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What is a multi-currency account? How holding several currencies works

By SendPay Business · · 2 min read

Money moving around the world
  1. Start from the UK
  2. Send to the countries you choose
  3. It arrives in their own currency

A multi-currency account lets someone hold, send and receive money in more than one currency from one place, such as pounds, euros and dollars. They only convert when they choose to, instead of every time money comes in or goes out.

Who it helps

  • Freelancers and businesses paid by clients abroad.
  • Online sellers who sell in several countries.
  • People who live, study or send money between two countries.
Smiling man in a suit in a modern office

How it works

Each currency is a separate balance. Money arrives in its own currency, and the holder decides when to convert and at what rate. That avoids being forced into a poor rate on every payment.

Try it

Name your platform and watch it come to life

Type a name, tap a colour and pick what it does. The phone changes as you go.

Colour

What it does

Build mine

Design and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.

What to check

Look at the exchange rate margin, any fees for receiving or sending, and whether the account comes with its own details, such as a UK sort code or a euro IBAN, so people can pay into it directly.

Woman smiling while working on her laptop

Offering them to your own customers

Multi-currency balances are one of the most wanted features in a money app. SendPay platforms, powered by licensed partners, give your customers GBP, EUR and USD balances under your own brand, with currency exchange built in.

Developers at work

How it works

Your own money app
  1. Name it and pick your colours
  2. Choose what it does
  3. Launch when you are ready

Why sign up

Create your free SendPay account

It's all about creating your own financial platform with ease. Start with a free account today.

  • A free business accountOpen it in about a minute with your business name, email, password and mobile. No card and no documents to start.
  • Get paid from day oneTake card payments, and share your own payment link and invoices so customers pay in a click.
  • A free business websiteFree to build, free to publish and free to keep, with unlimited visits.
  • Your own financial platformDesign and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.

SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank. Accounts, cards and payments are powered by licensed partners.

Questions people ask

What would holding a currency balance save me?

See what converting every payment in and out costs a year, and what converting only the difference saves.

Multi-currency account savings calculator →
What will my card charge me abroad?

Work out the fee on your own spending.

Foreign transaction fee calculator →
Is a multi-currency account a bank account?

Not always. Many are e-money accounts run by authorised e-money firms rather than banks.

E-money institution vs bank →
How do I check an IBAN?

The free checker validates an IBAN's length and check digits for 77 countries.

IBAN checker →
Can I start a currency exchange business?

The guide covers the licences, how you earn and the steps.

Start a currency exchange business →

Read next

Spotted a mistake or something out of date? and we'll fix it. How our guides are made

This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. Other companies named in this guide are reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.