Wall Street Journal Currency Exchange Rates Historical (2025)

FAQs

Is it better to exchange money or use ATM? ›

The best place to exchange money is a local ATM or a bank. Many foreign banks are happy to exchange your dollars for local currency for a better rate than you find elsewhere, or you can go to an ATM to skip the line.

Where Can You Exchange Currency? Banks, credit unions, and online currency exchange bureaus and converters provide convenient and often inexpensive currency exchange services. Also, your own bank's overseas ATM or a foreign bank's are ways to get local currency with a credit card or ATM card once you have arrived.

Banks and credit unions are generally the best places to exchange currency, with reasonable exchange rates and the lowest fees.

Head to your bank or credit union before you leave to avoid paying ATM transaction costs. You may even receive a better exchange rate. Credit unions and banks will exchange your dollars into a foreign currency before and after your trip when you have a checking or savings account with them.

To avoid dynamic currency conversion fees when traveling internationally, choose to pay credit card transactions in the local currency rather than in US dollars. Some merchants will attempt to make this decision for you, so confirm which currency you're transacting in before you pay.

Our advice? Use a credit card with no foreign transaction fee when possible. Or get your cash as local currency from a local ATM when abroad or from your bank before your trip. If you do decide to use a currency exchange, do your research and assess the exchange rate and other fees beforehand.

What is the best place to exchange foreign currency? The best place to exchange foreign currency in the U.S. is at your local bank or credit union before you leave for your trip.

Who gives the best currency exchange rate? ›

It's always worth shopping around for a range of quotes, but an international money transfer specialist is generally the best place to exchange currency because it deals in huge volumes of money every day, meaning it has the economies of scale to offer the most competitive FX rates.

HDFC Bank branches have forex services that let you buy foreign cash in 22 major currencies.

What country is a dollar worth most? Some of the countries where a dollar is worth the most money include Mexico, Peru, Chile, and Colombia. It's possible to exchange dollars for local currency in these countries at favorable exchange rates.

One United States dollar was worth over 15,000 Indonesian rupiah in March 2024, the highest value in a comparison of over 50 different currencies worldwide. All countries and territories shown here are based on the Big Mac Index - a measurement of how much a single Big Mac is worth across different areas in the world.

Use your credit or debit card when possible

Fees aside, using your credit or debit card is probably your safest bet for getting an exchange rate that's closest to the market rate. But be aware that while your card's issuer bases its exchange rate on market conditions, it does set its own exchange rate for transactions.

Resist the urge to buy foreign currency before your trip.

Some tourists feel like they must have euros or British pounds in their pockets when they step off the airplane, but they pay the price in bad stateside exchange rates. Wait until you arrive to withdraw money.

Quick Transactions

Another advantage of ATM machines is faster and more convenient financial transactions through simple and rapid operations including cash withdrawals, balance checks, and more.