Payments

What bank details do you give a foreign client to receive payment in India?

Author:: Editorial team, serviceexportguide.com
Verified by:: Editorial team
Published: 28 October 2026
Last modified: 30 October 2026
Reading time: 6 min read

Short answer

A SWIFT wire to India needs your name, address and account number.¹²³ It needs your bank's name, branch and SWIFT (BIC) code.¹² It usually needs the correspondent bank for the currency.¹²³ The purpose of payment goes in the remittance field.¹³ IDFC FIRST Bank and IndusInd Bank ask senders to choose charge code OUR if the sender bears the fees.²³

Applies to	Governed by	Deadline	Penalty	Last verified
Indian exporters receiving a SWIFT wire from a foreign client¹²³	Your bank's published inward remittance instructions; RBI A.P. (DIR Series) Circular No. 84 dated 29 February 2012 for purpose codes¹²³⁵	Not applicable	Not applicable	28 October 2026

A foreign client's accounts team will usually send a vendor form asking for "bank details". For an Indian freelancer, agency or consultant, getting this form right is the difference between a clean credit and a payment your bank has to query. This guide lists what to give, using the formats Indian banks publish. For the bigger picture of channels and costs, see how to receive international payments in India.

What bank details does a SWIFT wire to an Indian bank need?

A SWIFT wire to an Indian bank needs details for three parties: the correspondent bank, your bank and you. State Bank of India (SBI) and IndusInd Bank publish sample instructions using SWIFT field numbers:¹²

SWIFT field	What to give	Example of what goes in it	Best for
Field 56 (intermediary or correspondent bank)	Your bank's correspondent bank for the currency, its SWIFT code and your bank's nostro account number there	The US bank where your Indian bank holds its USD account	Routing the currency to your bank
Field 57 (beneficiary bank)	Your bank's name, branch and SWIFT (BIC) code	State Bank of India, branch, branch SWIFT code	Identifying your bank
Field 59 (beneficiary)	Your name exactly as on the account, account number and address	Your name or business name	Identifying you
Field 70 or 72 (remittance information)	Purpose of payment, invoice number and disposal instruction	"Payment for design services, invoice 2026-14"	Getting the right purpose code
Field 71 (charges)	Who pays the transfer fees	OUR, if the sender is to pay them	Receiving the full invoice amount

IndusInd Bank's sample instruction sets field 71 to OUR, and asks that the sender's name, overseas account number, address and contact number, and the purpose of remittance, appear in the SWIFT message.² IDFC FIRST Bank lists the same core items: sender's name, account number and address; receiver's name, account number and address; the bank's SWIFT code; and correspondent bank details from its published list.³

Who should give SWIFT details and who should give local account details?

Exporters whose client pays by international wire give SWIFT details, while exporters using a collection provider give that provider's local account details.¹⁶

Exporter situation	Details to give	Why	Best for
Client pays by SWIFT wire to your Indian bank	SWIFT fields 56, 57, 59, 70 or 72, and 71	The client's bank needs all three parties¹²	Exporters paid directly into their Indian bank
Client pays by local transfer through a collection provider	The provider's local account details	The provider converts and sends rupees to your Indian account⁶	Clients who prefer domestic transfers
Resident account holder at IDFC FIRST Bank	The SWIFT code published for resident beneficiaries	IDFC FIRST Bank publishes separate codes³	IDFC FIRST resident customers
NRI account holder at IDFC FIRST Bank	The SWIFT code published for NRIs	IDFC FIRST Bank publishes separate codes³	IDFC FIRST NRI customers

Your own bank's website is the source for the codes to use.

How do you fill in a foreign client's bank details form?

You fill in a foreign client's bank details form by copying your bank's published SWIFT and correspondent details for the invoice currency, then adding your account, the purpose of payment and the charge code.¹²³

Copy your bank's details: take them from your own bank's website or branch, not from a forum or an old email; correspondent arrangements change.³
Enter the correspondent bank: for SWIFT field 56, using the row for the currency on your invoice.¹³
Enter your bank and your account: fields 57 and 59.¹²
Add the purpose and invoice number: in the remittance information field.¹³
Ask for charge code OUR: in field 71, if the client will bear the fees.²³
Keep a copy: of the form you sent, the invoice, and the client's payment confirmation. You will need all three if the bank asks questions later; see why your bank asks for an invoice.

Indian banks list their SWIFT codes and a table of correspondent banks by currency on their websites, and some offer a downloadable advice. IDFC FIRST Bank, for example, links its correspondent bank list from its inward remittance page and lets customers generate a "WireFIRST Advice" with their details.³

Note: The correspondent bank depends on the currency. Banks publish their correspondent details currency by currency, so pick the row for the currency on your invoice.¹³

What purpose and charge codes apply to a wire to India?

