The British pound sterling (GBP) is the official currency of Cambridge and the United Kingdom. The most popular places to exchange money in Cambridge include the Post Office on St Andrew’s Street, eurochange on St Tibb’s Row, M&S on Sidney Street, and Fourex in the Grand Arcade. For international transfers, a specialist currency broker typically saves significantly more than a high street bureau or bank.
This guide covers every walk-in currency exchange in Cambridge, the right option for different amounts and use cases, and when to use a specialist broker like Cambridge Currencies for larger international transfers.
Which currency does Cambridge use?
The currency in Cambridge is the British pound sterling (GBP), the official currency of the United Kingdom. The pound is divided into 100 pence and uses the symbol £. All shops, restaurants, banks and bureaux de change in Cambridge accept and exchange GBP.
If you’re visiting Cambridge from overseas, you’ll need to convert your home currency to GBP for everyday spending. If you’re a Cambridge resident travelling abroad, you’ll need to convert GBP to your destination currency. Both transactions are widely supported across the city — but the rates and costs vary significantly depending on where you go.
For live rates, see our GBP to EUR converter and GBP to USD converter, or our full GBP forecast 2026 for the longer-term outlook.
Where can I exchange money in Cambridge?
Cambridge has more than a dozen places where you can exchange foreign currency in person. The main options are dedicated currency exchange bureaux, Post Office branches, supermarket and department store travel money counters, travel agents and pawnbrokers. The table below lists the main walk-in options across the city.
| Money changer | Address | Phone | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| eurochange Cambridge | St Tibb’s Row, CB2 3ET | 01223 603531 | Currency bureau |
| Post Office Travel Money | 57–58 St Andrew’s Street, CB2 3BZ | 0345 722 3344 | Post Office |
| Post Office Travel Money | 11 King Street, CB1 1LH | 01223 365767 | Post Office |
| Post Office Travel Money | 50 High Street, Chesterton, CB4 1NG | 01223 355495 | Post Office |
| Marks & Spencer Bureau | 6–11 Sidney Street, CB2 3HH | 01223 355219 | Department store |
| Sainsbury’s Bank Travel Money | Brooks Road, CB1 3HP | 01223 214458 | Supermarket |
| Fourex Currency Exchange | Grand Arcade, St Andrew’s Street, CB2 3BJ | 01322 643019 | Currency bureau |
| Premier Travel | 29 Sidney Street, CB2 3HW | 01223 500007 | Travel agent |
| TUI Holiday Store | 13–15 Sidney Street, CB2 3HG | 01223 323228 | Travel agent |
| H&T Pawnbrokers | 76 Regent Street, CB2 1DP | 01223 314953 | Pawnbroker |
| Cash Converters | 48 Mill Road, Petersfield, CB1 2AS | 01223 329229 | Pawnbroker |
Opening hours, available currencies and stock vary by location and time of year. We recommend phoning ahead for less common currencies or larger amounts of holiday cash.
Choosing the best place to exchange currency in Cambridge
The right place to exchange your money in Cambridge depends on three things: how much you need, what you’re using it for, and how much time you have.
Holiday cash under £500 — Any of the bureaux or Post Office branches above will be fine. Rates are reasonably competitive and you walk out with foreign cash in hand. M&S and the Post Office tend to be among the more competitive options and offer click-and-collect on online pre-orders.
Holiday cash above £500 — The rate spread between providers becomes more meaningful. It’s worth phoning two or three locations to compare, or pre-ordering online for a better rate than walk-in.
One-off international bank transfers — Walk-in bureaux are not the right choice. They’re set up for small cash transactions, not international payments. Use either an online transfer app (good for amounts under £5,000) or a specialist currency broker for anything larger.
Property purchases, business payments or recurring international transfers — A specialist currency broker is the right answer. The exchange rate margin on a £100,000+ transfer can vary by £1,000–£3,000 between a bank and a specialist. We cover this in detail below.
How currency exchange options compare
| Provider type | Best for | Typical rate margin | Tools available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bureau de change (walk-in) | Holiday cash up to ~£1,000 | 2–5% | None |
| Post Office / supermarket | Pre-ordered holiday cash | 2–4% | Online order, click and collect |
| UK high street bank | General customers, transfers under £10k | 2.5–4% | Limited; no forward contracts |
| Online transfer app | Small to mid digital transfers | 0.5–1.5% | App-based, limited specialist tools |
| Specialist currency broker | Larger transfers, property, business | 0.3–0.8% | Forward contracts, limit orders, rate alerts, dedicated specialist |
For more on why banks consistently offer poorer rates than specialists, see our guide on why banks give worse exchange rates and our article on whether currency brokers are cheaper than banks.
How to get the best exchange rate in Cambridge
Five practical tips that apply whichever provider you use:
1. Check the mid-market rate first. The mid-market rate is the midpoint between the buy and sell prices, and it’s the rate you’ll see on Google or the BBC. Every provider applies a margin on top of this. If a bureau quotes you a rate 4% worse than the mid-market rate, you’ll know it before you commit. Use our live GBP to EUR converter to check the current rate.
