When is my exchange rate locked?
In shortThe rate you see is live and can move right up until you confirm. The moment you confirm, it's locked, and it never changes for that conversion. The money itself can take up to 24 hours to fully settle, but your rate is already safe.
Currency markets move every second, so two simple rules keep things fair:
Before you confirm
- The rate on screen is live
- It can tick up or down
- That's the market moving, not a glitch
→
The moment you confirm
- Locked
- The amount you approved is the amount you get
- It will not change
And here's the one distinction that answers nearly every follow-up question we get: the rate locks instantly, but settlement can take up to 24 hours. Settlement just means the conversion fully finishing behind the scenes. So if you've confirmed a conversion and the balances haven't fully updated yet, relax: your rate was locked the second you tapped, and the plumbing is simply finishing its job. Same rule for conversions between cash and crypto.
One weekend heads-up: currency markets close over the weekend, and while they're closed, conversion rates carry a wider margin. If your timing is flexible, weekday conversions get you the sharper rate. Locked-at-confirm still applies whenever you convert.
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