Selling to customers overseas has never been simple for ecommerce companies.

With the right setup, going global could multiply your Total Addressable Market (TAM) overnight. But going global comes with new challenges, especially when dealing with different currencies.

Let me take you through eight quick wins for international ecommerce businesses to tune their multi-currency setup.

1. Show Prices in Local Currencies

Shoppers are more likely to buy when prices are shown in their own currency. It feels familiar and reduces mental friction. Use IP-based geolocation or browser settings to show the right currency automatically. Still, give users the option to change it manually if needed.

And don’t just swap the symbol. The price itself needs to reflect the correct exchange rate. Seeing $99 instead of £77 might not seem like a big deal, but it can cause confusion or mistrust.

Pro tip: smart businesses don’t just convert their prices to other currencies; they localise them to markets in a more strategic way. You can run A/B tests to find the optimal price points in each local market. This allows your international pricing to factor in cultural differences, pricing psychology, local competition and even price/demand elasticity effects.

2. Let Customers Pay (and Be Charged) in Their Currency

If your ecommerce store uses a base currency for processing (say, USD), but you sell globally, your customers might still be charged in USD even when they see the price in their local currency (e.g., EUR). This mismatch often leads to surprise FX fees from their bank or card issuer.

Instead, implement true multi-currency payments, where the transaction is settled in the customer’s local currency. Many payment gateways like Stripe, Adyen, or Payoneer allow you to enable this. Not only does this reduce friction, it also gives you better control over FX markups and improves trust in key markets.
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3. Don’t Get Stung by Hidden Currency Markups

It’s easy to conflate fees and exchange rates. The truth is, the two work together. A 0.5% transaction fee may seem reasonable, but if the exchange rate is 2% worse than mid-market, you’re giving away your valuable profit margin.

Many platforms convert currencies for you but bake in hidden margins. These can run as high as 3–5%, eating into your profits or pricing you out of certain markets.

Look for services that use mid-market rates (the kind you see on Google) and let you control how much, if anything, you add on top. It gives you more control and helps keep your pricing fair and competitive.

4. Pick the Right Payment Processor for Cross-Border Sales

Not all ecommerce software is built with international trade in mind. Some are better than others at handling multiple currencies and overseas customers.

Choose one that offers solid FX rates, low fees, and supports payments in multiple currencies. It should also offer things like local settlement accounts and currency balancing tools.

Many such services exist, from well-known names to niche specialists in FX. But don’t just go by name. Dig into the details. Compare rates, supported currencies, and how easy it is to get paid where you need the money. 

Leading money transfer website Moneytransfers.com offers tools and calculators for comparing the real cost of currency conversions, including FX markups, fees & other factors.

5. Make Currency Clear at Checkout

One mistake that trips up a lot of stores: the final checkout screen doesn’t clearly show which currency the customer is being charged in.

That’s a quick way to lose a sale, or create a chargeback. Make sure the transaction currency is obvious. If there’s a conversion involved, show the rate. And if there are any fees (even if you’re not charging them), be transparent.

Clarity here builds trust and reduces friction.

6. Use Buffers to Protect Against Exchange Rate Fluctuations

Exchange rates move. If your costs are in one currency and your income in another, your margins can take a hit without warning.

You can protect yourself by adding a small buffer to your foreign prices. Some platforms let you set automatic pricing rules tied to live FX rates. Others allow you to set limits, so prices don’t drop too low if the rate swings.

It’s not just about profit, but stability.

Pro tip: To take this to the next level, high-scale international businesses make the most of something called dynamic hedging. This advanced strategy uses FX derivatives, like forwards and options, to protect against fluctuations and manage margin volatility.

7. Consider the Impact on Refunds

Refunds should happen in the same currency the customer paid in, at the same rate.

For example, if your pricing is anchored to your local currency ($100), an international customer makes a purchase (£80), and then requests a refund two weeks later, the rate may have changed to 0.75 and therefore they would only be refunded £75. That does not make for a happy customer, and you could probably expect a one-star review!

It’s important therefore to refund in the same currency as the customer paid in, or if not, make your policy very clear.

There can also be the issue of FX charges being incurred on both the payment and the refund. Our next point can help resolve this, only converting currencies when you really need to. Multi-currency treasury and refunding is the gold standard.

8. Keep Balances in Multiple Currencies

Instead of converting everything back to your home currency straight away, consider holding balances in the currencies you sell in.

This gives you flexibility. You can wait to convert when rates are better. Or pay suppliers, freelancers, and platforms in the same currency they bill you in, avoiding extra conversions.

Fintech services like Wise, Airwallex, or Sokin make this easy. Over time, this can save money and help you manage FX risk without getting fancy.

Pro tip: it’s relatively easy to find multi-currency services for businesses that support the most liquid global currencies, such as USD, GBP, EUR etc. If you do a substantial amount of trading volume from less popular or more exotic currencies, you may need to consider a niche payment provider. These services aren’t always as well known or easy to find, but they are better suited to specific currency needs in Africa, Asia and LatAm.

What next for Ecommerce stores?

Selling internationally is a huge opportunity. With a few smart adjustments, you’ll create a smooth customer experience and maybe even better margins for your business.

You could get started on this journey with a simple currency audit. Review your ecommerce software reporting and accounting transaction logs, and look for the following conmen questions: