You use the information at your own risk, for more details read how our site works. Your other alternatives include getting your cash at your bank, or at the airport. Banks may not have any conversion fee advertised, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the service is actually free. The costs are often simply added into the exchange rate used for conversion, which can make them harder to spot. User-friendly fintech apps like Revolut and Wise far and away offer superior rates when compared to banks and bureau de change kiosks.
- The underlying index for the Market Vectors ETN is composed of rolling three-month non-deliverable currency forward contracts on the yuan/U.S.
- If you’re keen to have travel money in your pocket before you leave the US, you can also choose to order cash in Chinese yuan online and either collect it or have it delivered to your home address.
- Compare the in more detail with our in-depth prepaid travel card guide.
- When you buy Chinese yuan from the bank you can pay with credit card, cash or from one of your bank accounts.
Select from more than 90 foreign currencies and receive it as soon as the next day. You’re not limited to buying and holding CNY with Wise; you can hold balances in 40+ currencies, plus you can get local bank details to receive payments conveniently to Wise in a selection of global currencies. If you have a trip to China planned, you’ll need to work out the best way to get Chinese yuan (CNY) to pay for things while you’re there. While carrying Chinese yuan cash is a popular option, you might find using a travel card is cheaper and more convenient – and more secure than carrying a lot of cash too. Live tracking and notifications + flexible delivery and payment options.
Travel money cards and international prepaid debit cards are a safe and convenient way to spend in Chinese yuan (CNY) – and if you pick the right one they could help you save on currency conversion, too. Top up your card balance in dollars and convert those dollars to Chinese yuan to spend in stores and restaurants, or withdraw cash from ATMs when you need it. If you’d prefer to use a travel money card, you can also get that set up online. Open a digital multi-currency account with a provider like Wise or Revolut, get your card, and simply make an ATM withdrawal once you arrive in China to get your Chinese yuan in cash. That means you don’t need to collect your travel money in advance, making the process fast and easy.
Getting your travel money in advance means you’ll save time once you’re on your trip, but you’ll need to shop around to get a good deal. Take a look at options like Wise and Revolut which offer convenient and flexible digital accounts you can use to hold and spend in Chinese yuan conveniently. Generally, looking for a service which has transparent exchange rates which are the same as – or close to – the mid-market exchange rates is a good idea. You can compare a few live exchange rates for popular providers using the Exiap tools, to see which works best based on the specific transaction you want to make. While it’s convenient, it’s also often very expensive, which can mean that you receive less Chinese yuan for your USD at the airport. EverBank (formerly TIAA Bank), through its WorldCurrency Access Deposit accounts, also offers the opportunity to establish a bank account denominated in yuan.
What is the cheapest way to buy Chinese yuan in the US?
Plus, debit cards will use exchange rates set by your card network (like Visa and Mastercard), which are near the mid-market rate. You’ll need to shop around to get the best exchange rate for Chinese yuan, including physical locations and banks, and digital and online services like Wise and Revolut. The good news is that Exiap has lots of handy comparison tools to let you see live exchange rates, fees and more. Use these to kickstart your research and get the best deal for your specific needs.
As long as the yuan remains a non-deliverable currency, withdrawals can only be made in U.S. dollars. However, currency conversions will typically be charged a 1% spread, which is built into or added to the exchange rate conversion. However, the Chinese government still controls the value of the yuan and renminbi exchange some relevant factors to consider for getting a perfect cryptocurrency exchange rates and has capital controls in place, which prevent Chinese investors from moving money out of China. Until China can freely float its currency and allow the free movement of capital investment in and out the country, it’s unlikely that the yuan or renminbi will replace the U.S. dollar as the world’s reserve currency.
A limited number of forex brokers offer trading in the U.S. dollar-yuan currency pair (designated as USD/CNY). Since these types of investments are highly leveraged, they are only appropriate for investors who are willing to accept the higher level of risk that accompanies the substantially higher level of potential return. Investors wishing to maximize investment in the yuan through the use of leveraged investments may consider currency futures or forex market trading. Leveraged transactions use borrowed funds to enhance the gains or returns on an investment. However, just as leverage can magnify gains, it can also magnify losses. The good news is that you have several different options to buy Chinese yuan in the US – which means that with a bit of research you’ll find the right one for your specific needs.
