The Best Places to Exchange Currency at Sydney Airport

Currency Exchange Sydney Airport

Currency exchange or travel money might be a decision you make at the Sydney airport when you're rushing for a flight. We have you covered. In this short article, we show you where to make your currency exchange how to get a better rate on your foreign exchange.

Beat the airport exchange rates with a prepaid travel card

The aiport can be the most convenient option for buying travel money, but that convenience comes at a price: worse exchange rates and hidden fees.

With a prepaid travel card from Wise, you get the market exchange rate (the one you see on Google) with low fees and complete transparency.

How to Exchange Currency at Sydney Airport

There are two ways you can change money:

 

1. Order your currency ahead of time and pick it up at the airport

This is by far, the cheapest way to buy currency at Sydney airport. The exchange rates are much better than buying it over the counter.

It's really easy:

  1. Order your currency online and choose a pick up location as Sydney Airport
  2. Pay for it using BPAY (and avoid the card fee!)
  3. Pick up your ordered currency

Please keep in mind, you'll avoid the card fee if you choose BPAY. The rate is locked in on the day you book the transaction. You can choose your pick up date, but if you use BPAY, you'll need to allow at least 3 business days. Also, they offer a better rate for amounts above $2,000, but have a maximum transaction size of $5,000.

Order Currency

2. In a currency exchange store

Travelex, ANZ and Global Exchange are all the foreign currency exchangers located at Sydney airport. There are 18 outlets in total across Terminals 1 and 2.

To find our more about Travelex read our full review.

Currency Exchange Places in Sydney Airport

Travelex, ANZ and Global Exchange are the 3 main providers of travel money or foreign currency at Sydney airport.

Travelex

For domestic travellers, Travelex is located near Gate 32 on the 2nd floor after security screening.

  • Hours Open: From 6am to 10pm
  • You can pay using Australian dollars, eftpos, credit cards like Visa Mastercard, Diners and American Express
  • Travelex have a stock of US dollars (USD), British pounds (GBP) and Euros (Euros). For other countries it is best find more information at travelex.com.au
  • They will display a list of the foreign exchange rates they are offering at the front of each store
  • Travel money cards are available

 

ANZ

For international travellers, the ANZ branch is located near Check in J counter, before security screening.

  • Hours Open: From 5:30am to 9pm every day
  • You can pay using Australian dollars, eftpos, credit cards like Visa Mastercard, Diners and American Express
  • They display a list of the foreign exchange rates they offer in the store

Global Exchange

Terminal 1 - International Airport

Before Security Screening

  • 2nd floor, departures (landside), opposite check-in E
  • 2nd floor, departures (landside), opposite check-in G, behind the lift
  • 2nd floor, departures (landside), at the left of check-in H, behind the escalator and opposite the food court
  • 2nd floor, departures (landside), opposite check-in E and the departure gate

After Security Screening

  • 1st floor, arrivals (landside), exit A, (between McDonald's and Veloce caf%C3%A9)
  • 1st floor, arrivals (landside), exit B

Pier B

  • 2nd floor, departures Pier B North (airside), in the right hand side of the food court
  • 2nd floor, departures Pier B South (airside), between gates 9 and 10
  • 2nd floor, departures Pier B (airside), behind the Duty Free (near the future Heineken House)
  • 2nd floor, departures Pier B North (airside), at the corridor of gates 24 and 25
  • 2nd floor, departures (airside), between Pier B and C (opposite Lacoste)

Pier C

  • 2nd floor, departures (airside), Pier C, in the main hall
  • 2nd floor, departures Pier C (airside), opposite gate 59

Baggage Claim Area

  • 1st floor, in the baggage claim area of arrivals (airside), after customs, opposite belt 10 of exit A
  • 1st floor, in the baggage claim area of arrivals (airside), after customs, between belts 4 and 5 of exit B
  • 1st floor, in the baggage claim area of arrivals (airside), opposite belt 3 of exit B, after customs

 

Hours Open: Most are open from 6am to 10pm each day.

You can pay using Australian dollars, eftpos, credit cards like Visa, Mastercard and American Express.

Most will display a list of the foreign exchange rates they are offering on the counter of each store.

Tips to help you get a better rate

  1. 1

    Plan ahead

    The best exchange rates are usually online or in the city. If you plan ahead, you can compare exchange rates online or over the phone, find the best deal and arrange to either buy it in person or online (picking it up later).
  2. 2 

    Avoid the worst fees

    Travelex don't charge commission over the counter however their exchange rates are considerably worse than outside Sydney airport. Online, they have a 0.8% card fee that Travelex apply to online transactions.

     

    If you are buying currency online, choose to pay through BPAY to avoid the card fee. Please note that if you are going to use this option you need to allow 3-4 business days before your trip to allow time to pick it up in time.

  3. 3 

    Buy abroad instead?

    In some cases, it's cheaper to buy your currency in the country you're going to rather than converting it before you leave. Good examples are Bali, Singapore and New Zealand (depending on where you go). Of course, it's a lot harder to find the best exchange rate when you're outside of Australia and you run a higher risk of being scammed.As a rule of thumb, the further away you travel, the less likely you'll find better exchange rates overseas. This is because the further away from Australia you go, the less common Australian notes and coins are. As a result, they are also less likely to give you a good exchange rate.

Quick Comparison from Cheapest to Most Expensive

We compare the only 4 options to purchase foreign currency at Sydney airport and rank them for you:

  1. Ordering online through Travelex and paying by BPay is the cheapest option. This is because the online exchange rates are far better than at Sydney airport and by Bpaying it, you avoid the 1% card fee. Please note that you need to order it at least 3-4 days in advance.
  2. Ordering online through Travelex and paying using a card is still the second best option, despite having to pay the card fee. This isn't a bad way to buy currency last minute, because you can order it today and pick it up tomorrow.
  3. ANZ has a better exchange rate over the counter than Travelex for small amounts of US dollars. This makes it a cheaper option, even if you include their 1% commission.
  4. The most expensive option is using Travelex in store. Even though they don't charge a commission, the exchange rate for US dollars is so low it ends up being more expensive. Fortunately, they do provide better exchange rates for larger amounts.

Pre Order Currency & Pick Up at Sydney Airport

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Ileana Ionescu
Author
Ileana Ionescu
Content manager
With a background in business journalism, Ileana is an experienced content manager, creating content for Exiap that helps its audience make informed decisions about their finances.
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Last updated
November 2nd, 2023