Foundation · 2 min
What you need to know
How should ecommerce currency conversion work?
Define a trusted rate source, update schedule, spread or pricing rule, rounding method and effective time. Store the exact rate and amounts used for each completed order.
Where do exchange rates come from?
Rates may come from payment providers, banks, market-data services, or an internal treasury source. Document which rate governs display, charge, refund and accounting.
How often should exchange rates update?
Update often enough for volatility and margin risk, with monitoring for stale or failed feeds. A fixed-price market may change less often through a controlled price review.
Should stores use exact exchange-rate conversions?
Not always. Exact conversion produces moving, awkward prices; localized price lists can create stable customer-friendly amounts. The choice should protect margin and price consistency.
What happens when exchange rates change after an order?
Do not rewrite a completed order. Refund and reporting workflows should retain its transaction currency and recorded amounts while separately recording any later conversion effect.
Who pays currency-conversion fees?
The merchant, provider or customer’s card issuer may each apply a conversion-related charge or spread. Explain merchant-controlled charges and avoid promising what an issuer will do.
Why did the customer’s bank charge a different amount?
The issuer may convert the transaction, apply its own rate or fee, or process a currency different from the customer’s account. The merchant receipt should clearly show the currency and amount actually charged.
A quick store check
Compare the displayed rate, charged amount, stored order rate and refund result for one multi-currency purchase.
Foundation · 2 min
Frequently asked questions
Should refunds use today’s storefront rate?
Base the refund on the original transaction and provider rules, not a newly displayed product price.
Can a stale rate feed be ignored briefly?
Use a defined fallback or pause affected pricing before margin and customer amounts become unreliable.