You can read this article also in : 日本語 (Japanese)
Many people wonder how to exchange money when traveling to Poland.
Where do I exchange money for how much?”
I need to know where to exchange money for a better rate!”
Can I use my credit card in Poland?”
In this article.
This article summarizes how to exchange yen to Polish currency “zloty”.
Read this to find out where to exchange money in Warsaw with relatively good rates, how to use credit cards in Poland, and what to look out for so you don’t lose money on ATM cash advances!
I would be happy to help you on your trip to Poland ^^.
4 ways to exchange yen to Polish currency “zloty” and the best recommended exchange rate.
There are four main ways to get the Polish currency, the zloty.
(Just ask me where to exchange money at a good rate! (If you’re just asking for the best exchange rate, jump to here)
- Exchange yen for zloty at a Japanese exchange
- Exchange yen to zloty at exchange offices in Poland
- Pay by credit card
- Withdrawals from ATMs in Poland
It is correctly pronounced złote (złoty/złote) or złotev (złotych).
The notation is PLN orzł.
A unit smaller than one zloty is called a
Grosz.”
The unit of measurement smaller than one zloty is called a “grosz”.
It’s like cents in American dollars.
Which method is the most economical?
In writing this article, I actually checked the rates for each method.
The TTM rate on a certain day in October 2018 was 30.1 yen. (Announced by Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting)
We looked up each rate for the same day and found the table below.
result
Pay by credit card and at the currency exchange near Warsaw Central Station (the one with the best rate)!
*Please note that it depends on the date and each condition, and is for reference only.
Recommended exchange method [by case].
Combinations will vary depending on your preferences and travel plans, but for example…
…mainly by credit card.
Withdrawals from ATMs in Poland
is recommended.
Exchange a small amount of yen for zloty at a currency exchange in Japan.
Exchange yen for zloty at exchange offices in Poland
and so on, and combine them according to your individual preferences and travel schedule.
How much money should I exchange from yen to zloty?
Grosch coin below（50,20,10,5,2,1)
It’s hard to say, as it depends greatly on the length of your stay and your preferences ^^;
This is for reference only, but in the case of the following conditions…
Mainly use credit card payment
Duration of stay: 5 days
Cash is only used for gratuities and in stores where cards are not accepted.
⇒About 200 zloty (equivalent to about 6,000 yen) would be sufficient.
This is the case when most of the payments are made by credit card.
If you do not use a credit card, you will have to increase your cash by that amount.
However, some cabs and stores may only accept cash payment.
It is recommended that you have your zloty in hand by the time you leave the airport, especially if you are taking a cab from the airport to Warsaw city center.
If you use a cab dispatch app, you can use that as a card payment too. For more information, see Traveling in Poland! See how to register and use the FREE NOW cab app.
How to exchange yen to zloty at an exchange office.
We have introduced four typical ways to exchange yen to zloty.
I will explain each method in detail from here.
First, you need to go to
Here is how to exchange Japanese yen to Polish currency, the zloty.
It is more economical to exchange yen to Polish zloty in Poland. But the rate at Chopin airport is not good.
It is far more economical to exchange money in Poland than in Japan.
For your information, the rate on one day in October 2018 was…
Exchange office in Warsaw: 1 zloty = 30.5 yen
If you exchange 30,000 yen, that’s a difference of about 4,000 yen!
It is obvious that it is more economical to exchange money in Poland.
But!
The best rates in Warsaw are available at money exchanges in the city.
If you try to exchange money at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport, you will get ripped off.
The rate at the airport on the same day was 1 zloty = 36.9 yen!
Worse than Japan …
Therefore, it is most economical to exchange money in the city of Warsaw.
Even though card payment is widespread in the country, there are times when only cash is accepted in some cabs and stores.
So!
One option is to exchange a small amount of cash at the airport in Japan between your arrival and when you can exchange money.
Or you can use the
You can also make ATM withdrawals at the airport.
Currency exchange offices in Japan (Narita, Haneda, Kansai Airport)
I myself have never exchanged zloty in Japan, but according to my internet research, the following exchange offices seem to handle Polish zloty.
Narita Airport
GPA Foreign Currency Exchange Specialists
https://www.gpa-net.co.jp/ja/passenger-service/exchange/guide.html
This is a foreign currency exchange office directly managed by the Narita Airport Group.
There are several stores in the airport, one in each of Terminals 1, 2, and 3.
Haneda Airport
Travelex
https://www.travelex.co.jp/stores/
There are several stores in Haneda Airport.
Kansai International Airport
KIX CURRENCY EXCHANGE
http://www.kaakix.co.jp/exchange/shop.html
This is a foreign currency exchange office directly managed by KIX.
There are several stores in KIX, but only automatic foreign currency exchange machines are available in Terminal 2.
Exchange offices in Warsaw
Here are a few recommendations that I think are easy to get to while sightseeing and have relatively good rates.
However, the rate is not always good, so please be sure to check the rate yourself before exchanging money.
Near Warsaw Central Station
777. Kantor wymiany walut
It is located in the basement of the Marriott Hotel, right in front of Warsaw Central Station.
