Barclays Bank PLC SWIFT/BIC code

BARCUS3M – the SWIFT/BIC code of Barclays Bank PLC

The short code BARCUS3M and the full code BARCUS3MXXX refer to one and the same institution: Barclays Bank PLC, with its head office in Miami,fl. The code does one job: it ensures that a cross-border transfer reaches the right bank. In practice you mostly see it on international invoices, in payment forms and in the bank details that Barclays Bank PLC provides.

On this page we explain how the code is put together, when you need it and which other details a transfer to or from Barclays Bank PLC requires. The SWIFT code on its own cannot identify a personal account; for that you need the IBAN or account number .

Sending USD to Barclays Bank PLC

United States pays in the US Dollar (USD). A payment in a foreign currency will be converted into USD, and whoever converts it chooses the rate. You rarely see a separate charge for that conversion.

Which bank converts the money matters: every bank has its own margin. Check what USD the recipient gets with different providers; the difference between options can be larger than you expect.

Exchange rates move all the time, and some providers let you lock in a rate. If you pay regularly, a slightly better rate make a real difference over time.

Incoming international payments to Barclays Bank PLC

If you are waiting for money from abroad, give the sender everything they need in one go. Share your name as the bank knows it, the IBAN or account number, the BIC BARCUS3MXXX and your address, which some banks require.

Some banks want the address of Barclays Bank PLC in Miami,fl, so keep it at hand. Check the details before you share them.

Do not be surprised if the incoming amount is smaller than what the sender paid. Intermediary banks may deduct a fee, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin comes on top. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees.

Changed bank details? Be careful

Fraudsters often send fake invoices containing changed bank details. That BARCUS3M is a real code is no guarantee that a request mentioning it is legitimate; criminals use the codes of real banks too.

Before paying, verify a change of bank details by phone, using a number you already had. Be suspicious of urgent requests, odd spelling or an email address that differs by one letter. When a payment has already gone 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 followed by a request to send back the difference. A payment confirmation from the sender is no proof; only your own account shows what has arrived.

Tracking a transfer to or from Barclays Bank PLC

How fast a transfer reaches Barclays Bank PLC depends on several factors: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Transfers sent late in the day or on weekends and holidays usually go out a business day later. Extra checks on larger or unusual payments may also add some delay, even when all details are correct.

If a transfer is late, ask your bank for the tracking status or the UETR. Specialist transfer services usually provide a status in their app showing where the money has got.

If a payment has not arrived within the expected time, the person who paid should contact their own bank rather than Barclays Bank PLC. As a recipient, you can check your statements for a partial amount, since fees may have been deducted.

What the XXX in BARCUS3MXXX means

Each SWIFT/BIC code starts with the same eight core characters: four letters for the bank, two letters for the country and a two-character location code. That gives you BARCUS3M.

XXX at the end of BARCUS3MXXX is not a placeholder or an error: it indicates the head office of Barclays Bank PLC. Some forms insist on 11 characters, and then you can add XXX after BARCUS3M.

Enter the code as one block, in upper case and without separators. Look out for O versus 0 and the letter I and the digit 1, a common source of typos.

Which of the 3 codes of Barclays Bank PLC do you need?

With 3 codes in 3 locations, Barclays Bank PLC belongs to the banks that register separate codes for parts of the organisation and departments. The main code remains BARCUS3MXXX.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: transfers addressed to BARCUS3MXXX reach Barclays Bank PLC correctly. Only use a branch code when your contact explicitly asks for it, for example on a letter or invoice.

When in doubt, ask the person you are paying which code their bank gave them. Branch codes are more prone to be retired than BARCUS3MXXX.

Before you send: check the Barclays Bank PLC code

Have the recipient send you the account details directly from a recent statement. Compare that code with BARCUS3M here; if they differ, ask before you pay.

With a wrong code, the payment might be delayed, bounce back or cost extra – sometimes after weeks of searching. An error in the account number can be more serious because it can reach the wrong person.

A validity check in your banking app only confirms that the IBAN is valid. More and more banks compare the payee name with the account before you confirm. A small test payment is a sensible step for large sums despite the extra fee.

What a transfer from Barclays Bank PLC abroad really costs

What you pay for an international transfer has several parts – not just the fee on your screen. There is the transfer fee, possibly charges from correspondent banks in between and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate if the currency changes.

Many banks rarely list the margin on the rate separately. Compare their rate with the mid-market rate, the midpoint between buy and sell rates you see on financial sites. The difference is your real conversion cost.

For many routes, a specialist provider turns out to be less expensive than a traditional bank transfer. GoldexPay compares these services next to each other, showing the amount the recipient gets for the same amount sent. You can always keep your account at Barclays Bank PLC.

A note on our data

The codes on this page are taken from publicly available data that we update regularly. Banks reorganise, change names and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. The number of codes we show are based on what is in our directory and not on information from Barclays Bank PLC itself.

For a payment of any size, confirm the code with Barclays Bank PLC or with the recipient. We are an independent comparison site and not part of Barclays Bank PLC. Spotted an error? Let us know through the contact page.