How to Find the Right FX Provider

The importance of shopping around in foreign exchange

The biggest mistake you can make in your search for the perfect provider? Not searching at all.

It can be tempting to just stick with your friendly local bank, or go with the first provider you speak with just for the comfort of having a dedicated provider. But you don’t want to do that. Keeping a narrow focus (and not shopping around) can lead to you missing out on:

• Better exchange rates

• Better or more varied service opportunities from working with a specialist provider

• A more targeted, strategic approach to your foreign exchange.

Now that we’ve established that you should be exploring your options, it’s time to start shopping. But where do you start? What kinds of things should you be keeping an eye out for in your search?

What should you look for in your FX provider?

Ultimately, the right FX provider for you will be the one who can help you to streamline your business operations to make international payments while minimizing regulatory delay, human error, and risk exposure. In order to do that, they’ll need to understand your business, understand what you do, and be able to work with you to directly address your risks and other issues without compromising your business in the process.

When meeting with providers, we encourage you to keep an eye out for (and ask about) the following things.

• Competitive, but realistic solutions. Don’t fall for the hype. If an exchange rate sounds too good to be true, it almost certainly is. Additionally, some providers may encourage you to speculate in the currency markets or tell you that they can help you to second guess rate movements. In reality, it’s impossible to know how the markets will move, and you should be wary of anyone claiming that you will always be on the right side of market motion.

• A provider that understands your needs. You shouldn’t be the only one asking the questions. Your provider should be doing everything they can to understand your business, what you do, and how you do it. A provider that doesn’t take the time to learn about your business will not be able to offer the quality of service that you’re looking for.

• Bespoke solutions to fit your needs. Continuing from that last point, a provider that only offers a generic service will only be able to provide generic protection. As we mentioned in our article last week you should look for a provider with solutions that meet all your foreign exchange needs, including helping you to manage future risk more effectively. Don’t settle for anything less.

Get in touch with XE.com