Bank Hapoalim B.m. SWIFT/BIC code

What POALUS33 means for a payment to Bank Hapoalim B.m.

The short code POALUS33 and the 11-character code POALUS33XXX refer to one and the same institution: Bank Hapoalim B.m.. Banks worldwide use these codes to route international transfers to the correct bank. You will need it mostly for transfers between countries or a currency.

On this page we explain how the code means, when it matters and which other details you need for a transfer to or from Bank Hapoalim B.m.. The SWIFT code on its own does not identify a personal account; for that you need the IBAN or account number is for.

Head office or branch code at Bank Hapoalim B.m.?

With 5 codes in 4 cities, Bank Hapoalim B.m. belongs to the banks that register individual codes for branches and departments. The head office code remains POALUS33XXX.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, use POALUS33XXX. Just use a branch code when the recipient explicitly asks for it, for example on a letter or invoice.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying for the exact BIC in their bank details. Codes are sometimes changed or retired over time, so do not rely on old paperwork.

Transfer times and tracking a payment to Bank Hapoalim B.m.

There is no fixed answer: many land the same day or the next while others need several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday often go out a business day later. Compliance checks by one of the banks may also cause a delay, even when all details are correct.

When a payment takes longer than expected, contact the sending bank about the tracking status or the UETR so they can trace it along the chain. Specialist transfer services usually provide tracking in their app showing how far the money has got.

Only the sending bank can start an official trace or a recall – the recipient’s bank often cannot see a payment that has not arrived. As a recipient, you can look at your account to see a slightly lower amount.

US Dollar (USD) and conversion costs

United States pays in the US Dollar. When you pay money in a different currency has to be converted at some point – by your bank, by Bank Hapoalim B.m. or by a bank in between. Each conversion eats into the amount, even when no fee is shown.

Who does the conversion has an effect on the final amount, as rates and margins differ per bank. Check how much USD arrives via different services before choosing one.

Rates for USD move all the time, and some providers let you lock in a rate. If you pay regularly, small differences in the rate make a real difference over a year.

Paying someone abroad from your Bank Hapoalim B.m. account

A bank transfer abroad costs more than the fee suggests. There is the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes charges from correspondent banks in between and, most importantly, the exchange rate markup.

Many banks do not show their exchange rate markup as a cost. Check the rate you are offered with the mid-market rate; the gap is what conversion costs you.

Specialist money transfer services frequently offer a rate near the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay lists these services next to each other, showing what actually arrives before you commit. Using a transfer service does not mean leaving Bank Hapoalim B.m. – you pay the provider from your own account.

Where our SWIFT data comes from

The directory on GoldexPay is compiled from publicly available sources and we update it periodically. Still, banks merge, rename themselves or change codes and our data may lag behind. The figures we show reflect our own data.

Use our data as a starting point, not as the final word. GoldexPay is an independent comparison service for money transfers and not affiliated with Bank Hapoalim B.m.. Should you notice something that is out of date, we welcome a short note via the contact page.

Receiving money from abroad at Bank Hapoalim B.m.

Someone abroad who wants to pay you will ask for a few details from you – incomplete details often cause delays. The basics are: the account holder’s name, account number or IBAN, POALUS33XXX or POALUS33 and, for some countries, your postal address.

Some banks want the name and address of Bank Hapoalim B.m., so keep it at hand. Check the details before you send them – a sender rarely spots a mistake in someone else’s details.

An incoming payment will not always land for the full amount. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, Bank Hapoalim B.m. may charge for incoming payments, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin comes on top. Agree with the sender who covers the fees.

Watch out for payment fraud

One of the most common tricks works like this: an email arrives with a message saying that a contact now has a new bank account and that the next payment should go there. That POALUS33 is a real code is no guarantee that the account is legitimate.

Check new payment details through a separate channel, such as a phone number you already know, never via the email that asked for the change. Urgency and requests to keep it quiet tend to be red flags. If a payment was sent to a fraudster, call your bank right away: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Recipients are targeted too: one known trick is a buyer who pays too much and then sends a request to send back the difference. A payment confirmation from the sender proves nothing – check your own account.

8 or 11 characters: POALUS33 versus POALUS33XXX

A BIC is built from fixed blocks: characters one to four identify the bank, characters five and six give the country and characters seven and eight mark the location. For Bank Hapoalim B.m., the 8-character core is POALUS33.

The 11-character version adds three more characters for a branch or department. If the last three are XXX, the code points to the head office, so POALUS33XXX and POALUS33 are interchangeable.

As a rule the code is typed in capitals and without spaces. Watch for O versus 0 or I versus 1, a common source of typos.

How to check POALUS33 before you pay

The safest source for a SWIFT code is the recipient’s own bank details: an invoice, a bank statement or their online banking. Check it against POALUS33 on this page; if they differ, ask before you pay.

A wrong SWIFT code may lead to delays, a returned payment or additional charges for investigation. An error in the account number is a bigger problem; check it just as carefully.

Most online banking apps validate the structure of an IBAN and some suggest the matching BIC, but that does not prove the account belongs to the right person. Some banks now compare the payee name with the account. When you pay someone new, some people send a small amount first before sending the rest.