Compass Bank SWIFT/BIC code

CPASUS44 – the SWIFT/BIC code of Compass Bank

CPASUS44 and CPASUS44XXX are two ways of writing the same bank identifier, and both lead to Compass Bank in Birmingham,al. The code has a single purpose: it ensures that money from abroad ends up at the right bank. You will need it mainly for transfers between countries.

On this page you will find what the code is put together, when it matters and which other details a transfer to or from Compass Bank requires. The BIC names an institution, not a single account; the IBAN or account number does that.

Watch out for payment fraud

Stay alert when a contact suddenly asks you to send money to another account abroad. That CPASUS44 is a real code does not mean that the account is legitimate.

Do not trust contact details in the same message that announces the change. Urgency or secrecy tend to be red flags; a genuine business can wait for you to check. When money was sent to the wrong account, call your bank right away: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Scams also work the other way: someone sends too much and asks you to refund the difference via a different route. Wait until the money has really arrived – ask Compass Bank if something looks wrong.

What a transfer from Compass Bank abroad really costs

If you send money abroad through Compass Bank, the visible fee is only part of the cost. There is the fee for the transfer itself, sometimes charges from correspondent banks along the way and, most importantly, the margin on the exchange rate if the currency changes.

The markup on the rate tends to be the largest item. Compare their rate against the mid-market rate – the rate you find on financial news sites.

For a lot of currency pairs, a transfer service turns out to be less expensive than a bank. Next time you send money, it is worth comparing the total cost on GoldexPay. Using a transfer service does not mean leaving Compass Bank.

How long does an international transfer to Compass Bank take?

There is no single delivery time for international payments: many arrive within a day while others need several business days. Transfers sent after the cut-off time or on weekends and holidays often start a business day later. Occasionally a bank wants to know about the purpose of a payment, which can hold things up.

If the money seems late, ask the sending bank about the tracking status. Save the payment confirmation until the money has arrived; it contains the details a bank needs to start a trace.

The bank that sent the money can request a trace. Request from the sender a copy of the payment confirmation with the date and reference; that often settles the question quickly.

A note on our data

Our SWIFT/BIC directory is based on publicly available sources and is updated regularly. Institutions reorganise, close branches and retire codes – a directory can be a step behind. The number of codes on this page reflect our own data.

For a payment of any size, always check the BIC with the recipient’s bank or with the recipient. GoldexPay is independent of Compass Bank. Found an error? Let us know via our contact form so we can correct it.

The US Dollar and what conversion costs you

The local currency of United States is the US Dollar (USD). Money sent in a different currency will be exchanged into USD before it reaches the account – and the bank that does it picks the rate. Every conversion costs the amount.

Where the conversion happens has an effect on how much arrives, since every bank sets its own rate. In many cases you pay less to send USD straight away through a provider that converts near the mid-market rate.

The rate for USD fluctuates constantly. For recurring payments, a slightly better rate make a real difference over time.

What to give a sender who pays you at Compass Bank

When you are waiting for money from abroad, send the payer a complete set of details. In practice that means: your name exactly as it appears on the account, your IBAN or account number, the SWIFT/BIC code CPASUS44XXX and sometimes your address.

Certain sending banks also ask for the name and address of Compass Bank; it does no harm to include it. A mistake in the IBAN is harder to fix than you might think, so copy the details from your online banking.

An incoming payment will not always arrive in full. Correspondent banks can take a fee, Compass Bank may charge for incoming payments, and if the money is converted, an exchange rate margin applies. Make clear with the sender who covers the fees before the money is sent.

Why Compass Bank has an 8- and an 11-character code

Each SWIFT/BIC code starts with an 8-character core: a four-letter bank code, two letters for the country and two characters for the location. For Compass Bank, that core is CPASUS44.

The 11-character version adds a three-character extension that identify a branch or department. When those three characters are XXX, the code points to the head office, which is why CPASUS44XXX and CPASUS44 lead to the same place.

Do not add spaces or dashes when you type CPASUS44. Copying the code is safer than typing it by hand.

Before you send: check the Compass Bank code

Ask the recipient to copy their account details directly from their banking app. Check it against CPASUS44 on this page; if they differ, ask before you pay.

An incorrect BIC may lead to a delay, a payment being sent back or additional charges. An error in the IBAN or account number is more serious, so check that just as carefully.

An automatic check by your bank only confirms that the code is valid, not that it is the right account. Some banks now check the name against the account; take any warning seriously. When you pay someone new, some people start with a small test amount before sending the rest.

Compass Bank: head office code versus branch codes

With 4 codes in 2 locations, Compass Bank belongs to the banks that use individual codes for parts of the organisation and departments. The main code is CPASUS44XXX.

In most cases you do not need to pick a branch: payments sent to CPASUS44XXX are routed within Compass Bank correctly. If you have been given a specific code, use it as it is instead of swapping it with the head office code.

The safest route is to copy the code straight from the account holder’s bank details. Codes are sometimes changed or retired when banks reorganise.