Guides
Guides to identifiers and registers
Check a counterparty with the right identifier. Each guide defines a code or a register, shows how to read it and says what it does not tell you.
Identifiers and licences
- Guide · BIC How to read a Business Identifier Code (BIC) The four parts of a BIC, what “XXX” and the eighth character mean, and how to check a BIC before you use it. Read the guide →
- Guide · Payment codes BIC, IBAN and national bank codes What each code identifies, how an IBAN is built, the main national codes and which ones a payment needs. Read the guide →
- Guide · LEI What a Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) record shows The 20 characters of an LEI, registration status, reported parents and how Swift and GLEIF map BICs to LEIs. Read the guide →
- Guide · Licences Check a payment firm’s licence or registration Find the regulated entity, search the right register, read status and permissions, and tell a licence from an AML registration. Read the guide →
FinCrime Index
Assess the financial crime risk behind a counterparty
A BIC, an LEI or a licence identifies an institution. It does not assess it. The Elucidate FinCrime Index (EFI) is an independent score of the financial crime risk of banks and payment firms.