codes, and a directory never catches every change immediately. The figures on this page reflect our own data and not on information from Westpac Banking Corporation itself.

For a payment that matters, confirm the code with the recipient’s bank or the recipient. We are an independent comparison site for money transfers and not part of Westpac Banking Corporation. Found outdated information? Let us know through the contact page and we will look into it.