Currency Converter
Convert currencies at the European Central Bank reference rate, updated daily, and see the real amount once bank fees are added. The rate date is shown.
Loading the tool…
User reviews
No reviews yet. If you’ve used this tool, be the first to leave one.
Currency Converter: complete guide
Walk through the steps and examples, or jump straight to the topic you need.
At a glance
- Source of rates
- The reference rates the European Central Bank publishes once a day.
- Where they are fetched
- This site's server fetches them on your behalf. Your browser does not go out to other sites.
- Currencies
- The 30 currencies the European Central Bank publishes.
- Calculation method
- Cross-calculated through EUR.
- Fee
- Added on top of the reference rate to show the amount you would actually receive.
- Decimal places
- Currencies that don't use decimals, such as the Korean won and the yen, are cut to whole numbers.
- When it fails
- It stops instead of showing an old value or an estimate.
How to use Currency Converter
Choose the amount and currencies
Frequently used pairs can be switched in one tap with the buttons above. Pressing the arrow in the middle swaps the two currencies.
Enter the fee
This is the share your bank or card issuer adds to the reference rate. If you don't know, leave it at 0 and just look at the amount at the reference rate.
Check the reference date
New rates are not published on weekends and holidays. If the value is several days old, the screen says so.
Compare the two amounts
The difference between the amount at the reference rate and the amount with the fee added is the money you really pay extra.
What it’s good for
The reference rate is not what a bank gives you
The exchange rates you see in the news and in search results are reference rates for guidance. Banks and card issuers add their fee on top of them when selling, and subtract it when buying. So if you calculate from the reference rate alone, the result always comes out higher than what you actually get. This tool shows the two amounts side by side, and if you enter the fee for the place you use, it gives an amount closer to the real one.
Cross-calculated through EUR
The source rates come based on the euro, so even when converting from dollars to Korean won, the calculation goes through the euro. Using a value quoted against won would have only a couple of significant digits and cause errors on large amounts. Going through the euro matches the provider's own dollar-based figures to the first decimal place.
It stops if it can't get the rates
If the rates can't be fetched, it doesn't show an old value or an estimate instead. That's because people actually exchange money based on these numbers. It only shows that the fetch failed and a button to fetch again.
Worked examples
100 dollars to won
100 USD → KRW · fee 0%Reference rate 1 USD = 1,336.2 KRW
133,620 KRWAdding a 2% fee
100 USD → KRW · fee 2%Rate applied 1 USD = 1,310.0 KRW
130,999 KRWWhich rate should you look at
Swipe the table sideways to see the rest.
| Value | Who publishes it | What it is used for |
|---|---|---|
| Reference rate | European Central Bank | A reference value shown in the news and in search results. |
| Rate applied | Banks and card issuers | The value used when you actually buy and sell. |
| This tool | Reference rate + the fee you enter | A close estimate of the real amount. |
When the result isn’t what you expected
The amount differs from my bank's app
A bank adds its own fee to the reference rate, and its reference rate is also posted at a different time. Entering the preferential rate stated in your terms into the fee field gets you closer.
It says the rates couldn't be fetched
There is a problem with the provider or the connection. Please press Fetch again. The reason it doesn't show an old value instead is that you might actually exchange money based on that value.
The currency I'm looking for isn't there
Only the 30 currencies the European Central Bank publishes are covered. Currencies that aren't published, such as the Taiwan dollar and the Vietnamese dong, are not included. That's because being able to select a currency but not calculate it would be worse.
Key terms
- Reference rate
- An exchange rate a central bank publishes for guidance.
- Spread
- The difference between the buying price and the selling price. It is the share the bank keeps.
- Cross rate
- The exchange rate between two currencies worked out through an intermediate currency.
Currency Converter FAQ
Are these real-time rates?
No. They are reference rates the European Central Bank publishes once a day. The reference date is shown on screen, and if several days have passed, that is shown too.
What percentage should I enter as the fee?
It depends on where you exchange. Cash exchange at a bank counter is usually a few percent, and overseas card payments tend to be lower. The exact value is in your terms of service, so enter that.
Where does the amount I enter go?
Nowhere. The amount and currency selection stay only inside this browser. Only the exchange rates are fetched on your behalf by this site's server.
Why does it differ from the rates on Naver or at a Korean bank?
Because the basis is different. This tool uses the reference rate that the European Central Bank (ECB) publishes once a day, while Korean portals such as Naver and Korean banks show the base rate (the mid-market rate) that banks post. The two usually differ by around 0.2%, and when you actually exchange, the bank's spread is added (about 1.75% for dollar cash and about 1% for wire transfers). Enter the fee of the place you use in the fee field to check.
Does it change in real time?
No. It is a value published once a day, so it doesn't change within the day.
Does the amount go to a server?
No. Only the exchange rates are fetched by the server, and the amount and currency selection stay only inside the browser.
Does it distinguish cash and wire transfer rates?
No. The fees for the two differ, so you need to enter the value for the place you use in the fee field.