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Buy Foreign Currency Online and Save Money

If you choose to buy foreign currency online before you travel you can save a substantial amount of money, and you will never have to deal with waiting times at airport currency exchanges or any store. Avoid the hassle of being caught in a situation without having currency and buy foreign currency online before your trip to ensure that you have plenty of currency available. The amount of currency that you need to purchase depends on where you are traveling to and how long you are staying. It is usually recommended that you buy foreign currency of at least $100 or $200 USD (the equivalent in foreign currency), and possibly more if you plan on staying longer or using cash services like taxis often.

Many services overseas require cash

Unlike the United States, many foreign countries do not have debit and credit card services available everywhere. This is especially true for taxis, street vendors, and several stores that you may find overseas. If you are in need of a taxi from the airport you may end up having to take another form of transportation or having to wait. When you buy foreign currency online you can avoid these hassles and get to your destination because you will have currency with you before you arrive in the country. You always want to bring cash with you before you arrive, and the cost to buy foreign currency online is much lower than what you would have to pay in other locations.

Don’t get ripped off at other currency exchanges

Other currency exchange services know that tourists are usually desperate when they need to buy currency, and as a result they charge sometimes outrageous service fees and other fees. If you buy foreign currency online you will never have to deal with this situation, and you can save a lot of money. Prepare for your trip and have cash with you so that you don’t ever have to use an airport currency exchange service. The fees that they charge can be a substantial percentage of the amount of money that you are exchanging, and you may have no other option but to pay those fees if you need to buy foreign currency at your destination.

Prepare for your trip ahead of time and buy foreign currency online

When you travel you need to estimate how much currency that you’ll need and then it is recommended that you buy foreign currency online. Once you purchase it, you won’t have to worry about using any currency exchange service and you’ll have the peace of mind that you have the cash that you need before you travel. If you wait too long to purchase it, you may end up having to lose a substantial part of your trip budget to currency exchange fees, and it will just add more stress to your trip. If you aren’t sure how much cash you’ll need, contact XChange of America and we can help you determine how much foreign currency you should purchase and answer any questions that you may have.

Why you should buy foreign currency online

If you buy foreign currency online you can save a huge amount of time compared to purchasing it from an airport or a store location. You don’t have to worry about spending time traveling and you can focus on the other aspects of your trip if you choose to buy foreign currency online. You can also purchase it well ahead of time and have everything ready to go for your trip. If you buy foreign currency online you will be well prepared and you won’t be as stressed when it comes time for you to travel.

No worries about airport fees

You don’t have to ever worry about airport currency exchange fees when you buy foreign currency online. Just be sure that you purchase a sufficient amount of currency so that you don’t have a shortage during your trip. Try to estimate how much money you will need, and you can talk to XChange of America if you need some advice based on the country you are traveling to. In general you should have cash available for cabs, food, service professionals and for emergencies, so you should have enough cash for the basics but not too much.

Save time on trip planning

You can save a ton of time on your trip planning if you buy foreign currency online. You don’t have to spend a minute in the car or worrying about finding a local currency exchange. XChange of America also never charges a service fee, while local currency exchange services may end up charging you a fee. Your currency can be shipped to you no matter where you live in the United States, and there are several shipping options offered by XChange of America for your convenience, which can be helpful if you need to leave within a few days.

Save money compared to other services

As mentioned previously, you will save quite a bit of money compared to local services when you buy foreign currency online. You may end up getting charged excess fees and have to spend much more than you expect. Also the service may not be very familiar with currency exchange and may not be able to answer your questions from an educated perspective. At XChange of America we have trained staff who understand currency exchange and can answer your questions when you buy foreign currency online through our website or even in person if you happen to live near one of our store locations.

How to Buy Foreign Currency Quickly and Easily

Many Americans have never had the opportunity before to buy foreign currency. There have traditionally been a lot of reasons for this, like not taking many foreign vacations, or only wanting to use dollars for investment and savings. However, many of these old rules are changing and more Americans are looking to buy foreign currency. Before just jumping in and signing up with the first exchange or broker you find in the phone book or online, learn some tips about how to buy foreign currency quickly and easily.

