Find out more about the local currency & means of payments
Find out how to easily exchange money and pay for products and services during your trip.
Local currency
What currency do you need to bring on your UK tour?
The monetary unit in the UK is the pound sterling (also known as Great British pound), often represented by this symbol £ or abbreviated as GBP. Most people just call it the pound, and some use the slang term "quid" for it. For reference, one pound sterling equals 100 pence.
As Scotland has a strong independent spirit, there are also 3 Scottish banks that issue their own Scottish banknotes, which are legal currency in England and Wales as well. You might also notice some Northern Irish notes in circulation. It’s worth remembering that these notes are harder to exchange when you are outside the UK.
- Learn more about popular souvenirs and tax-free shopping
Currency exchange
Foreign currency exchange is available at banks, tourist offices, post offices in cities and some of the larger hotels. There are also bureaux de change, but they tend to charge much higher commission and fees.
For awareness, you can see current conversion rates at xe.com.
Credit cards and payments
Visa, MasterCard, Eurocard, Diners Club and American Express debit and credit cards are used widely in the UK. You’ll also find that mobile payments, like Apple Pay, are also widely accepted.
While card payments are widely accepted in the smaller towns and villages across the UK, it’s worth keeping some cash on you.
ATMs
ATMs are points where you can withdraw cash. These are typically called "cashpoints" in the UK.
They can be found adjacent to many banks and near busy public places, like shopping centres and central train stations. You can withdraw cash using major credit cards or Cirrus, Visa Electron and Plus debit cards with a 4-digit PIN.
Banking fees for ATM withdrawals and foreign transactions vary widely. So please check the rates with your own bank before travelling.
