Everyone knows the wholesale rate beats the retail one. What nobody tells you is by how much. Let us count on the figures standing on our board today, with no rounding in our favour.
What the difference is worth
Today a dollar costs 45.05 wholesale and 45.30 retail — 25 kopiykas on every dollar. We buy at 44.90 wholesale and 44.70 retail, a difference of 20 kopiykas.
Multiply by the sum and you get the whole truth about wholesale:
| Sum | Buying currency | Selling currency |
|---|---|---|
| $100 | you save 25 UAH | + 20 UAH |
| $500 | you save 125 UAH | + 100 UAH |
| $1,000 | you save 250 UAH | + 200 UAH |
| $5,000 | you save 1,250 UAH | + 1,000 UAH |
Where the line runs
Our wholesale rate applies from 500 dollars. That is not a whim: on smaller sums the difference does not even cover the cashier’s work counting and checking the notes.
The threshold is counted in dollar equivalent, not in each currency separately. So 500 euro or 2,000 zloty also count as wholesale, because converted they come to more than 500 dollars.
When wholesale is not worth the trip
Plainly: on a hundred dollars the difference is 25 hryvnia. That is less than a trip across town and an hour of your time. If you are changing a hundred, change it where it is convenient — chasing a better rate gains you nothing here.
The difference starts to mean something from a thousand: 250 hryvnia is worth the drive. And on five thousand dollars it is 1,250 hryvnia, where looking at the rate is simply mandatory.
What to watch out for
A «wholesale» rate with no threshold. If an exchange office promises the wholesale rate on any sum, it either makes it back elsewhere — a fee, a discount for the condition of the notes, a «technical charge» — or the rate on the board is not the rate you will get.
A rate quoted only by phone. A decent exchange office names the figure before you set out. We show both the wholesale and the retail rate on the site, and that is the rate we exchange at.
Locking the rate in advance
The rate moves during the day. If you are travelling with 500 dollars or more, book the rate on the site: it holds for 50 minutes and the cashier will be waiting with the sum ready. No confirmation call needed.
Frequently asked questions
Can I get the wholesale rate on 400 dollars? No. The threshold is the same for everyone — that is what keeps the rate on the board honest.
Does wholesale apply to euro and zloty?
Yes, the threshold is counted in dollar equivalent.
Can two operations be added up to reach wholesale?
No, the threshold applies per operation.
Does the condition of the notes affect the wholesale rate? Yes. Old and worn dollars are accepted at a discount regardless of the sum — details in our article on old and worn dollars.