Currency Converter

Convert between major world currencies using daily reference exchange rates. Unlike the other tools on this site, this one needs a live rate lookup, so it makes one request to a currency-rate service — nothing you type is stored anywhere.

How exchange rates work

An exchange rate is the price of one currency in another. If 1 USD = 0.92 EUR, then $100 converts to €92. Rates move constantly with trade, interest rates and economic news.

This converter uses the reference rates published by the European Central Bank once each working day. They're the "mid-market" rates — halfway between what banks pay to buy and to sell a currency.

Why your bank gives a different rate

Banks, airports, exchange booths and card networks add a margin on top of the mid-market rate, and some charge fees as well:

• Airport and hotel exchange desks often have the widest margins.
• Many credit and debit cards add a foreign transaction fee, commonly around 3%. Some travel cards charge none.
• "Pay in your own currency?" When a card machine abroad offers to charge you in dollars instead of the local currency, choosing the local currency is usually cheaper. The conversion offered at the machine (called dynamic currency conversion) often uses a poor rate.

Compare the rate you're offered with the one shown here to see how much margin you're paying.

Common uses

• Budgeting for a trip abroad
• Comparing prices when shopping on international websites
• Checking a freelance invoice or payment from overseas
• Understanding prices in news stories about other countries

Frequently asked questions

How current are the exchange rates?

Rates are daily reference rates (based on European Central Bank data), updated once each business day — accurate enough for everyday use, though not for high-frequency trading.

Why does this tool need an internet connection when the others don't?

Exchange rates change constantly and can't be built into the page — every other tool on this site computes entirely offline, but a currency converter is only useful with a current rate, so this one makes a single request to a currency-rate service each time you load the page.

Is anything I type sent anywhere?

No — only the rate lookup itself is fetched from the external service. The amount you enter and the conversion are calculated in your browser.

Which currencies are supported?

The major currencies covered by the European Central Bank's reference rates — around 30, including the US dollar, euro, British pound, Japanese yen, Canadian and Australian dollars, Swiss franc, Chinese yuan and Indian rupee.

Are rates updated on weekends?

No. The European Central Bank publishes reference rates on working days only, so over a weekend you'll see Friday's rates.