Currency Converter
Convert an amount with your own exchange rate and see the fee and inverse rate.
What it does
A currency converter changes an amount from one currency into another using an exchange rate. Travelers use one to plan spending, online shoppers use one to check a foreign price, and freelancers use one to estimate an invoice in a client's currency.
The rate has a direction. If one US dollar buys 0.92 euros, the rate is 0.92 EUR per USD. The inverse is 1 / 0.92, or 1.0870 USD per EUR. Mixing those two directions is the most common way to get a result that looks plausible but is wrong.
This tool converts the amount, subtracts a percentage fee from the converted total, and shows the net amount received. It also prints the inverse rate. The fee field can be set to zero when you only want the raw conversion.
The calculator does not fetch live rates. It also does not model fixed fees, card markups, cash handling charges, or taxes. Banks and exchange desks often use a rate that differs from the mid-market quote, so treat the result as a planning estimate and compare the final amount the provider offers.
How to use
- Enter the amount in the from currency.
- Choose the from and to currencies from the lists.
- Enter the rate as units of the to currency per one unit of the from currency.
- Enter the percentage fee, or 0 if there is no fee.
- Read the converted total, the fee, the net amount received, and the inverse rate.
- Compare the net amount with a card or bank quote that includes all charges.
Formula
- amount
- Starting amount in the from currency.
- rate
- To currency units per one from currency unit.
- fee%
- Percentage taken from the converted total.
- converted
- Gross amount in the to currency before the fee.
- received
- Net amount after the percentage fee.
If a provider charges a fixed fee instead of a percentage, convert the amount first and subtract the fixed fee in the same currency. Rounding rules differ by provider, so the final cents can differ even when the rate is identical. The inverse rate is a raw reciprocal, not a provider's buy or sell rate.
Worked example
Example: 1,000 USD to EUR at 0.92 with a 2.5% fee
Amount 1000 USD, rate 0.92 EUR per USD, fee 2.5%.
- Gross conversion: 1000 x 0.92 = 920.00 EUR.
- Fee: 920 x 2.5 / 100 = 23.00 EUR.
- Net received: 920 - 23 = 897.00 EUR.
- Inverse rate: 1 / 0.92 = 1.0870 USD per EUR.
- The fee equals 25.00 USD at the same rate, because 23 / 0.92 = 25.00.
- The tool shows 920.00 EUR, 23.00 EUR, 897.00 EUR, and 1.0870 USD per EUR.
Reference table
| Rate to EUR | Gross | Fee | Received |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.85 | 850.00 EUR | 21.25 EUR | 828.75 EUR |
| 0.90 | 900.00 EUR | 22.50 EUR | 877.50 EUR |
| 0.92 | 920.00 EUR | 23.00 EUR | 897.00 EUR |
| 0.95 | 950.00 EUR | 23.75 EUR | 926.25 EUR |
| 1.00 | 1,000.00 EUR | 25.00 EUR | 975.00 EUR |
Limits
- The rate is entered by hand, not downloaded from a live market feed.
- Fixed fees, card markups, cash handling charges, and taxes are not included.
- Provider buy and sell rates can differ from the mid-market rate.
- Cash exchange rates are usually less favorable than electronic transfers.
Common mistakes
- Entering the inverse rate when the field asks for the direct rate.
- Applying the fee to the starting amount instead of the converted total.
- Comparing a mid-market rate with a cash bureau's posted rate.
- Forgetting a fixed fee that is charged on top of the percentage.
- Assuming a rounded inverse rate will reproduce the original amount exactly.
Try it yourself
Quick checks. Answers sit tucked under each question.
Convert 250 USD at 0.90 EUR per USD with no fee.
225.00 EUR. The inverse rate is 1.1111 USD per EUR.
Convert 1,200 EUR to USD at 1.10 USD per EUR with a 1% fee.
1,320.00 USD gross, 13.20 USD fee, 1,306.80 USD received. The inverse rate is 0.9091 EUR per USD.
A 500 USD conversion at 0.80 EUR per USD leaves 392 EUR after the fee. What fee percent was charged?
Gross is 400 EUR. The fee is 8 EUR, which is 2% of 400.
Questions
Where should I get the exchange rate?
Use a central bank reference rate or your bank's quote. The calculator does not supply live rates.
What is the inverse rate?
It is one divided by the rate, expressed in the opposite direction. If 1 USD buys 0.92 EUR, the inverse is about 1.0870 USD per EUR.
Why is my card charge different?
Cards often use a wholesale rate plus a foreign transaction fee, and the rate can change before the charge posts.
Does the fee come out of the converted amount?
In this tool, yes. Some providers charge the fee in the source currency or as a separate fixed amount.
Can I include a fixed fee?
Convert the amount first, then subtract the fixed fee in the same currency. A percentage field cannot represent a flat charge.
Can I convert cryptocurrency?
The arithmetic is the same, but crypto rates are volatile and exchange fees vary widely. This page is set up for ordinary currencies.
Sources
- European Central Bank: The role of exchange rates
- European Central Bank: Euro reference exchange rates