Know the exchange rates

This is a very important point when you buy foreign currency. You must know the current exchange rates. Most of the time you can find a neutral website (one that is not looking to actually facilitate your purchase of paper money) that will give regular updates on exchange rates. From here, your provider of choice can be compared to the actual rate. Obviously when you buy foreign currency there is no sense in overpaying, so stay as close to the neutral exchange rate as possible.

Watch the spread

Just like when buying or selling stock, there is a spread with currencies. When you buy foreign currency, you can expect to pay a higher price to obtain the money and then a lower price when you go to sell it back. This is normal and how the broker or dealer makes their money. For example, you might be quoted 1.39 and 1.30 for the price of Euros, in dollars. That simply means that you can buy foreign currency at 1.39 dollars for every Euro and sell each Euro for $1.30. The spread in this case is .09 Euros. The dealer makes a profit of 9 Euros for every 100 that they exchange back and forth, or 9 percent.

Buy foreign currency online

In many cases, your supplier will allow you to buy foreign currency directly online (as well as in person). While this can be an incredibly convenient service, you still need to watch out for some things. You should never pay any additional fee to buy online. Also, make sure that the company has a strong reputation for successful dealings with their customers. This is what makes the Xchange of America a great place to buy foreign currency online; they meet all the requirements and always provide you with great value at the lowest possible prices. Contact XChange of America today for more information on how you can save money on your next currency purchase.

Best Ways to Buy Foreign Currency Online

Maybe you have decided to take a trip to a foreign country. Or pursue some investing using other currencies. Whatever the reason, it can be helpful to know how to buy foreign currency online. There are a number of different brokers, dealers, and sellers of all types who claim to be willing and able to help you buy foreign currency online. Unfortunately, many of them really do not have your best interests at heart. Here are some ways to protect yourself.

Finding a trusted provider

Whenever you buy foreign currency online, the first order of business is to ensure that your provider of choice is trusted. Pick a merchant who has actually been in business for a while and has a solid track record of success. They should have a lot of positive comments about the experiences of others who also buy foreign currency online. The Xchange of America is one example of a trusted supplier who has just such a reputation for success and fair dealings with all their customers.

Watch out for fees and hidden charges

Another trick that many brokers and dealers use is to add in hidden fees and charges when you go to buy foreign currency online. Already they are making money on the spread, selling to you at a higher price and then buying back unused paper at a lower price. Many also add in commission to buy foreign currency online; some even include online fees or other little charges that are not only don’t make sense, but they are written in fine print with the hopes that you will not notice. That is no way to do business. Avoid any dealer that has hidden fees when you buy foreign currency online.

Make sure they offer your currencies

Another big issue when you buy foreign currency online can often be availability. Despite listing out many different types of currencies and countries, when you actually try to buy foreign currency online, you will receive the message that they currently do not carry that type of paper. This happens more often than you might think. So, it becomes important to test the provider ahead of time. Fortunately, a company like Xchange of America always has a good supply of a wide range of currencies.

Many services

You should also look for many types of services. Xchange of America satisfies allows you to buy foreign currency online using layaway as well as a number of different payment methods.

Extra Cash After You Buy Foreign Currency Online?

Using leftover money after you buy foreign currency online can be tricky because you might not be sure what the best use of it really is. If you buy foreign currency online and have a smaller amount of leftover money you can always keep it as a souvenir as mentioned in the previous blog post, but there are several other good uses for leftover travel money.

Keep it for your next trip

One of the best uses for leftover travel money is to keep it for your next trip. If you plan on visiting a country more than one time in the future you should definitely consider using it for this purpose, as you won’t have to convert the currency back to your home currency and spend more money on another currency exchange. If you have a lot of currency left you may not even need to buy foreign currency online before your next trip.

Donate it

If you find that you have a lot of money left after you buy foreign currency online, you should consider donating it, and most charities will accept many different types of currency. Just contact your favorite charity and ask them what they recommend you do with the foreign currency that you want to donate, they may ask you to convert it to a different currency or they may just take it as it is. There are also ways to buy foreign currency online for the purpose of donating to an overseas charity, so you may want to ask about that if your favorite charity is overseas.

Give it to a family member or friend for their trip

If a friend or family member is traveling to the country that you just visited, you can help them out with their trip expenses by giving them a little extra currency. It will be appreciated, and at least in the United States you are legally able to gift several thousands (USD) per year without tax consequences.

