Currency conversion on internal transfers
Your money is converted when the From and To sides of a transfer on the Internal Transfers page are in different currencies. This applies in every direction: wallet to account, account to wallet, wallet to wallet and account to account. For the step-by-step guide, see How to transfer funds between your wallet and trading accounts.
Your wallets and trading accounts
- Wallets: you can hold money in four wallets: USD Wallet (your primary wallet), EUR Wallet, GBP Wallet and Bitcoin Wallet. Your Dashboard shows the wallets that hold money; select Show empty wallets to see the others. The Bitcoin Wallet balance is shown in bitcoin (₿). There is no ZAR wallet.
- Deposits: a deposit lands in the wallet of the currency you chose when you deposited. The Deposit page shows which currencies your payment method allows.
- Trading accounts: each trading account has a base currency. You choose it when you open the account, from the currencies on the Open trading account form. You can pick only a currency your wallet holds money in. To open an account in another currency, deposit in that currency first.
When a transfer converts
| Transfer | Converted? |
|---|---|
| USD wallet → USD trading account | No. The transfer is instant. |
| USD wallet → EUR trading account | Yes, USD to EUR |
| USD wallet → GBP wallet (a "Quick Exchange") | Yes, USD to GBP |
| EUR trading account → USD wallet | Yes, EUR to USD |
You can transfer straight from any wallet to a trading account in another currency, for example from your Bitcoin wallet to a EUR trading account. You don't need to convert between wallets first. The money is converted once.
Rate and fee
A conversion uses the live exchange rate. A 2 % conversion fee applies. It is not built into the rate: it is shown to you separately and taken from the amount you transfer. Transfers in the same currency have no conversion fee.
Before you confirm a cross-currency transfer, the form shows a summary with:
- the exchange rate
- the 2 % conversion fee
- the Credited amount, which is what arrives in the destination currency
Select Confirm transfer only if you are happy with the credited amount.
- "Live rate unavailable right now." The portal can't get a quote at the moment. Wait a little and try again.
- "Success! Quick Exchange Completed." This message confirms that a wallet-to-wallet conversion went through.
How to avoid unnecessary conversions
Every conversion costs you money, so convert as little as you can:
- Deposit in the currency you trade in, if your payment method allows it.
- Open your trading account in the currency you already hold.
- Convert once, not twice. Transfer straight from your wallet to the trading account. Going wallet → wallet → account in different currencies means two conversions.
- Avoid moving money back and forth. Each cross-currency transfer is converted again.
- Plan for withdrawals. Withdrawals are paid only from wallets, so keep your money in the currency you plan to withdraw in.
We are available 24/7 via live chat or email (support@jafx.com).
Was this article helpful?
Thank you for telling us.