Amex Exchange Rate Calculator
Use this calculator to estimate how much you'll receive in a target currency when using your American Express card for international transactions, factoring in Amex's exchange rate and foreign transaction fees.
Calculation Results:
Amount Converted (before fee):
Foreign Transaction Fee (in Original Currency):
Foreign Transaction Fee (in Target Currency):
Total Amount Received in Target Currency:
Understanding Amex Exchange Rates and Fees
When you use your American Express card for purchases or cash advances in a foreign currency, Amex converts the transaction amount into your card's billing currency (usually USD for US-issued cards). This conversion is done using an exchange rate determined by American Express, which is typically based on wholesale market rates but may include a small markup.
How Amex Exchange Rates Work
American Express, like other card networks, uses a specific exchange rate on the day your transaction is processed, which might be different from the rate on the day you made the purchase. This rate is generally competitive but can vary slightly from the interbank rate you might see on financial news sites. It's important to note that the rate you get from Amex is the one they apply, not necessarily the absolute market rate.
Foreign Transaction Fees
In addition to the exchange rate, most American Express cards (especially those without specific travel benefits) charge a foreign transaction fee. This fee is typically a percentage of the transaction amount, commonly ranging from 2.7% to 3%. This fee is applied to the amount in the original currency. For the purpose of this calculator, we apply the fee to the original amount, convert that fee to the target currency, and then subtract it from the converted amount to show the net value received.
Using the Calculator
- Amount in Original Currency: Enter the amount you are spending or exchanging in the currency of the transaction (e.g., 100 for 100 USD).
- Original Currency Symbol: Enter the symbol or abbreviation for the currency you are starting with (e.g., USD, GBP, JPY).
- Target Currency Symbol: Enter the symbol or abbreviation for the currency you wish to convert to (e.g., EUR, CAD, AUD).
- Amex Exchange Rate (1 Original Currency = X Target Currency): This is crucial. You'll need to find an approximate Amex rate. You can often find this by checking recent Amex statements for similar transactions or by looking up general market rates and adding a small buffer (Amex's rate is usually slightly less favorable than the interbank rate). For example, if 1 USD equals 0.92 EUR, enter 0.92.
- Foreign Transaction Fee (%): Input the foreign transaction fee percentage for your specific Amex card. This is usually found in your cardholder agreement or on Amex's website. Common values are 2.7% or 0% for premium travel cards.
Example Calculation:
Let's say you're making a purchase of 100 USD, want to see how much it costs in EUR, the Amex exchange rate is 1 USD = 0.92 EUR, and your card has a 2.7% foreign transaction fee.
- Amount in Original Currency: 100 USD
- Amex Exchange Rate: 0.92 (meaning 1 USD = 0.92 EUR)
- Foreign Transaction Fee: 2.7%
- Converted Amount (before fee): 100 USD * 0.92 = 92.00 EUR
- Foreign Transaction Fee (in Original Currency): 100 USD * 2.7% = 2.70 USD
- Foreign Transaction Fee (in Target Currency): 2.70 USD * 0.92 = 2.48 EUR
- Total Amount Received in Target Currency: 92.00 EUR – 2.48 EUR = 89.52 EUR
This means your 100 USD transaction would effectively yield 89.52 EUR after conversion and fees.