Revolut Launches 'Auto-Exchange' Foreign Exchange Service

Tuesday, 05/03/2019 | 15:27 GMT by David Kimberley
  • The new system allows users to convert fiat and cryptocurrencies at a preset price
Revolut Launches 'Auto-Exchange' Foreign Exchange Service
Bloomberg

Challenger bank Revolut announced the launch of its new Auto-Exchange feature this Tuesday.

Playing on one of the bank's core strengths, its foreign exchange solutions, Auto-Exchange allows users to immediately exchange funds - fiat or crypto - at a preset price.

For example, if I am going to America on holiday and want to exchange £100 for US dollars, there may be a specific exchange rate that I want to get.

In order to get that exchange rate, I go to the Auto-Exchange feature in the Revolut mobile application. I then set the exchange rate I want and, if and when the market hits that rate, the Revolut application will automatically convert my £100 into US dollars.

If I have some dollars left when I am returning from my holiday, I can then convert the funds back into pound sterling by switching the equation around.

Having returned from said holiday, I may be terrified of Brexit and think the pound is going to collapse. If that is the case, I could then use the Auto-Exchange system to convert my pounds, as sterling goes into free-fall, to dollars or euros so that my money doesn't lose all of its value.

Back to basics

Foreign exchange is Revolut's bread and butter - as it is for most other challenger banks.

Like Monzo and Starling Bank, Revolut started out by providing cards that could be used abroad without paying exorbitant fees and high spreads.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Revolut did say that it may not always be able to fill orders that have been set using the Auto-Exchange system.

"If the rate moves more than 0.75% on either side of your target value for fiat currencies, or more than 5% on either side of your target value for Cryptocurrencies , we won’t carry out your auto-exchange," said the firm. "Once your target value hits again, we’ll re-attempt the auto-exchange."

Challenger bank Revolut announced the launch of its new Auto-Exchange feature this Tuesday.

Playing on one of the bank's core strengths, its foreign exchange solutions, Auto-Exchange allows users to immediately exchange funds - fiat or crypto - at a preset price.

For example, if I am going to America on holiday and want to exchange £100 for US dollars, there may be a specific exchange rate that I want to get.

In order to get that exchange rate, I go to the Auto-Exchange feature in the Revolut mobile application. I then set the exchange rate I want and, if and when the market hits that rate, the Revolut application will automatically convert my £100 into US dollars.

If I have some dollars left when I am returning from my holiday, I can then convert the funds back into pound sterling by switching the equation around.

Having returned from said holiday, I may be terrified of Brexit and think the pound is going to collapse. If that is the case, I could then use the Auto-Exchange system to convert my pounds, as sterling goes into free-fall, to dollars or euros so that my money doesn't lose all of its value.

Back to basics

Foreign exchange is Revolut's bread and butter - as it is for most other challenger banks.

Like Monzo and Starling Bank, Revolut started out by providing cards that could be used abroad without paying exorbitant fees and high spreads.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Revolut did say that it may not always be able to fill orders that have been set using the Auto-Exchange system.

"If the rate moves more than 0.75% on either side of your target value for fiat currencies, or more than 5% on either side of your target value for Cryptocurrencies , we won’t carry out your auto-exchange," said the firm. "Once your target value hits again, we’ll re-attempt the auto-exchange."

About the Author: David Kimberley
David Kimberley
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About the Author: David Kimberley
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