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Wire transfers

Send a wire transfer to an existing payee

  1. Go to hsbc.ca and log on to your account with your username and a security code generated using your HSBC Security Device.
  2. In the Quick links, select Pay and transfer.
  3. Choose an account to send money from.
  4. In the 'To' section, select Wire transfer.
  5. Select a wire transfer payee.
  6. Enter the payment details:
    1. Enter the amount.
    2. Select a purpose of payment. For wire transfers to China, see Online Banking FAQs.
    3. If this is a recurring transfer, select Recurring, the date of the first transfer and the frequency.
    4. Select Continue.
  7. Verify the transaction details and confirm the wire transfer.

Add a new wire transfer payee

To minimize delays, verify all your payee’s details including their address, the format of their account number, and their bank address.

  1. At hsbc.ca, log on to your account with your username and a security code generated using your HSBC Security Device.
  2. Select Pay and transfer from the Quick links.
  3. Select Add new payee.
  4. Select Wire transfer payee for the type of payee.
  5. Select the Country, the Currency, and continue.
  6. Enter the payee's name.
  7. For Payee address, start typing and then select the relevant address. The address will appear below:

- If the correct address doesn't come up or is incomplete, select Edit to enter it manually.

- Remove any accented or special characters.

- If you have to enter the address manually, ensure it is the complete physical address including the street number, street name, city, and province/state.

- PO boxes can only be used for specific countries (e.g. UAE).

- If the address has no postal/zip code, enter one (1) blank space.

- If the address does not have any of the mandatory fields, enter one (1) blank space.

8. For Payee bank details, enter either an IBAN or a SWIFT code to find the bank name and address.

For countries requiring an IBAN, enter it and then select ‘Find bank’. The bank name and address will appear – either the bank’s head office or your payee’s branch are acceptable.

For other countries:

  • Enter your payee’s account number. Ensure your payee provides you with a correctly formatted account number as required by their bank, e.g. Canadian banks require a transit number as part of the account number, Mexican banks require an 18-digit CLABE, etc..
  • Enter the SWIFT code in the ‘Payee bank’ field and select the bank details that appear below. A SWIFT code is 11 characters. If your payee’s code only has 8, add “XXX” at the end. (e.g. HKBCCATTXXX). You can select your payee’s bank head office.
  • If you don’t have a SWIFT code, you can also use other bank codes to search for the bank.
    Examples of common bank codes:

- For USA, an ABA RTN / Fedwire number – a 9-digit code printed on the bottom of cheques which identifies the financial institution from which the funds are sent, e.g. 122105155

- For India, an IFSC number – an 11-character code where the first 4 identify the bank, the 5th is a zero, and the last 6 identify an individual branch, e.g. BARB0GANAHM

  • If you don’t have a SWIFT or other bank code for your payee, you can also search for their bank by entering the bank name and address.

9. Carefully follow the instructions on screen to generate a security code using your security device, and then continue.

10. Verify the transaction details and confirm your new wire transfer payee. Your payee has now been added to your My payees list.
If the Confirm button is greyed out, then go back and review Step 7 to ensure you’ve completed it fully.

 

For a wire transfer to this payee of up to CAD 50,000 or equivalent, you can proceed with the transaction. For a wire transfer between CAD 50,000 and 150,000 or equivalent, you will need additional authorization – please call us at 1-877-621-8811.

 

Receive a wire transfer

  1. To receive a wire transfer promptly, you must provide the sender the following information about your HSBC account:
    Your full name as it appears in your bank account
    Your full address as it appears in your bank account.


    Verify your personal details by logging on to your account and go to Banking > My profile > Update personal details

  2. Provide the wire transfer sender with:
    Your full 12-digit account number
    Your transit number


    You can find your account information by logging on to Online Banking, and referring to the account summary panel on the left or by looking at one of your cheques.

  3. Provide the wire transfer sender with:
    HSBC's Institution number: 016
    Your branch’s address – find your branch
    The SWIFT/BIC Code for HSBC Bank Canada: HKBCCATT

    Note: HSBC Bank Canada does not have an IBAN (International Standard for Bank Account Number).

  4. You can receive a wire transfer in Canadian dollars (CAD) and some foreign currencies.

    You will need to provide the sender with currency-specific bank information, as the transfer will go via an intermediary or correspondent bank – see the list of banks.
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