Bank Codes And SWIFT Codes In The Philippines

Bank Codes And SWIFT Codes In The Philippines

Chances are, you’ve come across Bank Codes and SWIFT codes at some point in your life. Whether it’s sending money abroad or transferring funds out of your PayPal account. 

While both codes are essential for bank transactions, Bank Codes and SWIFT codes are two separate identification numbers that have their own specific uses. In this article, we explain the difference between the two.

What is a Bank Code?

In a nutshell, a bank code is a set of numbers that are used to identify a bank locally. This code is normally used for local wire transfers and bank transactions. In the Philippines these are referred to as the Bank Routing Symbol Transit Numbers or BRSTN.

They are not the same as International Bank Account Numbers (IBAN). A BRSTN identifies the name of the bank you are dealing with, while an IBAN identifies individuals instead.

Bank codes in the Philippines

These codes are normally available on your bank statement or even on your bank’s website. However, it’s not always easy to find these numbers if you’re in a hurry. To make your life easier, we’ve done the homework so you don’t have to.

Bank NameBank Code
ALLIED BANKING CORP010320013
ASIA UNITED BANK011020011
BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS010030015
BANCO DE ORO (& EPCIB)010530667
BANK OF COMMERCE010440016
BANK OF THE PHIL ISLANDS (BPI)010040018
CHINA BANKING CORP010100013
CHINA TRUST COMML BANK010690015
CITIBANK N.A.010070017
DEVT BANK OF THE PHILS010590018
EAST WEST BANK010620014
EXPORT & INDUSTRY BANK010860010
LANDBANK OF THE PHILS010350025
MAYBANK OF THE PHILS010220016
METROBANK010269996
PHIL BANK OF COMMUNICATION010110016
PHIL TRUST COMPANY010090039
PHIL NATIONAL BANK (PNB)010080010
PRUDENTIAL BANK010150018
PHIL VETERANS BANK010330016
SECURITY BANK & TRUST CO010140015
STANDARD CHARTERED BANK010050011
UNITED COCONUT PLANTERS BANK010299995
UNION BANK OF THE PHILS010419995
UNITED OVERSEAS BANK010270189

What is a SWIFT Code?

SWIFT Code stands for Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication and is a combination of letters that are used to identify a bank’s specific branch, they serve as the Bank Identifier Codes (BIC) – every bank has it. These codes are essential in various bank transactions, most of all in international transactions. 

While they’re more commonly used to complete a bank transfer, SWIFT codes are also used by banks to transfer other messages or carry out other interbank transactions other than money transfer.

A SWIFT code is eight to eleven digits and is made up of the following components:

  • The first four characters are composed of letters – which are used as the bank’s specific code. 
  • The next two (fifth and sixth) characters are also made of letters and tell you where the bank is located. For example, banks located in the Philippines would have PH here.
  • The seventh and eighth characters are a mix of both numbers and letters, which signifies location-based codes (In this case, you would know that a bank branch is Metro Manila if it ends with MM).
  • There are sometimes three additional three characters. These are optional and are used to give details about the branch code.

SWIFT Codes are also called Bank Identified Code (BIC), and are usually used during international bank wire transfers. Currently, there are more than forty thousand SWIFT codes all over the world.

For your information

While wire transfers are convenient, However, using SWIFT codes may also equate to a high fee, depending on the ongoing rates at the time of the transaction.

SWIFT codes in the Philippines

SWIFT codes are most commonly used to transfer funds overseas. However, you may also need them if you want to transfer money out of your PayPal (or similar digital wallet) service. 

The good news is, you don’t need to ask your bank for their bank code, we’ve listed the SWIFT codes for banks in the Philippines for you. 

BANK NAMESWIFT CODE
ASIA UNITED BANK CORPORATIONAUBKPHMM
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND (ANZ) BANKING GROUP LIMITEDANZBPHMX
BANK OF COMMERCEPABIPHMM
BANK OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS (BPI)BOPIPHMM
BANCO DE ORO (BDO) UNIBANKBNORPHMM
CHINA BANKING CORPORATION (CHINABANK)CHBKPHMM
CHINATRUST (PHILS.) COMMERCIAL BANK MANILACTCBPHMM
CITIBANK N.A. (CEBU BRANCH)CITIPHMXCBU
CITIBANK N.A. (MANILA HEAD OFFICE)CITIPHMXV
CITIBANK SAVINGS INC.CITIPH2X
DEVELOPMENT BANK OF THE PHILIPPINES (DBP)DBPHPHMM
EAST WEST BANKING CORPORATIONEWBCPHMM
HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORP. (HSBC) CEBU BRANCHHSBCPHMMCEB
HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORP. (HSBC) MANILA HEAD OFFICEHSBCPHMM
HSBC SAVINGS BANK (PHILIPPINES) INC.HBPHPHMM
LAND BANK OF THE PHILIPPINESTLBPPHMM
MAYBANK PHILIPPINES INCMBBEPHMM
METROPOLITAN BANK AND TRUST CO. (METROBANK)MBTCPHMM
PHILIPPINE BANK OF COMMUNICATIONS (PBCOM)CPHIPHMM
PHILIPPINE BUSINESS BANK (PBB)PPBUPHMM
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK (PNB)PNBMPHMM
PHILIPPINE SAVINGS BANK (PS BANK)PHSBPHMM
PHILIPPINE VETERANS BANKPHVBPHMM
PHILTRUST BANK (PHILIPPINE TRUST COMPANY)PHTBPHMM
RIZAL COMMERCIAL BANKING CORPORATION (RCBC)RCBCPHMM
ROBINSONS BANK CORPORATIONROBPPHMQ
SECURITY BANK CORPORATIONSETCPHMM
STANDARD CHARTERED BANKSCBLPHMM
UNION BANK OF THE PHILIPPINESUBPHPHMM
UNITED COCONUT PLANTERS BANK (UCPB)UCPBPHMM

Bank codes vs SWIFT codes

While both codes are used for wire transfers the difference between the two is the origin of the transaction. Bank codes are used for local wire transfers, meanwhile, SWIFT codes are used for international wire transfers. 

If you’re sending money from the Philippines to a Philippine bank, you use a Bank Code. If you’re sending money from an overseas bank or financial institution like Paypal, you use a SWIFT code.

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