What is a non-connected BIC? The eighth character 1
What SWIFT's BIC policy says about connected and non-connected BICs, why a non-connected code can still be valid, and why it matters when you check a code.
Official source: SWIFT, BIC policy (20 January 2023). Checked
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Connected and non-connected
SWIFT's BIC policy distinguishes BICs that are connected to its network from those that are not. A non-connected BIC with a "1" in the eighth position cannot send or receive messages or files on the network (SWIFT).
Why you should care
A code can be a valid identifier and still not be one a bank can receive payments messages on. The checker flags an eighth character of 1 so you know to ask the bank which code to use.
Valid, but not necessarily the one to use
Party identifiers in messages can be connected or non-connected, but must be valid and published (SWIFT). A well-formed code is therefore not proof that it is the right code for your payment. This is why the checker says it looks at shape only.
What Swift's information paper adds
The 2014 revision of ISO 9362 removed the network meaning of the eighth character. Swift says connectivity became a directory attribute and that it stopped issuing BICs ending in 1 after November 2018 (Swift). A BIC with 1 in position 8 is therefore an older code, and the policy of January 2023 still uses it as its example of a non-connected BIC. See the ISO 9362 revision.
Left out on purpose
The policy page we read does not say what other characters in the eighth position mean, so the checker does not interpret them. We also do not state rules for a second character of 0 or 2 because the policy document does not describe them.
See also: before you send money.
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