5 Best places to exchange currency in Liverpool - 2024

Physical currency exchange locations in Liverpool are primarily grouped around central areas popular with tourists, or at major supermarkets in retail parks. To help you pick one which suits you, this guide will cover some of the top rated Liverpool currency exchange services, including their locations, ratings and some example exchange rates for comparison. We’ll also walk through some extra tips to find the best available deals on currency exchange, at home or abroad, as a bonus.

Beat the money changer rates with a prepaid travel card

Going to a currency exchange before a holiday can be exciting, but you will often be paying hidden fees that are baked into the exchange rate.

With a prepaid travel card from Wise or Revolut you get the market exchange rate with low fees and complete transparency. Read here 5 best prepaid cards to use abroad.

Things to consider before exchanging money in Liverpool

Here are a few things to think about before you buy foreign currency for your trip.

Avoid airport currency exchanges

While it’s tempting to rely on airport currency exchanges, these can be pretty expensive to use as they have little local competition. You may find you can get a better deal by ordering ahead online or by phone, but if the rates look low, you could be better off making an ATM withdrawal on arrival at your destination. This can be pretty good value if you have a debit card with low or no foreign transaction fees, like the Wise or Revolut cards (more on them later).

Check the mid-market rate 

Often it’s hard to judge if a currency exchange service is offering a fair deal. The easiest way to check is to get to know the mid-market rate for your currency. That’s the rate banks and currency exchange services get when buying currency themselves, and it’s easy to find on Google. You’ll likely notice that the rate offered by currency exchange service isn’t the same as the mid-market rate - that’s because it’ll often include an extra percentage fee added in on top of the rate you found on Google. Look out for services which offer the mid market rate for your currency, or as close as possible to it, for the best deal.

Beware of ATM rates

If you choose to make ATM withdrawals at your destination, don’t spend more than you need to because of dynamic currency conversion (DCC). You’ll see DCC when you’re offered the option to pay for your withdrawal in your home currency rather than the local currency in your destination. If you choose to pay in your home currency, the ATM operator sets the rate that applies, rather than your own bank or card network. That tends to be less favourable, and can include extra fees, too. Avoid DCC by choosing to pay in the local currency every time.

Get a travel money card to cut costs

A straightforward way to get travel money across a broad selection of currencies, is to look at digital multi-currency accounts and debit cards from providers like Wise or Revolut. Open your account and exchange dozens of currencies with nothing more than your phone, and get a linked debit card for ATM withdrawals and convenient spending. Best of all, currency conversion will usually use the mid-market rate, and the overall costs are kept to a minimum.

Here’s a quick overview of some of the pros and cons of Wise vs Revolut, to give you an idea of which may work for you.

Read more:

• Wise card full review
• Revolut card full review
• Best prepaid travel card in the UK

Best place to exchange currency in Liverpool?

The best place to exchange currency in Liverpool will depend on whether you’re in the city centre or able to get to a retail park to visit a supermarket with a travel money desk. It’s also worth noting that it’s common to need to order online in advance - so check currency availability before you head out.

Below we’ve picked out a few of the top rated travel money options in Liverpool. Below you’ll find their contact information and Google rating, plus the GBP - AUD exchange rate at the time of research, as an example for comparison.

• Correct at time of writing, 9th August 2023

  Find more currency exchange services in Liverpool here.

How we rated the best places to exchange money in Liverpool

To create our table of Liverpool currency exchange options, we used the top rated options from Google, looking at popular and convenient locations in the city centre and retail parks. As ratings are dynamic, and service reliability can change over time, you’ll want to double check what’s best for your specific needs before you head out to get tour travel money.

Factors to consider when choosing an exchange provider in Liverpool

Firstly, it’s important to make sure the service you’re using to exchange currency is safe and licensed. You can see what other customers say about a particular provider through Google reviews - or you can stick with well known brands which have a good reputation.

Next you want to make sure you get a good overall cost for your exchange. Look at the fees and exchange rates before you choose a service, and remember if a provider claims to offer fee free, or zero commission currency exchange, their fees may well just be hidden in the exchange rates they use.

You can also save time on research by picking a provider which always uses mid-market rate currency conversion with low, transparent fees, like Wise.

Tips for finding the best currency exchange rates in Liverpool

Holidays are relaxing and fun. Getting ripped off on currency exchange is not. Here are a few tips to get a good deal on exchanging foreign currency in Liverpool, or wherever else you happen to be:

• Compare providers, looking at both fees and rates online, to make sure you get a fair deal

• Check the mid-market rate for your currency and look for a provider offering this rate or close to it

• See if you can get a better rate if you order your currency in advance by phone or online for collection

• Use the Exiap currency conversion tools to stay updated on current exchange rates

• Consider online alternatives such as Wise and Revolut, for travel money cards you can use for free or low cost ATM withdrawals in the UK and abroad

  Where to get foreign currency outside the UK

Once you’re abroad you can still get travel money in cash by making local ATM withdrawals at your destination. If you’re carrying GBP in cash you can also visit a physical currency exchange store wherever in the world you are. Bear in mind that airport and hotel currency exchange rates may not be the best available. If you’re using your bank card in an ATM be sure to avoid DCC, and check if any foreign transaction fees apply, as these can push up costs.

If you want to spend overseas with lower overall fees, you may be better off opening an account with a service like Revolut or Wise before you head off. Open your account with your phone, order a card, and add money in pounds. You can then either convert within the account to the currency you need, or leave your money in GBP and let the card convert for you when you pay. Digital providers typically have lower overall costs compared to banks, and can be super convenient to use when you’re travelling.

How do I exchange currency after a trip?

Many currency exchange services in the UK will also buy back unused foreign currency - although this usually only applies to higher value notes, rather than coins. Bear in mind that buy back rates are unlikely to be as good as the rate you bought at, so you could get back less than you originally spent.

Instead, cut costs by looking at digital multi-currency accounts from Wise or Revolut. You can add money to your account in pounds, and then withdraw local currency at an ATM overseas when you need to. There’s no need to convert all your funds to foreign currency in advance - and if you have pounds left in your account at the end of your trip you can withdraw your money back to your bank, make payments to others, or withdraw pounds at an ATM instead.

FAQs - best places to exchange currency in Liverpool

What is the cheapest way to get foreign currency in Liverpool ?

You’ll need to research the cheapest way to get foreign currency in Liverpool for your specific currency as different providers have their own rates and fees, which may vary widely. Use the tools and reviews on Exiap, to help you find a good provider for your specific needs.

Should I exchange money before I travel?

You can exchange your money before you travel, but depending on the service you use, you won’t always get the very best rates. It’s worth knowing that you don’t necessarily have to exchange before you leave with a multi-currency account and card from a service like Wise or Revolut. Instead, just add funds in pounds and make cash withdrawals in your destination when you need to, often with the mid-market rate and low or no fees.

Does it matter where you exchange currency?

Yes. Currency exchange services set their own rates and fees - so which one you pick can make a huge difference to how much you have to spend on your trip. It’s worth investing some time in researching the best options for your needs, including exchanging cash and using a specialist travel money card instead.

What is the best reloadable prepaid card?

There’s no single best reloadable prepaid debit card. Use this guide to compare a few options to pick the one that’s right for you, thinking about features, fees and the range of supported currencies you’ll need.