We're aware that some users are experiencing technical issues which the team are working to resolve. See the Community Noticeboard for more info. Thank you for your patience.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!

Best place to exchange foreign currency

Options
I've been sent some foreign currency for Christmas but I don't know which is the best place to exchange it. My local Post Office said they couldn't do it and they thought the bank probably couldn't either. The cash is in Australian dollars and Euros.
Don't mess with pensioners. :cool:

Comments

  • Voyager2002
    Voyager2002 Posts: 16,208 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Firstly, if you or a friend are likely to visit Euro-land or Australia soon then exchange with your friend or spend them there. Failing that, if the sums are modest then M & S is likely to be more helpful than your post office.
  • I'm not going abroad. I was hoping there would be somewhere local where I could just walk in and exchange it.
    Don't mess with pensioners. :cool:
  • A notice has just come up on the screen saying thank you for reporting. I can only think I've accidentally touched the touch pad too hard on the laptop I'm using. I haven't reported anyone!
    Don't mess with pensioners. :cool:
  • J_B
    J_B Posts: 6,779 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    I'm not going abroad. I was hoping there would be somewhere local where I could just walk in and exchange it.


    Guessing where you live, I'd say there was a shop that could help about three streets away! :D :rotfl: ;)



    Where is likely to be "local"? :)
  • benjus
    benjus Posts: 5,433 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    I'm not going abroad. I was hoping there would be somewhere local where I could just walk in and exchange it.

    I'd have thought that larger Post Office branches would be able to exchange it, if you can put up with the rotten exchange rates at the PO.
    Let's settle this like gentlemen: armed with heavy sticks
    On a rotating plate, with spikes like Flash Gordon
    And you're Peter Duncan; I gave you fair warning
  • TheShape
    TheShape Posts: 1,882 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I've been sent some foreign currency for Christmas .....
    I'm not going abroad....

    Not a great Christmas present then.

    If you're not planning a trip or not a regular traveller why would someone gift you foreign currency?
  • Pollycat
    Pollycat Posts: 35,727 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Savvy Shopper!
    TheShape wrote: »
    Not a great Christmas present then.

    If you're not planning a trip or not a regular traveller why would someone gift you foreign currency?
    I assumed it had been sent from someone - possibly 2 different people - living abroad who didn't want to incur exchange costs themselves.

    A friend of mine had a sister in law living in USA who used to send the kids Christmas and birthday money in US $.
    By the time she'd paid the commission to get it exchanged, it wasn't worth much at all.
    A notice has just come up on the screen saying thank you for reporting. I can only think I've accidentally touched the touch pad too hard on the laptop I'm using. I haven't reported anyone!
    You may have hit the :spam: button on one of the replies by mistake.

    You can undo this by clicking on the button again.
    You can tell which post it is as it will say 'not :spam:' or something like that.
  • TheShape
    TheShape Posts: 1,882 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    TheShape wrote: »
    Not a great Christmas present then.

    If you're not planning a trip or not a regular traveller why would someone gift you foreign currency?
    Pollycat wrote: »
    I assumed it had been sent from someone - possibly 2 different people - living abroad who didn't want to incur exchange costs themselves.

    I assumed the same.

    Still a rubbish way of gifting money as the recipient will both incur the cost of exchange out of the value of the gift anyway and has the bother of doing so. If you wanted to gift someone X value of Australian Dollars, just gift that value minus the exchange fee.

    Also, cash sent in the mail?
This discussion has been closed.
Meet your Ambassadors

🚀 Getting Started

Hi new member!

Our Getting Started Guide will help you get the most out of the Forum

Categories

  • All Categories
  • 350.7K Banking & Borrowing
  • 253K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
  • 453.4K Spending & Discounts
  • 243.7K Work, Benefits & Business
  • 598.5K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
  • 176.8K Life & Family
  • 256.9K Travel & Transport
  • 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
  • 16.1K Discuss & Feedback
  • 37.6K Read-Only Boards

Is this how you want to be seen?

We see you are using a default avatar. It takes only a few seconds to pick a picture.