Guides
IBAN, BIC and SEPA, explained properly
The reference material we wished existed when we built a payments product: precise, example-driven and written for people who ship code that moves money.
What is an IBAN? Structure, check digits and country formats
What an IBAN is, how the country code, check digits and BBAN fit together, how long IBANs are in each country, and how to validate one before sending money.
6 min read
What is a BIC / SWIFT code and how is it structured?
BIC and SWIFT code explained: the 8 vs 11 character formats, what each segment means, why XXX appears at the end, and how to find the BIC for any IBAN.
5 min read
IBAN vs BIC: the difference, and when you need each one
IBAN identifies the account, BIC identifies the bank. What each code contains, when a payment needs one or both, and how to get the BIC when you only have the IBAN.
4 min read
How to find the BIC from an IBAN (manually and via API)
Three ways to get the BIC/SWIFT code from an IBAN: reading national registries by hand, asking the account holder, or resolving it programmatically with an API.
6 min read
What is SEPA? Countries, schemes and reachability explained
The Single Euro Payments Area explained: which 36 countries participate, how the SCT, SCT Inst, SDD Core and SDD B2B schemes differ, and what “reachability” means.
6 min read
SEPA Instant (SCT Inst): how it works and how to check reachability
SCT Inst moves euros in under 10 seconds, 24/7. How the scheme works, what the EU Instant Payments Regulation changed in 2025, and how to check if a bank is reachable.
5 min read
SEPA Direct Debit: Core vs B2B, mandates and reachability
How SEPA Direct Debit works: Core vs B2B differences, mandates, refund rights, timelines, and why checking a debtor bank’s SDD reachability prevents failed collections.
5 min read
IBAN validation with mod-97: the checksum, step by step
How ISO 7064 mod-97 IBAN validation works, worked through digit by digit, why it catches over 99% of typos, and what checksum validation can and cannot guarantee.
5 min read
Integrating an IBAN-to-BIC API: patterns for payment developers
Where an IBAN-to-BIC lookup belongs in your architecture: validate-then-resolve, onboarding vs payment-time checks, caching, failure handling and cost control.
7 min read
Looking for a specific country?
IBAN formats, lengths and examples for every SEPA country are on the SEPA coverage pages.
Resolve IBANs to BICs programmatically
One endpoint returns the BIC, bank details and SEPA reachability for any SEPA IBAN — €0.009 per successful call, failures always free.