2. Beware “0% commission” and “no fee” headlines. A provider that charges no commission usually makes its margin on the exchange rate itself. The headline number is meaningless without seeing the actual rate.
3. Avoid exchanging at airports or hotels. Airport bureaux and hotel exchange desks routinely offer the worst rates available, sometimes 8–12% off the mid-market rate.
4. Match the provider to the amount. For £200 of holiday euros, a high street bureau is fine. For £20,000 to send abroad, a specialist will save you several hundred pounds. Picking the wrong provider for the size of transaction is the most common and most expensive mistake.
5. For larger amounts, ask about forward contracts and rate alerts. A forward contract lets you lock in today’s exchange rate for a transfer up to 12 months in advance — particularly useful if you’re buying property abroad or have a known future payment. A rate alert notifies you when the rate hits your target level. Neither is offered by walk-in bureaux.
International transfers from Cambridge — when to use a specialist
The walk-in bureaux above are excellent for converting holiday cash. They’re not built for international bank transfers — and most don’t offer that service at all. For sending money internationally from Cambridge, the right options are an online transfer app (for smaller amounts) or a specialist currency broker (for larger amounts and recurring transfers).
Anthony Bull, CEO of Cambridge Currencies, observes: “The biggest avoidable cost we see in Cambridge is people using their high street bank for an international property transfer. On a £250,000 transfer, the difference between a bank’s rate and a specialist’s rate is typically £4,000–£8,000. That’s a meaningful sum, and it disappears silently into the exchange rate margin without anyone seeing a fee on a statement.”
The use cases where a specialist consistently saves money are:
- Property purchases abroad — particularly Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, the USA and Dubai. See our guides on buying property in Spain, buying property in France, and moving to Spain from the UK.
- Business international payments — paying overseas suppliers, receiving overseas client payments, currency hedging.
- Pension income paid abroad or received from abroad — see our UK pension abroad currency guide.
- Inheritance transfers from abroad — see our transferring inheritance from abroad to the UK guide.
- Paying school fees abroad — see our paying international school fees from the UK guide.
For most large international transfers, the difference between a bank and a specialist on a single transaction is hundreds to thousands of pounds.
About Cambridge Currencies
Cambridge Currencies is the city’s specialist currency broker, providing international money transfer services for individuals and businesses across the UK. We’re based locally and have served clients across Cambridge and the surrounding area for years.
We work exclusively with FCA-authorised payment partners. All client funds are held in fully safeguarded segregated client accounts — they are never held on our balance sheet and are protected in the event of insolvency. For more on the regulatory framework, see our guide to FCA regulation for currency clients.
Every Cambridge Currencies client is assigned a dedicated specialist who manages their transfers personally — not a call centre. All transactions are completed by phone, which means a human being walks you through the rate, the timing and the destination of every transfer. For larger transfers, this matters: the specialist can talk you through forward contracts, limit orders and timing strategies that simply aren’t available through a walk-in bureau or app.
Call us on +44 (0) 1223 608 232 or request a quote online.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which currency does Cambridge use?
Cambridge uses the British pound sterling (GBP), the official currency of the United Kingdom. The pound is divided into 100 pence and uses the symbol £.
Where is the best place to exchange money in Cambridge?
For small amounts of holiday cash, the Post Office on St Andrew’s Street, M&S on Sidney Street, and eurochange on St Tibb’s Row are all popular and competitive choices. For amounts above £500, it’s worth comparing two or three providers. For international bank transfers above £5,000, a specialist currency broker like Cambridge Currencies will offer significantly better rates than any walk-in bureau or high street bank.
Can I exchange money at Cambridge Post Office?
Yes. There are three Post Office branches in Cambridge offering travel money: 57–58 St Andrew’s Street (city centre), 11 King Street (city centre), and 50 High Street in Chesterton. Major currencies are typically available walk-in; less common currencies should be ordered in advance.
Is there a bureau de change in the Grand Arcade Cambridge?
Yes — Fourex Currency Exchange operates a bureau inside the Grand Arcade on St Andrew’s Street. eurochange is also nearby on St Tibb’s Row, and the Post Office on St Andrew’s Street is a few minutes’ walk away.
What’s the best way to send a large amount of money from Cambridge to abroad?
For international transfers above £5,000, a specialist currency broker is almost always the most cost-effective option. Cambridge Currencies works exclusively with FCA-authorised payment partners and provides rates significantly better than UK banks, dedicated phone specialists, and tools like forward contracts and rate alerts. Request a quote to compare.
Do Cambridge banks offer the best exchange rates?
Generally, no. UK high street banks typically apply a 2.5–4% margin above the mid-market rate, which is significantly worse than what a specialist currency broker offers. On a £100,000 transfer, that margin difference can be £2,000–£3,000. See our guide on why banks give worse exchange rates.
Sending money internationally from Cambridge — for a property purchase, business payment or any large international transfer? Speak to a Cambridge Currencies specialist by phone. We’ll walk you through the best approach for your specific transfer, the current GBP rate against your destination currency, and whether a forward contract makes sense. Request a free quote or call 01223 608 232. All transactions are completed by phone with a dedicated specialist. We work exclusively with FCA-authorised payment partners.
