Peoples Bank SWIFT/BIC code

What PEOLUS66 means for a payment to Peoples Bank

PEOLUS66 and PEOLUS66XXX are two spellings of the same bank identifier, and both point to Peoples Bank in Bellingham,wa. Every bank on the SWIFT network uses these codes to route international transfers to the right institution. In practice you usually come across it on invoices from abroad, in your banking app and in the bank details of Peoples Bank customers.

We wrote this page to help anyone who pays into an account at Peoples Bank and wants to get the details right. Remember that the SWIFT code just identifies the bank, not the account: the account number or IBAN takes care of that.

About this information

The codes on this page are taken from public sources that we update regularly. Institutions reorganise, close branches and change codes – a directory can be a step behind. Counts and locations are from our directory.

Before any payment that matters, always confirm the BIC with Peoples Bank or with the recipient. GoldexPay has no connection to Peoples Bank. If you notice a mistake, we welcome a short note.

Tracking a transfer to or from Peoples Bank

How quickly a payment reaches Peoples Bank is determined by several factors: which currency you send, the number of banks in between, daily processing deadlines and differences in time zone. Weekends and public holidays in the sending or receiving country can add a day or more. Compliance checks on larger or unusual payments may also cause some delay.

If a transfer is delayed, contact your bank about the tracking status or the UETR so they can trace it along the chain. Money transfer services usually provide a status online showing how far the payment has got.

If a payment has not arrived within the expected time, the sender needs to contact the bank that sent it rather than Peoples Bank. Ask the sender for a copy of the payment confirmation; that often settles the question quickly.

Paying someone abroad from your Peoples Bank account

An international bank payment can cost rather more than the fee suggests. Besides the transfer fee, correspondent or intermediary banks can deduct a fee, and when the money changes currency, the bank usually uses a rate that is less favourable than the real market rate.

Many banks do not show their exchange rate markup separately – you only notice it if you compare. An easy check: put the bank’s rate next to the mid-market rate for the same moment and work out the difference on your amount.

For many routes, a transfer service is cheaper than a bank. GoldexPay compares transfer providers next to each other, showing what actually arrives for the same amount sent. You can always use your account at Peoples Bank to fund the transfer.

Receiving money from abroad at Peoples Bank

If you expect a payment from another country, send the payer everything they need in one go. What they need is: the account holder’s name, account number or IBAN, PEOLUS66XXX or PEOLUS66 and, for some countries, your postal address.

The sender’s bank may also ask for the address of your bank, in which case the Bellingham,wa head office is the usual answer. A mistake in the IBAN can be more trouble than you might think; copy them from your banking app rather than typing.

Do not be surprised if the amount credited is smaller than what the sender paid. Correspondent banks can take a fee, and when currencies differ, an exchange rate margin applies. Make clear with the sender who pays which costs, especially for larger amounts.

Peoples Bank: head office code versus branch codes

With 2 codes, Peoples Bank belongs to the banks that register individual codes for parts of the organisation and departments. The head office code remains PEOLUS66XXX.

Unless the recipient tells you otherwise, go with PEOLUS66XXX. Only use a branch code when the recipient explicitly asks for it, for example on a letter or invoice.

The safest approach is to copy the code straight from the recipient’s bank details. Codes can change when banks reorganise.

Watch out for payment fraud

Be alert if a contact unexpectedly wants you to pay into a different account or a bank in another country. A correct SWIFT code tells you nothing about who owns the account: scammers use real codes of real banks.

Never rely on a phone number in the same message that contains the change. Be suspicious of urgent requests, unusual wording or a sender address that is slightly off. When money has already gone to the wrong account, contact your bank immediately: the sooner they act, the better the chance of a recall.

Recipients are targeted too: one known trick is an overpayment and then sends a request to send back the difference to another account. A screenshot of a transfer proves nothing.

The US Dollar and what conversion costs you

United States uses the US Dollar (USD). When you pay money in a different currency it has to be converted at some point – by your bank, by Peoples Bank or by a bank in between. Every conversion eats into something.

Which bank converts the payment makes a difference: every bank has its own margin. Sending the amount directly in USD usually avoids a second conversion at the receiving end, provided the rate you get is fair.

Exchange rates change all the time. With bigger transfers, a seemingly small gap in the rate can be worth more than the fee.

PEOLUS66 or PEOLUS66XXX – which one to use?

The layout of a BIC never changes: a bank code of four letters, a two-letter country code and a two-character location code. Combined, these eight characters form PEOLUS66.

Many payment forms accept both lengths. If yours asks for eleven characters, use PEOLUS66XXX, otherwise PEOLUS66 is fine.

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

How to check PEOLUS66 before you pay

The most reliable place for the right code remains paperwork issued by the bank, such as a statement or the account details in online banking. When the code you were given differs from PEOLUS66 or PEOLUS66XXX, stop and ask.

If the code is wrong, the payment may get stuck, be returned or end up costing more. Remember the IBAN: a mistake there can be harder to undo than a wrong BIC.

A validity check in your banking app only confirms that the code is valid, not that it is the right account. Where available, a name check on the recipient gives an extra layer of safety. A small test payment is worth it for a large first payment, even if it costs an extra fee.