Currency firms are shortchanging travellers by as much as €150 on every £500 exchanged at airports by failing to be clear about just how poor the rates are.
A Money Mail investigation found it is incredibly difficult to obtain the exchange rate at bureau de changes at airports across Britain.
The information is displayed fast-paced scrolling boards and staff refuse to print out the rates before you order.
Details of airport rates are also kept off the internet – and firms are recluctant to share them with the media.
Yet the same currency firms will offer far better rates if you order in advance to collect at the airport – from the same kiosk desk.
In some cases, you can order just four hours before you collect – for example, while you’re on the train or in a car on the way to your depature.
At Stansted Airport, on 18 August 2025, Exchange Group would hand over just €0.84 for £1 and $US 0.98 for £1.
That compares to €1.13 and $1.32 respectively if you buy online 24 hours in advance to pick up at Stansted.
Sneaky currency firms are making a mint at the airport by offering exchange rates far poorer than what’s on offer on the High Street. Pictured: Gatwick Airport
What’s more, despite the 0pc commission advertised at the airport kiosk, the small print states this only applies ‘on transactions over £300.’
You have to pay £1.50 for exchanging money up to £20 in value. This flat fee rises to £4.99 between £20 and £300.
It means that if you turn up at the airport for your holiday wanting £500 of euros you could get €420. Had you exchanged online you could have received €565. This €145 difference is worth £125.
The same poor deal goes for other currencies. At the airport you could get $490 in exchange for £500, while ordering in advance online might get you $660. Again, that $170 difference is worth £125.
Our investigation found it difficult to pin down the rates most major airports, with currency firms and airports themselves in most cases refusing to share them with a reporter.
Andrew Hagger, founder of independent information website MoneyComms
And even at the Stansted counter, there was no fixed screen dispalying exchange rates.
Instead, the screen displayed a variety of flags of different countries without the rate. Rates were on a live ticker at the bottom of the screen, in small font.
It took a reporter roughly five minutes to spot euros and dollars on the ticker.
Someone buying £300 of currency at the Travelex desk at Birmingham Airport last Friday would have received €281.70 or $329.10.
But if you ordered this sum for collection to one of Birmingham Airport’s two kiosks using Travelex’s airport click and collect service, you would have got a much better €339.90 or $398.58 – a difference of €58.20 or $69.48.
Dollars and euros can be ordered ahead of time for collection at a Travelex kiosk at the airport on the day of your flight and be ready for collection four hours later.
An order made at 2am, when the kiosk is shut, would be available for collection on the same day from 6am.
An online order made at 4.05am, once the store is open, would be available for collection on the same day from 8.05am.
An online order made at 7.55pm would be available for collection on the same day from 11.55pm, until the store closed five minutes later.
An order made at 11pm, while the store is open, would be available for collection when the store re-opens the next morning at 4am.
Other currencies can take longer. Those headed to the United Arab Emirates for example will need to wait three days to collect the local currency, dirhams (AED).
At the airport £100 would buy AED 380 (as of 15 August) but AED 481.49 if ordered from Travelex in advance.
Travelex kiosks are found in London Heathrow, London Stansted, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Liverpool, Manchester, East Midlands and Belfast.
Kiosk opening hours vary by airport, for example Edinburgh’s kiosk opens at 4am while Heathrow’s kiosks open at 5am.
Collecting foreign currency from Change Group using its click and collect service takes 24 hours, but some other currency exchange firms offer a four-hour service.
You can get a far better rate if you buy foreign currency ahead of time to be collected at an airport bureau de change, than if you simply turn up at the counter on the day
For example, as well the major airports mentioned above, you can do this at Bristol Airport with Global Exchange. It offers €0.88 or $0.97 if you buy at the kiosk.
But order ahead to pick up, the rate is boosted to a far superior €1.12 and £1.32.
Bureaux de change in departures halls are dominated by currency exchange merchants Travelex and Change Group, which serve major airports in the UK from London Heathrow to Edinburgh.
They charge more than other outlets for currency bought and sold at the airport because of the high overheads associated with secure delivery of cash to the airport, and the cost of renting this prime retail space.
Andrew Hagger, founder of independent information website MoneyComms says: ‘They may charge a huge premium for the convenience factor of buying or selling at the airport.
‘Usually there’s only one travel money retailer at each airport, so no rival sellers to keep rates competitive.’
Change Group said there are ‘significant costs’ associated with operating at airports.
A spokesman said: ‘We often benchmark our prices with competitors in similar trading environments to ensure our prices remain competitive. We recommend using our online pre-order service to get the best exchange rates.’
It adds that rates are shown on electronic screens as well as on receipts and ‘comply with all relevant regulations.’
A Travelex spokesman says: ‘Travelex operates globally across multiple channels, with our rates tailored to reflect the commercial dynamics and location-specific factors of each respective market.’
How to get the best rate
If you’re not pushed for time, it is best to visit a high street foreign exchange desk as the rates tend to be better than airport currency firms – and often ordering in advance here will secure an even better deal.
At Sainsbury’s, £100 will give you €113.48. As with Travelex you can collect euros and dollars within four hours of making your order, if it is within the store’s opening times.
Asda will sell €113.48 for £100 and €113.74 if you have a rewards card. If you are collecting your order from an Asda Travel Money Bureau, collection is free.
You need to order two days in advance, and can collect your order from 3pm on your chosen collection date.
Mr Hagger says: ‘Every time I see someone at airport exchange outlets, I feel like going up to them to tell them not to do it.
‘You’ll lose at least an extra £10-20 for every £100 you spend – just don’t do it unless it’s an absolute emergency.’
PS: In our Stansted example, we also managed to haggle a slightly better rate of €0.95 without commission after a friendly conversation at the desk – not a good rate, but an improvement on €0.84 nonetheless.
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