View Full Version : pounds to dollars
caroline
12-10-2005, 18:38
anyone know where the best place to exchange pounds to dollers, and know a good site that shows when it is a good time to change my money.
sir_drinks_alot
12-10-2005, 18:41
Try here (http://www.postoffice.co.uk/portal/po) :)
jrhnewark
12-10-2005, 18:41
www.xe.com/ucc is what I use. :)
It won't tell you when to trade, but it's fairly easy to tell if you keep an eye on things - I couple of months ago probably would've been a little better than now.
caroline
12-10-2005, 21:46
thanx for the replys :)
ScaredWebWarrior
12-10-2005, 21:49
that shows when it is a good time to change my money.
That was about 7-10 days ago!
It reached a high of about $1.8 and is currently on a downward trend from $1.77
Trouble with waiting for it to max out before you buy is that the only way you know it's max'ed out is when it's going down again!
Unless you're into currency speculation, my answer would be to watch the price (and listen to the news - a bad day for America is a good day to buy dollars) and buy a bit when it looks good, until you've got your holiday cash budget sorted.
If, on the other hand, you're looking to get rich, the buying and selling is going to have to be done in large numbers for it to make a significant difference.
P.S. in my current job I get the chance to watch it minute by minute - I think it only makes it harder to decide when. It's ever so tempting to wait for the price to go up another $0.001...
Wicked_and_Crazy
12-10-2005, 21:54
www.travelex.co.uk (http://www.travelex.co.uk) if you want the best rates but you have to complete the transaction online and pick your dollars up at the airport. I used this in August and it worked fine.
If you dont want to do it online then go to marks ad spencers as they are usually the next best
caroline
12-10-2005, 21:57
Hi
im going to florida in 3 weeks , so it will have to be fairly soon.
Mr_love_monkey
12-10-2005, 21:58
Depending on where you are, you'll often get a better deal at this little places on the high street, away from any of the big chains - for example in London Victoria there's 2 places I know of that are really good.
I was looking at Euros today, and one of them was doing it for 1.431 - where as other (big chain) places were doing it for anywhere between 1.39 and 1.41
The Post Office Doesn't charge any comission, when you buy or sell.
If it does it better than anybody else
Wicked_and_Crazy
12-10-2005, 22:09
The Post Office Doesn't charge any comission, when you buy or sell.
If it does it better than anybody else
commission is added into the exchange rate
If you are applying at a post office, only the larger offices will actually hold your currency in stock.
Smaller branches will be able to order your currency to arrive within 2 working days.
I'll check on my system to see what the rates are in the morning. :)
I usually use Reuters for conversion.... Updates usually every 20 minutes.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/Investing/Currencies.aspx?src=dg
Wicked_and_Crazy
12-10-2005, 22:30
I usually use Reuters for conversion.... Updates usually every 20 minutes.
http://today.reuters.co.uk/Investing/Currencies.aspx?src=dg
theyre not travel exchange rates
homealone
12-10-2005, 22:31
please change the spelling in the thread title :)
theyre not travel exchange rates
I know. I never said they was.
Wicked_and_Crazy
12-10-2005, 22:35
please change the spelling in the thread title :)
lbs to dollers?:D
__________________
I know. I never said they was.
just clarifying, ive known people to think that they are and didnt want the thread starter to think they were
Marks and Spencers let you change money for free (no transaction fee).
They normally have their bureau de change hidden in the corner of their stores somewhere.
SMHarman
13-10-2005, 08:21
Hi
im going to florida in 3 weeks , so it will have to be fairly soon.Do you have a cash dispenser card? Do you have a credit card.
I don't bother getting any $$$ or â‚ 䉉 ‚¬Å¡Ã‚¬Ãà ƒâ€šÃ‚¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…¡Ã ¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚¬ when I travel to either of these places, you just find an ATM at the airport / station and get some money out. That way you are not carrying lots of cash around either.
Another thing to think about if you want to take a cash type product is travellers cheques, the American Express ones (which one of my former eers issued us with when we travelled) are widely accepted in the US such that you don't need to go to a bank or ccy exchange to spend them, but can present them in most shops, bars, restaurants and they will give you the change.
You could also think about the new travellers cheque card from AX, you get free money if you put enough money on the card.
If you are applying at a post office, only the larger offices will actually hold your currency in stock.
Smaller branches will be able to order your currency to arrive within 2 working days.
I'll check on my system to see what the rates are in the morning. :)
1.6784 dollars to the pound. :)
bob_builder
13-10-2005, 09:15
When I bought Euros a month ago the best rate was online at http://www.travelex.co.uk/, closely followed by Marks and Spencer (online or in store) and then the Post Office.
We used Travelex and got the best rate and no commission. We paid online using a debit card and picked the money up from the Travelex counter at the airport after we had checked in for our flight so there was no need to make a special trip to town to get the money. I felt a bit bad, however, as the person standing next to me was also buying Euros but the counter rate was not as good and he had to pay commission! :blush:
__________________
1.6784 dollars to the pound. :)
FYI: Travelex online rate today is 1.6993 USD to the GBP. :D
SMHarman
13-10-2005, 10:47
The rate has fallen since then, but the rates HSBC gave me at the ATM in the USA were
30/8 - 1.7548
1/9 - 1.7664
8/9 - 1.8289
12/9 - 1.7831
Also if you have an HSBC account and use a HSBC ATM they do not charge the £1.75 overseas usage fee.
handyman
13-10-2005, 11:26
I thought if you used your cc cards you got charged at the international exchange rate with no commision etc.
bob_builder
13-10-2005, 11:35
I thought if you used your cc cards you got charged at the international exchange rate with no commision etc.
Banks exchange rates are set by Visa and Mastercard but most banks also charge a loading fee of 2.75% that they hide in the excahnge rate quoted on the statement. Some also charge a fixed transaction fee on top.
Nationwide, however, do not add these extra charges:
http://www.nationwide.co.uk/mediacentre/PressRelease_this.asp?ID=701
Wicked_and_Crazy
13-10-2005, 11:56
When I bought Euros a month ago the best rate was online at http://www.travelex.co.uk/, closely followed by Marks and Spencer (online or in store) and then the Post Office.
We used Travelex and got the best rate and no commission. We paid online using a debit card and picked the money up from the Travelex counter at the airport after we had checked in for our flight so there was no need to make a special trip to town to get the money. I felt a bit bad, however, as the person standing next to me was also buying Euros but the counter rate was not as good and he had to pay commission! :blush:
as already mentioned ;) http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showpost.php?p=600225&postcount=7
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