The advantages of currency exchange with Revolut

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When our founder first started Revolut, he frequently travelled abroad for business, and wanted to address the unnecessarily high fees when exchanging currencies. With Revolut, you can exchange 35+ currencies at the real-time rate with no admin fees. Keep reading to take a look at all the perks of exchanging currencies in-app.

Why should I use Revolut for currency exchange?

Exchange money easily at any time with your smartphone

The Revolut app allows you to exchange money at a competitive exchange rate compared to airports and local exchange offices. You can easily exchange as much of the destination's currency as you need, at the best possible rate before your trip, anytime, via the app.¹

Withdraw money from overseas ATMs free of charge

If you need cash when travelling overseas, or don't want to queue up at an airport money exchange, our physical cards allow you to withdraw local currency from ATMs at competitive rates and with no fees from us (within your plan limit). Please note, some ATMs may not be compatible with Metal cards.²

Please note that depending on the country, location, and time, the ATM third-party may charge a fee, even if it's within your plan allowance. Always check the information displayed on the ATM screen, and remember to select the option to be debited in the local currency of your destination.

No administration fee

If you pay by credit card abroad, in addition to the exchange rate, there's often a foreign currency administration fee of around 1.6–3.85%.³ At Revolut, we don't charge this kind of fee (all transaction limits on Revolut, including currency exchange, are 1 million yen per transaction).¹

Example of a credit card admin fee
If you make a purchase of $100 in the United States and pay in US dollars with a credit card (any of the card brands with a 3.85% foreign currency administration fee), the payment will be as follows.

Based on an exchange rate of US$1 = ¥150:
US$100 x 150 x 3.85% = ¥577.5 foreign currency administration fee)
Payment amount ¥15,577.5 (foreign currency administration fee)

With Revolut, the exchange rate shown in the app at the time of your payment is the same rate used for settlement. Typically, there's a minor variation between the exchange rate at the moment of payment and when it's processed at the card settlement centre. With other banks, the rate you receive might not match your expectations.

How can I exchange currencies with Revolut?

Buying foreign currencies

1. After opening your account to the home screen, tap Exchange, and select the foreign currency you wish to purchase (or you can search for it).
2. Check the current exchange rate in the upper left corner (tap on the rate to open the chart and show the rate history).
3. Enter the amount you want to buy either in JPY or in another currency. JPY amount is shown in minus (-) and other currency in plus (+).
4. Confirm the amount and exchange rate, then tap Review order.
5. The default is Market Order,⁴ which you buy immediately at the current rate. If you want to specify the price, select Limit order or Stop order⁵ in the upper right corner.
6. Review your order, and confirm. Now you can use this currency for card payments or overseas ATM withdrawals. To see the exact rate applied, tap the item in Transactions.

Selling foreign currencies

You can use foreign currencies for shopping without conversion. But if you want to exchange back to JPY or use that currency to buy others, you can also sell. (Note the exchange gain can’t be used for cash withdrawal or transfer at the moment).

1. Select the currency account you want to sell.
2. After selecting an account, tap Exchange on the home screen.
3. Check the current exchange rate in the upper left corner (tap on the rate to open the chart and show the rate history).
4. Enter the amount you want to sell, either in JPY or in another currency. If you're exchanging back to JPY, the JPY amount is shown in plus (+) and the other currency in minus (-).
5. Confirm the amount and exchange rate, then tap Review order.
6. The default is Market Order,⁴ which you sell immediately at the current rate. If you want to specify the price, select Limit order or Stop order⁵ in the upper right corner.
7. Review your order, and confirm. Now you can use this currency for card payments or overseas ATM withdrawals. To see the exact rate applied, tap the item in Transactions.

¹The amount available for free exchange varies depending on the plan. Additionally, outside of foreign exchange market hours (from Friday 17:00 to Sunday 18:00 Eastern Standard Time (EST), and from 7:00 Saturday to 8:00 Monday Japan Standard Time (JST) (6:00 Saturday to 7:00 Monday in summer time), a 1% foreign exchange fee may apply). For Standard plan customers, a 0.5% exchange fee is charged for currency exchanges exceeding the free usage limit of JPY 750,000.

²The amount available for free ATM withdrawals varies depending on the plan. If you exceed the free limit, a 2% fee will be charged, but you will still be able to make withdrawals, ensuring peace of mind in case of emergency. You can withdraw cash at ATMs in or outside of Japan using your Revolut Card. However, money added (topped up) with a credit card, debit card or prepaid card can be used for card payments (purchases), but not for cash withdrawals or money transfers). For more information, refer to the Fees page on the official Revolut website.

³Foreign currency administration fees of major credit card companies (as of December 2024, in alphabetical order of card name):

⁴Market Order: Market order is used when you want to buy or sell immediately at the current price without specifying the price.

⁵Limit Order/Stop Order: Limit order is used when you want to buy or sell at a specified price or better. For buys, it’s at a price equal to or lower than the specified price. For sells, it’s at a price equal to or higher.

Stop order is used when you want to buy or sell at market price once the currency is traded at the specified price or worse. (Unlike a limit order, it’s a trigger price and does not guarantee it’ll be executed at the specified price.) For buys, order is placed when the trade price is equal to or higher than the specified price, and for sells when the price is equal to or lower.