How do I avoid PayPal’s currency conversion fees?

You can avoid PayPal's conversion charges by choosing to be billed in the original foreign currency, holding received funds in that currency, or withdrawing through a multi-currency account.

The right method depends on whether you are paying for something or receiving money.

• Check conversion options at checkout: Before confirming a payment, click the See Currency Options or Conversion Options link that PayPal shows.
• Let your card issuer convert: Choose to pay in the merchant's currency so your bank or credit card handles the exchange instead of PayPal, and confirm whether your card adds foreign transaction fees.

Freelancers and sellers paid from abroad face currency conversion fees when PayPal automatically changes incoming money into their local currency. These methods help keep the funds in the original currency:

• Hold the sender's currency: Set your PayPal account to accept and keep payments in the currency your client sends, such as USD, instead of converting them automatically.
• Withdraw to a multi-currency account: Link a service such as Wise that provides a foreign currency account, so you can move funds out in the original currency without PayPal applying its exchange rate markup.
• Remove the local currency balance: Some Reddit users report opening their PayPal wallet in a web browser and closing the local currency balance so incoming payments stay in USD or the sender's currency.
• Set a primary currency: Members of a Facebook group suggest setting your primary currency to USD and asking PayPal support to change the account currency, so PayPal does not convert payments.

Settings and options can vary by country and account type, so check what your own PayPal account allows before relying on any single method.