How Currency Conversions Work
Foreign exchange valuations represent the relative purchasing parity between two sovereign currencies. When converting currency from base to target, the transaction is modeled as:
Frequently Asked Questions
The mid-market exchange rate (also known as the interbank rate) is the midpoint between the buy (bid) and sell (ask) prices of two currencies on global wholesale markets. It represents the real, un-marked-up value of a currency without retail dealer spreads or transaction commissions.
Retail banks, airports, and credit card processors incorporate a markup or "spread" (typically between 1.5% and 8%) above the mid-market exchange rate to cover physical currency logistics, counterparty risk, and company profits.
Exchange rates fluctuate continuously during trading days (24 hours a day from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon EST) driven by geopolitical events, interest rate decisions by central banks (Federal Reserve, ECB, Bank of England), inflation data, and international trade flows.
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