What is a 'good' margin?

Specialist FX brokers (Wise, Revolut, IBKR) charge 0.3–0.6% margin. Traditional banks typically charge 2–4%. Card DCC at point of sale is often 4–6%. Anything above 1% on a large transfer is worth shopping around.

Why is the margin not the same as the fee my bank quoted?

Banks often quote 'zero fees' but make their money on the FX spread instead. The total cost of a currency conversion = explicit fee + hidden margin. This tool isolates the margin so you can compare apples to apples.

Should I pay in my home currency or local currency abroad?

Almost always local currency. When a card terminal offers to bill you in your home currency (DCC), the merchant's processor sets the rate — typically 3–6% worse than your card network's rate. Declining DCC lets your card network convert at their (usually better) rate.

Why does my margin show as a gain?

If the rate offered is better than mid-market (extremely rare), the tool will report a gain. This can happen if you mistyped the rates, swapped the from/to currencies, or are looking at a stale mid-market rate.

Finance Tools

Currency Margin Calculator

Quantify how much you lose to a bank, broker or money-transfer service on a currency exchange. Enter the mid-market (interbank) rate, the rate offered to you and the transaction amount — the calculator shows the margin per unit, the margin as a percentage, the effective rate you actually receive and the total cost of the spread.

Your input is processed locally in your browser. It is not uploaded to Dueneo.

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How to use

1
Pick the currencies you are converting
Choose the base (from) and quote (to) currencies. Use the swap button to invert the rate (e.g. USD→EUR becomes EUR→USD).
2
Enter the mid-market rate
The live interbank rate you can verify on Google Finance, XE.com or Reuters. This is the 'true' exchange rate before any markup.
3
Enter the rate offered to you
The rate your bank, broker, card network or money-transfer service actually quoted for the transaction.
4
Enter the transaction amount and read the loss
The difference between the two rates × the amount is the hidden fee you pay. Use it to compare providers and decide whether a fixed-fee service is cheaper.

Common use cases

Compare a bank's FX markup against a specialist transfer service like Wise.
Quantify the hidden fee on a card-payment currency conversion (DCC) at checkout.
Decide whether to pay in home or local currency when travelling abroad.
Negotiate a better rate with your broker for large transfers.

Limitations

This calculator produces an estimate only and is not professional financial, tax or investment advice. Always confirm the underlying formulae with your accountant, bank or financial advisor before making decisions.
Mid-market rates move intraday. The rate you enter is a snapshot — always verify on a live source immediately before transacting.
This calculator shows only the spread (margin). Most providers also charge explicit fixed or percentage fees on top. Add those to the margin to get the total cost.
Card networks (Visa/Mastercard) typically add 1–3% on top of mid for foreign transactions, and some merchants offer Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) with even higher margins — always choose to pay in the local currency.
Interbank rates apply to large institutional trades (typically over $1M). Retail customers never transact at mid — the realistic best case is mid + 0.3–0.5% from a specialist broker.

Frequently asked questions

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Loading Currency Margin Calculator…

Currency Margin Calculator

How to use

Pick the currencies you are converting

Choose the base (from) and quote (to) currencies. Use the swap button to invert the rate (e.g. USD→EUR becomes EUR→USD).

Enter the mid-market rate

The live interbank rate you can verify on Google Finance, XE.com or Reuters. This is the 'true' exchange rate before any markup.

Enter the rate offered to you

The rate your bank, broker, card network or money-transfer service actually quoted for the transaction.

Enter the transaction amount and read the loss

The difference between the two rates × the amount is the hidden fee you pay. Use it to compare providers and decide whether a fixed-fee service is cheaper.

Limitations

This calculator produces an estimate only and is not professional financial, tax or investment advice. Always confirm the underlying formulae with your accountant, bank or financial advisor before making decisions.
Mid-market rates move intraday. The rate you enter is a snapshot — always verify on a live source immediately before transacting.
This calculator shows only the spread (margin). Most providers also charge explicit fixed or percentage fees on top. Add those to the margin to get the total cost.
Card networks (Visa/Mastercard) typically add 1–3% on top of mid for foreign transactions, and some merchants offer Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) with even higher margins — always choose to pay in the local currency.
Interbank rates apply to large institutional trades (typically over $1M). Retail customers never transact at mid — the realistic best case is mid + 0.3–0.5% from a specialist broker.