How to use the currency converter
Type an amount, choose the currency you have, and read the result in each target currency. Change a target from its drop-down, add up to eight, copy any result, or start from a popular pair.
Example: 100 USD with EUR as a target shows the euro amount and the rate used (1 USD = x EUR) on the same row.
Mid-market rate vs bank rate
The mid-market rate is the midpoint between the prices at which banks buy and sell a currency. It is the fairest benchmark, but retail providers do not trade at it: they add a margin, a fee, or both.
You receive = (amount β fee) Γ provider rate
Example (illustrative figures): At a mid-market 1 USD = 0.92 EUR, 500 USD is 460.00 EUR. A provider offering 0.90 with a 3 USD fee gives (500 β 3) Γ 0.90 = 447.30 EUR. Compare what the recipient gets, not the headline rate.
How to read exchange rates
A rate such as 1 USD = 83 INR means one US dollar buys 83 rupees. The left currency is the base and the right one is the quote. To go the other way, divide.
Reverse rate = 1 Γ· rate (1 Γ· 83 β 0.012 USD per INR)
Example (illustrative figures): 500 EUR at 1.08 is 540 USD. With a 3% card fee the real cost is about 556 USD, so a fee can matter as much as the rate.
Getting a better exchange rate
Most of the saving comes from avoiding the highest-margin options.
- If a terminal or ATM offers to charge you in your home currency, choose the local currency. Home-currency conversion (dynamic currency conversion) usually uses a worse rate.
- Use a card with no foreign transaction fee where you can, and check the ATM operator's own fee. Fewer, larger withdrawals reduce fixed fees.
- Avoid airport and tourist-area exchange desks, where margins tend to be highest.
- Carry some local cash for markets and taxis, and keep a card as backup.
Why exchange rates change
Rates move continuously with interest rates, inflation, trade flows and market expectations. Some currencies are pegged to another and barely move against it, such as the UAE dirham against the US dollar; others float and can shift quickly.
Different sites can show slightly different numbers because they use different providers at different moments. For a long trip, leave a buffer of about ten percent for rate changes and small fees.