The card has a currency, and so does the store
A gift card is denominated. A £50 card holds fifty pounds and nothing else. If the store prices in euros, something has to convert, and that conversion has a rate attached.
Three cases:
- Same currency, same store. No conversion. What it says is what you get.
- Different currency, store accepts the card anyway. Conversion at the store's rate, which is usually not the interbank rate.
- Different currency, store refuses the card. Most common, and honestly the cleanest outcome.
Where the spread hides
The rate applied is set by whoever converts, and it typically sits a few percent away from the mid-market rate. Nobody quotes this and nobody has to. On a large balance it is a real amount.
Additionally, some platforms hold a wallet in one currency and convert at purchase, meaning the balance appears to shrink when you did nothing.
Region is usually the bigger problem
Before worrying about the rate, check whether the card works at all. Most storefronts are national and simply reject foreign codes. See why region matters for gift codes.
If a card is refused on those grounds, no currency question arises. That is a small mercy.
Buying for someone abroad
The right approach is to buy in their currency for their storefront, not yours. Practically:
- Ask which country their account is registered in.
- Ask what currency they see prices in.
- Buy the card for that market, and accept that you pay the conversion at your end where you have some control over it.
Doing it the other way round hands the conversion to a party who has no reason to give you a good rate.
Travel is the worst case
Travel bookings routinely price in a third currency, and the booking engine, the card and your bank can each take a slice. If you are funding travel, matching the card's currency to the booking currency is worth real money. More in travel gift cards.
Practical rules
- Match the card's currency to the store's currency. Everything else is an exception.
- Do not assume a brand is one business worldwide. It is usually several.
- Ask before buying, not after. There is no fixing a mismatched code afterwards.
If you are asking us for a code, say the country and the currency in the same sentence and it will be handled correctly the first time — start at the request form.