Currency exchange services offered by the bank might not offer the best Chinese yuan to US dollar rates but they are convenient, particularly if you are an existing customer. You’re probably all too familiar with the often outrageous cost of sending money abroad. After facing this frustration themselves back in 2013, co-founders François, Laurent, and Pascal launched a real-time comparison engine to compare the best money transfer services across the globe. While bureaux de change at airports in the USA may be convenient for last-second exchanges, they charge huge exchange rate margins and hefty commission fees. Foreign transaction fees are fixed percentage fees (usually around 2.5%) that card issuers will tack on to the purchase price.
A writer and editor at Monito, Jarrod is passionate about helping people apply today’s powerful finance technologies to their lives. He brings his background in international affairs and his experiences living in Japan to provide readers with comprehensive information that also acknowledges the local context. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. A variety of currencies circulated in China during the Republic of China era, most of which were denominated in the unit ‘yuan’.
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If you’d like to simply withdraw Chinese Yuan in cash from an ATM in China, we will explain how to do so without incurring unnecessary fees. As the Chinese economy becomes a more dominant player in international trade and the yuan continues to gain more acceptance, more and more investors are looking for ways to obtain exposure to the Chinese currency. While the software testing methodologies learn the methods and tools yuan is still somewhat pegged to the U.S. dollar and not yet altogether freely traded, it is approaching that status quickly and becoming more readily accessible to investors. Investors have several yuan investment options, including purchasing yuan directly and holding it in cash, investing in funds that hold the Chinese yuan, and buying yuan futures contracts.
Simply top up your card balance in US Dollars and convert those balances to Chinese Yuan. The Bank of China has branches in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles where investors can open savings or high-yield time deposit accounts with U.S. dollars but are denominated in yuan. Investors advanced white label exchange solution must convert funds back to U.S. dollars to make withdrawals. As long as they hold money in these accounts, investors benefit from any appreciation in value in the Chinese currency. We compare currency exchange and money transfer services in over 200 countries worldwide.
Convert Chinese Yuan Renminbi to US Dollar
Futures contracts can be used to speculate on currencies and commodities. However, futures have preset expiration dates and are standardized unlike forward contracts, which allow customized amounts and settlement dates. Further bolstering the status of China, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) added the Chinese renminbi to its list of reserve currencies to be used, in part, for central bank transactions. The renminbi and yuan are often used interchangeably as the currencies for China, but the renminbi is considered the official currency of China. The yuan is used to facilitate global and financial transactions and is typically used offshore–outside China–while the renminbi is more frequently used in China–onshore.
Reserve currencies are used to price commodities, such as gold and crude oil, as well as facilitate global trade transactions in developing countries that have less stable currency regimes and financial systems. Nevertheless, it’s fair to say that the Chinese currency is on the path to becoming a larger player in international transactions. Often this is one of the best ways to buy Chinese yuan, based on convenience and cost.
Compare a few services using the handy Exiap tools, including physical exchange locations and convenient digital alternatives, like Wise and Revolut, to find the best option for your needs. Ordering your Chinese yuan online and picking it up at the airport can be cheaper than buying Chinese yuan on the spot when you arrive for your flight. Banks do offer a wide range of currencies that you can buy but make sure you spend your foreign currency overseas because you might not be able to convert it back to dollars when you get back home.
You won’t even need to leave home to order your money – and the USD to CNY exchange rate might be better online, to give you more Chinese yuan for your US dollars. You can reserve your order, pick it up in a store or even have it delivered to your door, depending on which provider you pick. Unlike banks, credit unions, airport kiosks, and foreign ATMs, Wise is transparent about never charging a hidden exchange rate margin when you convert your dollars into euros (and 51 other currencies) with them.
Assuming the bank or currency exchange office you visit has enough Chinese yuan in stock, you’ll be able to take away your travel money instantly. Of course, you also have the option to buy Chinese yuan at the airport. However, this can be very expensive compared to buying your Chinese yuan online before you head off, simply because airport exchange services know you have no other options until you get to your destination. That can mean high commission fees and very poor foreign exchange rates.