Currency Exchange Markup Calculator
Comparing two ways to exchange money? This free currency exchange markup calculator shows exactly how much foreign currency each provider pays you on your amount — and how big a cut each one takes versus the mid-market rate. No live data: you enter the rates, it does the math.
Enter your numbers
Copy the true rate from Google or your bank's quote page.
Your results
This calculator uses only the rates you enter — there is no live rate feed. Fees charged on top of the rate are not included; add them to your comparison yourself.
How to use this calculator
Enter the amount you want to exchange and the quoted rate from each provider (in the same currency pair, e.g. EUR per USD). Optionally add the mid-market rate to see each provider's markup percentage. Results update as you type.
Example: exchanging $1,000 with Provider A at 0.92 and Provider B at 0.895 gives €920.00 vs €895.00 — Provider A is better by €25.00. Against a 0.935 mid-market rate, the markups are about 1.6% and 4.3%.
How it works
Received = amount × quoted rate. Difference = the better received amount − the worse one. Markup % = (mid-market rate − quoted rate) ÷ mid-market rate × 100, which is the share of the true rate each provider keeps.
The headline rate is only half the story: flat transfer fees, delivery charges, and "commission-free" claims that hide the cost in the rate can all change the ranking. Compare the final amount that lands in the other currency — that is the only number that matters.
Frequently asked questions
What is the mid-market exchange rate?
The mid-market rate is the midpoint between the buy and sell prices on the wholesale currency market - the true rate with no provider markup. It is the rate you see quoted on Google or financial news, and the fairest benchmark to compare any provider's offer against.
How is the markup percentage calculated?
Markup % = (mid-market rate - provider rate) / mid-market rate x 100. A lower number means the provider takes a smaller cut of your exchange. The calculator shows this for each provider side by side.
Why do two providers give different amounts for the same exchange?
Every provider bakes its profit into the rate it quotes: a worse rate than the mid-market rate is the markup, plus some charge flat fees on top. Comparing the final received amounts - not the advertised rate alone - shows the real difference.
Does this calculator use live exchange rates?
No. Every rate is entered by you - there is no live data feed. Copy the quoted rate from each provider and the mid-market rate from a source like Google, then compare them here.