SWIFT/BIC codes in United States: banks starting with W

Finding a SWIFT code in United States

In United States our database holds 5781 SWIFT/BIC codes, spread over 3498 institutions. A BIC tells the banks handling a transfer which institution should receive the money.

Every bank has its own page with its main code and if there are any, codes for branches and departments. The rest of this page explain how the codes work, what transfers cost and how to avoid mistakes.

What the letters in a United States BIC mean

SWIFT/BIC codes follow one international format: eight characters, sometimes followed by three more. First comes four letters for the bank, then a two-letter country code and a two-character location code.

For banks in United States, characters five and six show the ISO country code of United States, which makes these codes easy to recognise. A code with a different country code belong to a bank abroad – a quick way to catch mistakes.

When a code ends in XXX, it means the head office and the short version works just as well. For most transfers the head office code is fine, unless the recipient gives you a branch code.

How long does a transfer to United States take?

A SWIFT payment to United States typically needs anywhere from one to several business days. Payments made after the cut-off time or just before a weekend or public holiday usually start a business day later.

Many banks use SWIFT gpi. Every gpi transfer gets a unique reference, the UETR that banks can use to see where the money is. Save your transfer receipt until the recipient confirms.

What a transfer to United States really costs

What you pay for a payment to United States has several parts, and the fee on your screen is only one of them. Besides a fixed fee, intermediary banks may deduct a charge and, if currencies are converted, the bank often uses a rate below the actual market rate.

That exchange rate margin is often the largest part of the cost, even though it is not listed as a fee. Check the rate you are offered against the mid-market rate that you find on financial sites. The difference is your real cost.

Money transfer services often offer rates closer to the mid-market rate with clearer fees. GoldexPay compares transfer services next to each other so you can see the amount that reaches the recipient.

Which bank in United States has the most codes?

Of the 3498 banks we list for United States, Citadel Investment Group, L.l.c. has the largest number of codes. The head office of Citadel Investment Group, L.l.c. has CITGUS44XXX; that is usually the right code for a transfer.

How many codes a bank has tells you something about how it organises its payments than about its size. Paying someone at Citadel Investment Group, L.l.c.? Go with CITGUS44XXX except when the recipient gives you a branch code.

Getting paid from abroad into an account in United States

When you expect a payment from another country on an account in United States, give the sender all details at once. That means: your full name as your bank knows it, your IBAN or account number, the BIC of your bank and usually your address.

The code of your bank is in our list. You can include the name and city of your bank, since some payment forms ask for it.

The amount you receive is often lower than what was sent. Charges on incoming payments differ per bank; check the price list of your bank. On invoices, agree who bears the costs, so nobody is left short.

Why a transfer to United States needs a SWIFT code

To pay into United States you will almost always need the BIC – United States is not a SEPA country. Without the BIC, your bank will not send the transfer at all.

Not every country uses IBAN numbers; in that case the local account number is used instead. The recipient’s bank usually provides a list of required details for incoming international payments, and it is worth following them to the letter. On the way to United States, a transfer may pass through correspondent banks.

The US Dollar (USD) and conversion costs

The currency in United States is the US Dollar (USD). When you pay another currency, the amount gets converted at some point.

Which bank converts the money matters. Compare how much USD the recipient gets via different providers before choosing one. Exchange rates change during the day.

How reliable is this list?

Have the recipient send you their bank details directly from their online banking. When the code you were given differs from our list, do not guess – contact the recipient or their bank.

We gather SWIFT/BIC codes from publicly available data and check them regularly. Still, banks merge or change codes, so information can be out of date. Before a payment of any size, check the BIC with the recipient’s bank. GoldexPay is not a bank and has no link to the banks in this list.

Watch out for invoices containing changed bank details, especially when they come by email. Before paying, confirm a change of bank details through a separate channel.

SWIFT codes in United States: banks under :letter

You are looking at a selection: just banks in United States whose name begins with :letter. The totals on this page cover all 3498 banks, not just the ones under :letter.

Many institutions are listed under their official name, which may start with words like Bank or Banco. The full overview for United States is one click away if you cannot find the bank here.