Woman checks three places for cheapest foreign currency - one had 'hidden' charges

Daily Record

30-07-2025

Travel expert Chelsea, known as 'The Holiday Expert', has shared the 'cheapest way' to get foreign currency for your holiday
A clever travel enthusiast has uncovered the 'cheapest method' to secure foreign holiday cash - and the results might leave you stunned. Chelsea, known as the 'Holiday Expert' on social media, tested three different options to discover how exchange rates for 2,000 Thai baht - approximately £46.19 - differed between locations.
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Her investigation took her to a London currency exchange shop, then a UK airport terminal, and finally an ATM in Thailand itself. Whilst the content creator was taken aback by her findings, she stressed the importance of scrutinising potential hidden charges regardless of your chosen withdrawal method.
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"Where is the cheapest place to get your foreign currency from?" she asked her followers on Instagram. "Well, I'm going to test out three places, and the first place is a currency exchange in London, and I'm getting some money out for my trip to Thailand."
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Remarkably, Chelsea was reportedly charged £49.59 at the London bureau. Though some might consider this rather steep, it was nothing compared to what awaited her at the next venue.
Continuing her investigation, she said: "Next, let's try the airport[...] I cannot get over how expensive that was! That cost £67.58. The one thing I will say is that if I have any money left over when I come home, this particular branch will buy it back off me at the exact same rate."
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Despite this, she then added: "I have just checked the receipt, and actually, one of the reasons it is so expensive is that they have charged me a £4.99 fee. What's that for? I just asked, and that is the fee for the buy-back guarantee. I did tell her off, and she was like, 'Oh, I told you you've got a buy-back guarantee.'
"I said, 'You didn't say it cost £4.99.' How cheeky is that? So, after that realisation, the actual price was £62.59." Finally, Chelsea withdrew 2,000 baht from a cash machine in Thailand.
She completed this transaction using a card that doesn't impose charges for overseas ATM withdrawals. "Ok, got my money and so this is how much it costs - [£52.85]," she said. "I can't believe that actually the cheapest way to get 2,000 baht out was at home.
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"However, it is because Thai cash machines do charge you a fee and there will be other countries that do not. If we were to take that away, then this would have just about won out [at £47.88]."
Beyond this, Chelsea also highlighted the importance of doing your own research before a holiday. Whilst she discovered the London exchange bureau to be most economical, others might encounter varying rates depending on their holiday destination or which bureaus they select.
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Captioning the post, Chelsea added: "I still think ATMs are generally a good shout if your bank card doesn't charge additional fees. It's also useful when you're unsure how much money you'll need - withdrawing as you go can help you avoid being left with extra currency at the end of your trip.
"BUT This is important: if you use an ATM abroad, DO NOT accept the conversion the machine offers you. Decline it! That way, your card provider decides the conversion rate - and it's usually much better.
"And finally, watch out for hidden charges at currency exchanges! When questioned, the woman at one counter apologised and refunded the buy-back guarantee - but I'm honestly glad it happened. It shows how sneaky some of these fees can be."