Currency Converter

How it works

Currency conversions translate amounts between major world currencies using exchange rates. Rates fluctuate constantly during weekday trading hours and are influenced by central-bank policy, trade balances, inflation differentials, and market sentiment. This calculator uses static reference rates against the US dollar; for live rates, integrate a feed (we suggest exchangerate.host or the European Central Bank data feed).

Key terminology. The "spot rate" is the rate for immediate exchange. "Mid-market" rate is the midpoint between the bid (what banks will pay) and ask (what they will charge). Retail customers always pay a margin above mid-market: tourist money changers can charge 3–10% over mid-market, while wire transfers from major banks are usually 1–3% over. Newer fintechs (Wise, Revolut) charge close to mid-market plus a small fixed fee, often the cheapest option for international transfers.

When to convert. For travel, exchange a small amount for arrival expenses, then use a no-foreign-fee debit/credit card for daily purchases — most major cards are within 1% of mid-market. Pre-converting large sums introduces timing risk if the rate moves against you. For business international transfers, fintech services or bank wires both work; compare total fees (spread + fixed fee) on the actual amount you're sending.

The rates shown here are approximate values; the actual market rate as of any given moment will be slightly different. To wire up live rates, replace the static CURRENCY_RATES_USD map in lib/calculators/conversions.ts with a server-side fetch from a free FX API. Cache the result for 5–15 minutes to avoid hammering the API on every page load.