The purpose of payment sets the RBI purpose code on your receipt, and the charge code decides who pays the transfer fees.³⁵

Item	Rule	Source	Best for
RBI purpose code	Five characters for receipts, "P" plus four digits	RBI Circular No. 84, 2012⁵	Every export receipt
Purpose of payment	Mandatory for faster credit; the bank may contact you before crediting	IDFC FIRST Bank³	Avoiding queries
Purpose of each remittance, such as an advance against export	Tell the bank so the correct purpose code is used	SBI export guide⁴	Advances and retainers
Charge code OUR	Sender bears the remitting bank's transfer fees	IDFC FIRST Bank; IndusInd Bank field 71²³	Receiving the full invoice amount

Ask the client to write a short description of the service and your invoice number. "Consulting fee" with the invoice reference is more useful to your bank than "payment". Then tell your bank the matching code; see purpose codes for freelancers or use the purpose code finder.

What happens if a foreign client uses the wrong charge code or details?

If a foreign client uses a charge code other than OUR, correspondent banks can deduct their charges from the amount in transit, so you receive less than the invoice.¹ Wrong or incomplete details can also lead to a query or a delay.³

Fees deducted: under other options, intermediary banks may deduct fees from the amount sent.¹ See SWIFT transfer charges in India and the glossary entry on OUR, SHA and BEN.
Credit delayed: IDFC FIRST Bank says that in some cases it may need to contact the beneficiary for more details before crediting.³
Payment stuck: the client's bank can trace it using the Unique End-to-End Transaction Reference (UETR) that Swift GPI introduced for tracking.⁸ See what to do when an international payment is stuck.

Getting the form right first time avoids all three.

What if the foreign client prefers to pay by local transfer?

If the client prefers local transfer, you can give local account details from a collection provider instead of SWIFT details.⁶ For example, Wise says Indian businesses get account details in several currencies; the client pays to those details from their own bank and Wise converts the money and sends rupees to the verified Indian bank account.⁶ Under RBI rules, cross-border payment aggregators collect export receipts in an Inward Collection Account with an Authorised Dealer Category-I bank in India.⁷ See local collection accounts for Indian exporters and bank wire vs payment platform.

What are the common mistakes on a foreign client's bank details form?

The common mistakes on a foreign client's bank details form are a personal-remittance description, the wrong correspondent for the currency, and a name that does not match the account.¹²

Personal-remittance description for business income: a wrong description leads to a wrong purpose code. See wrong purpose code consequences.
Mixing currencies and correspondents: give the correspondent listed for the invoice currency, not the one for another currency.¹
Using a different name: use your name exactly as it appears on your bank account; IndusInd Bank's instruction is for the account holder named in field 59.²
Copying old details: correspondent arrangements change, so take details from your bank's current website.³

Leave out anything the client's bank does not need.

How did we verify this?

We checked this page against the sources below on 30 October 2026. Read our methodology or report an error.

Frequently asked questions

Is a SWIFT code enough for a foreign client to pay me?+

Usually not. The client also needs your name, address and account number exactly as on the account, and Indian banks generally ask the sender to route the payment through a named correspondent bank for the currency, with your bank's nostro account number there. Send the full set of details from your bank's published instructions.¹²³

What is a correspondent bank and why do I need its details?+

A correspondent bank holds your Indian bank's foreign currency account abroad, which is its nostro account. SBI and IndusInd Bank ask senders to enter it in field 56 of the SWIFT instruction. The correspondent depends on the currency, so give the one listed for your invoice currency.¹²

Should the client write the invoice number in the payment?+

Yes, if the payment form allows it. SBI's wire format includes a line for purpose or invoice number, and IDFC FIRST Bank says the purpose of payment is mandatory for faster credit. A short service description with the invoice number helps your bank assign the right purpose code without contacting you.¹³

Can I give local US or UK account details instead of SWIFT details?+

Yes, if you use a provider that issues local account details. The client then pays by local transfer to the provider's account details, and the provider converts the money and sends rupees to your Indian account. Wise, for example, describes this for Indian businesses on its help page.⁶

Do Indian banks use one SWIFT code for every customer?+

Not always. Some banks use different SWIFT codes for different purposes. IDFC FIRST Bank publishes one SWIFT code for resident beneficiaries and another for NRIs, so check which code applies to your account on your own bank's website before you send it to a client.³

How can a stuck SWIFT payment to India be traced?+

The client's bank can trace a SWIFT payment using the Unique End-to-End Transaction Reference (UETR) that Swift GPI introduced for tracking. Ask the client for the UETR along with their payment confirmation, and share it with your own bank if the money has not arrived.⁸

This page is general information for Indian service exporters, not tax or legal advice. Rules change and outcomes depend on your facts, so confirm with a chartered accountant before acting.

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