Think about how much you’ll need the next time you buy foreign currency online

Try to predict more accurately how much money you need the next time you buy foreign currency online or at a currency exchange and you’ll have less left over after your trip. Sometimes you don’t really know how much you really need and may have to learn from experience, but if you carefully plan out your travel budget you won’t have much left over after you buy foreign currency online.

Tips to Save Money on a Foreign Holiday

Tips to Save Money on a Foreign HolidayCertainly, there are a lot of things to remember and prepare for when going on a holiday trip to an international vacation destination. Next to securing visas and passports, adequate currency which is legal tender at the place of visit has to be obtained. Seasoned travelers know that it is advantageous to plan ahead with regards to this money matter which is essential when crossing national borders. Having a to-do list on this travel-related component should ensure that nothing is left out in the foreign currency requirements of those going on a holiday outside their countries.

To-do item #1
Change money early. Be sure to have the foreign currency needed for the trip prior to leaving. It’s true that there are money-changing services at airports. The same establishments can be found in all travel destinations, save for the remotest regions. Nonetheless, the rates of exchange in these areas can be less advantageous for a traveler. There’s also the issue of safety and security, particularly when changing money in an unfamiliar territory.

To-do item #2

Do comparison-shopping. Money-changing can be a rewarding business endeavor, but gains at each transaction are typically marginal. Volume of business coming in would be critical for these money changers. Hence, the myriads of money changers to choose from are keenly competing against each other for the attention of potential customers and try to outdo one another in offering the best rates and efficient services possible.

To do item #3
Recognize the leaders in the business. Deal only with those money changers having a well-established and solid record in the foreign currency exchange industry. These money dealers can readily stand out with the outstanding portfolio of products and services that they offer to those in the market for foreign exchange to meet either travel or business needs. Some of the established money-changing brands to go for include Xchange of America whose reputation was built on such online facilities as “Point & Click Currency to Your Door.”

To do item #4
Buy foreign currency online. The offerings of outfits like Xchange of America have become so tailor-fit to the needs of their clients whether the requirements are individual or institutional in nature. Budget-conscious tourists, for example, would find such package as a “Currency on Layaway” as an attractive proposition. Xchange of America devised this offering so that penny-pinching clients can purchase currency exchange with payments distributed from 8 to 12 weeks. What’s even more convenient, the transaction can be done online, certainly a deal worth pursuing.

Things To Watch out for When Handling Foreign Currency

Before departing for a trip – be it for business or pleasure – to another country, it’d be extremely helpful to have certain amounts of the nation’s local currency on person. The option to buy foreign currency online is one of the most convenient ways to satisfy this need, as reputable exchangers can have the money sent to their customers’ doorsteps within 24 to 48 hours.

Although rare, there are instances where handling holiday money can actually inconvenience the vacationer during their breaks abroad, regardless of whether the tourist decides to carry cash or card. For instance, travelers usually carry two currencies – or even more –while traveling abroad.

Despite trying to keep the currency notes separated from one another, the coins can sometimes get mixed up, which can cause a little distress when paying for public transport. Attempting to pay the typical British bus driver in foreign coin – be it intentional or unintentional – may prompt the guy or girl to immediately kick the commuter off the bus.

Nevertheless, this potential setback can easily be negated by using color-coded wallets. To be extra safe, using wallets with colors that more or less match the flag colors or bear symbols of the country’s flag would definitely be helpful.

Second problem stems from the use of ATM cards – upon reaching the airport, there’s always that moment of hesitation and anxiety that sinks in upon inserting the card into the machine. Although uncommon, there’s still a small chance wherein the money dispenser fails to spit any cash out, or even fails to release the card completely.

This scenario is either psychologically or literally worse in a foreign country, as the thought of being without local currency for an undetermined span of time can be daunting.

Third and last potential money-related problem is not having enough change to tip concierges, waiters, and other hospitality employees. There’s a wide range of establishments within various tourist destinations wherein giving a tip is an absolute must, or neglecting to do so would be rude.

All three issues may not be that too big of a deal, but they sure can lead to feelings of discomfort. Saving face and avoiding awkward situations is an issue which can be addressed by simply opting to buy foreign currency online, and have the notes delivered in both large and small denominations.