Why are Australian Bank Exchange Rates so Poor?
While banks can handle international transfer of funds it is often not the main focus in their relationship with customers.
Banks are especially bad at offering payments to smaller countries or currencies that are not among of the most popular ie: AUD, USD, EUR, CAD, NZD etc.
Banks value the reltionship they have with their customers in terms of taking deposits and making loans, but less so in terms of payments especially international payments.
Latest Rates from the Big Four Aussie Banks
These tables show the latest rates from two of the big four Australian banks (CBA & ANZ) for foreign transfers and travel money. The percentages with the rates show how much margin the bank is charging compared to the market mid-rate.
The tables are updated hourly, for the latest comparison goto our comparison calculators for Foreign Transfers and Travel Money.
You can click the rates to goto directly to the comparison table for the currency and transaction type of your choice - the percentage margins for each rate are to the latest market midrate
\[vtable base="AUD" v="CBA" caption="Commonwealth Bank Exchange Rates"\]
\[vtable base="AUD" v="ANZ" caption="ANZ Bank Exchange Rates"\]
Now Compare the exchange rates from OFX and Travelex
If you're still using your Australian bank to make money transfers chances are you're paying excessive fees and receiving inferior exchange rates.
To illustrate the point, the two tables below let you can compare the above bank exchange rates (and margins) to those currently being offered by two of our FinTech partners - OFX for foreign transfers and Travelex for online travel money purchases.
\[vtable base="AUD" v="OFX" caption="OFX Exchange Rates - % margins to midrate"\]
\[vtable base="AUD" v="TRX" caption="Travelex Online Exchange Rates - % margins to midrate"\]
You can use our foreign transfer calculator which ranks FX providers and banks according to customer service, use feedback plus most importantly the exchange rate costs compared to the mid-market rate and to the banks.
Making overseas transfers via your bank's online banking service is often convenient and relatively easy. But Banks know this so the exchange rates and fees they charge are very expensive - often 5% to 6% more than you can get by using an Online Payment Provider.
So it is important next time you are looking to send money abroad that you Compare the Exchange Rates of your bank to our recommended BER FinTech partners.
How to Compare Travel Money Rates and Fees
In this section we look at how you can pay fewer fees and avoid common traps when you're buying Travel Money.
The fees & costs for buying foreign cash comes in three forms:
1. Minimum charges - which can be expensive if you’re only exchanging small amounts of money.
2. Flat fees - which can actually be good value because they don’t change, even if you’re exchanging large sums of money.
3. Handling fees – which are what the currency seller charges for its exchange services.
Some currency sellers advertise commission-free foreign exchange, but while this may sound like a good deal, be aware they could be making up for the loss of commission with higher exchange rates. As a result, this could actually be more expensive than if you'd just paid commission.
If you plan ahead by a few days and order your travel money online you can get upto 10% better exchange rates probably end up extending your travel budget by a couple of precious days.
Our travel money rate & fee calculator is programmed with these various fee models to make it easy for you to find the best deal for your particular foreign exchange needs.
Get a Better FX Deal when you Send and Spend Abroad.
Foreign Transfers Travel Money
BER articles that mention the Australian dollar (AUD):
News2025-05-05
Aussie Dollar's 2025 Performance and Impact of Labor Party's Landslide Victory
The Australian dollar has experienced notable fluctuations in 2025, influenced by global trade tensions and domestic political developments, including the Labor Party's decisive election win. However, trade tariffs imposed by the United States, have introduced volatility, prompting market analysts to adjust their forecasts for the currency's trajectory.
Wise Review: Is It the Best Way to Transfer Money Internationally?
The Wise Account allows users to hold and convert funds in 40 different currencies and send and spend internationally, all at the “real” exchange rate and with exceptionally low service fees. Users can also receive major-currency payments free of charge.
Further reading on the Australian dollar (AUD) - Guides, Reviews & News from our research team.
Disclaimer: Please note any provider recommendations, currency forecasts or any opinions of our authors should not be taken as a reference to buy or sell any financial product.