buying-foreign-currency-faq (2024)

FAQs

How do you answer exchange rate questions? ›

Any Bank of America customer can exchange foreign currency at any financial center.

Know the country's exchange rate before you travel – these are usually posted online and at banks, airports and currency exchange shops. If you don't know the exchange rate, you can use this formula: starting amount (base currency) / ending amount (foreign currency) = exchange rate.

Calculate an FX rate using this simple formula: Your starting figure (in your local currency) divided by the final number (in the new foreign currency) = the exchange rate.

Convenience and accessibility are key considerations when deciding between exchanging currency at home or abroad. Exchanging currency before your trip offers the convenience of having local currency readily available upon arrival at your destination and you won't need to worry about exchanging currency abroad.

A Bank of America International Transaction Fee of 3% will apply when converting your currency.

Orders placed before 2 p.m. (delivery address local time) are shipped the same day. Orders placed after 2 p.m. or on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays are shipped the next business day. With standard shipping, orders generally arrive within 1-3 business days.

Most credit card providers charge you a fee for currency conversion when you're abroad – and for withdrawing cash abroad you may also be charged a cash withdrawal fee. Your exchange rate will be set by your payment scheme provider – either Visa, Mastercard or American Express.

Is it better to exchange money at the airport? ›

It is cheaper to exchange money at the bank (or by using an ATM) than the airport. That's because currency exchange stores and kiosks at the airports mark up the exchange rate to make a profit. They know that travelers who just got off a plane probably need money right away.

Currencies are traded in pairs, so that in every trade one currency is exchanged for another at a given rate, determined by the market. These pairs look something like EUR/USD = 1.08. This means that one Euro buys USD $1.08. The base currency appears first and the quote currency (or counter currency) second.

Pay in the local currency

You can avoid your credit card's foreign transaction fee entirely by paying for purchases in foreign countries using the local currency instead of your U.S. credit card (or American dollars, if the vendor accepts them.)

For large amounts, especially if they are less common currencies, place an order at least a few days in advance to ensure you can pick up as much as you need. You'll probably be able to lock in the exchange rate then and there.

That is, the exchange rate is the price of a country's currency in terms of another currency. For example, if the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar (USD) and the Japanese yen (JPY) is 120 yen per dollar, one U.S. dollar can be exchanged for 120 yen in foreign currency markets.

Foreign exchange refers to the currencies of different countries, except the domestic currency of the country. We can say, foreign exchange is a system dealing with the currencies of different countries. The rate of domestic currency which can be exchanged for foreign currency is known as foreign exchange rate.

Although you should talk about your positive qualities and why they'd make you a good candidate to go on exchange, be sure also to mention a new situation which you found difficult or which tested you, and what you did to overcome those difficulties.

A lower-valued currency makes a country's imports more expensive and its exports less expensive in foreign markets. A higher exchange rate can be expected to worsen a country's balance of trade, while a lower exchange rate can be expected to improve it.