How currency conversion works
An exchange rate says how much of one currency equals one unit of another. To convert an amount, you need the rate between the two currencies at the moment you want to convert. This tool stores every rate as the number of units of that currency per one US dollar, then converts by going through the dollar: it divides your amount by the rate of the currency you are leaving and multiplies by the rate of the currency you are going to.
An important point about this tool: the rates are not live. They are fixed sample values written into the page (for example EUR 0.92, GBP 0.78, JPY 149.5, INR 83.3, AUD 1.52, CAD 1.36, PKR 278.5, AED 3.67, CNY 7.24 per USD). The tool never contacts the internet to fetch rates, and the page itself says they are illustrative starting points rather than market data.
When this converter is useful
It suits situations where you control the rate: working out a price using the rate your bank or card gave you, making a budget with a planned rate, or doing a rough sense-check of a foreign price. Because the rates are editable, you can type in the figure from your bank statement or any rate source you trust and get a result that matches it.
It is not suitable on its own for trading, invoicing, or anything where the current market rate matters, since the starting numbers are not kept up to date.
How to convert with this tool
- Open Edit exchange rates and replace the starting values with current rates from your bank or another source. Each box is labeled "per USD", and the US dollar is fixed at 1 as the base.
- Type the Amount you want to convert. It starts at 100.
- Pick the starting currency in the first dropdown and the target currency in the second.
- Read the Result, shown with two decimals.
Using the starting rates, 100 USD becomes 92.00 EUR, and 100 EUR becomes about 9054.35 INR (100 divided by 0.92, times 83.3).
Limits to know about
Only ten currencies are included: USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, INR, AUD, CAD, PKR, AED and CNY, and you cannot add others. Edits to rates apply only while the page is open. Reloading the page puts the sample values back, so note your rates down if you need them again.
Result precision is two decimals, which is not enough for tiny amounts of high-value currencies. Real transactions also include spreads and fees that this tool does not model. Setting a rate to zero or leaving a field empty breaks the conversion for that currency, so keep every rate a positive number. For related calculations, the Percentage Calculator can help you work out a fee as a share of an amount.