Business Hours
Monday-Friday: 09:00-19:00
Saturday: 10:00-15:00
address (e.g. of house)
Aleje Jerozolimskie 65/79, 00-697 Warszawa
Official HP
http://www.777.com.pl/
Kantor Redar
The store is located in the basement near the Centrum Metro station and Hotel Novotel.
It is also within walking distance from Warsaw Central Station.
Business Hours
Monday-Friday: 08:00-20:00
Saturday: 09:00-16:00
address (e.g. of house)
Przejście podziemne Skrzyżowanie al. Jerozolimskich i ul. Marszałkowskiej, 00-026 Warszawa
Official HP
http://www.kantorredar.pl/
Tavex
The restaurant is within walking distance from the Palace of Culture and Science and the Intercontinental Hotel.
Business Hours
Monday-Friday: 09:00-20:00
Saturday: 10:00-15:00
address (e.g. of house)
Świętokrzyska 32, 00-116 Warszawa
Official HP
https://tavex.pl/pl/
Near Old Town
Kantor Wymiany Walut “Na Długiej”
The restaurant is a 2-minute walk from Barbacan, by the old town.
The exchange rate is a little worse than the exchange near Warsaw Central Station, but I think it is quite good in the Old Town area.
Business Hours
Monday-Friday: 10:00-18:00
Saturday: 10:00 – 14:00
address (e.g. of house)
Długa 8/14, 00-238 Warszawa
Official HP
http://www.kantornadlugiej.pl/
There are also many dubious exchange booths that are tucked away and difficult to see from the street, making it difficult for a single person to enter.
Often there are lines at stores with good rates.
Many stores in urban areas accept Japanese yen, so if your destination is Warsaw or Krakow, there is no need to go to the trouble of converting your money to euros in Japan.
Don’t lose money! Learn how to read the rates!
In Poland, the table above is often written in the same way.
In order to master the rate view, you need to know
Only three pieces of knowledge you need!
(1) If you want zloty, look at the left side, if you want it back in a circle, look at the right side.
- To convert from Japanese yen to zloty, click on “Kupno” (BUY in English) on the left side.
- When making a circle from zloty, “Sprzedaż” (SELL in English. Sell) on the right side.
(2) It says “0 yen = ▲▲ zloty.
In Japan, the notation is often “1 zloty = 30 yen,” but the notation in Polish exchange offices is the opposite.
It represents “how many zlotys per ¥0.00.”
Using the table above as an example, the rate for converting yen to zloty is “1 yen = 0.0334 zloty
If you exchange 1,000 yen, you will receive 1,000 yen x 0.0334 = 33.4 zloty.
It is often written in units of 1 yen, but sometimes in units of 100 yen or 1,000 yen.
In that case, it is OK to assume that the decimal point is simply shifted to the right.
100 yen = 3.34 zloty
1,000 yen = 33.4 zloty
(iii) Yen → Zloty: the larger the number, the better the rate.
When exchanging yen for zloty, remember that the larger the number on the left (kupno), the better the rate.
The larger the number on the left (Kupno), the better the exchange rate.
Conversely, the smaller the number on the right (Sprzedaż), the better the rate.
When converting zloty back to yen, the smaller the number on the right (Sprzedaż), the better the rate
is.
Using the table above as an example, 1 ÷ 0.0334 ≈ 29.94.
1 zloty = 29.94 yen.
For a moment, I thought, “Whoa, the rate looks great,” but upon closer inspection, there was a big pitfall.
SELL!
In other words, the rate at which the zloty is converted back to dollars or euros.
I checked and these rates are insanely bad compared to other stores!
It is very suspicious that you are putting it out there in such a misleading way;
And when I tried to look at the exchange rate from dollars to zloty, the text on the board inside was too small to see from the street!
Once you enter, you smell a rip-off…
There were a few of these exchange booths around the old town.
Take care!
Pay by credit card
Now, let’s look at
Next, I will write about “paying by credit card” in Poland.
In Poland, credit cards are accepted in many stores. I have the impression that there are more stores that accept credit cards in Poland than in Japan.
I almost always pay for small purchases with my card because it is faster and easier than using cash.
The only time I use cash is for tips.
Is the credit card rate good? Which is better value than exchanging money?
The rates for credit card payments seem to vary from credit card company to credit card company.
It has not been my experience that the rate is far from the market rate.
In writing this article, I experimented with Rakuten Card (MasterCard).
The TTM rate on that day was
1 zloty = 30.08 yen
was
154.48 charged by Rakuten Card.
The billing rate is
1 zloty = 30.896 yen
By the way, on this day
The exchange rate is about 30.5-31.0 yen
was about ¥30.5 to ¥31.0.
Not always.
The rates for credit card payment and exchange do not seem to be much different.
Using a credit card in Poland
Note: (1) It is more economical to choose Zloty payment!
When you pay by credit card, you are asked if you want to pay in
Sometimes you are asked, “Do you want to pay in yen or zloty?”
(When asked by the clerk or on the screen of the card machine)
Choose zloty payment since it is basically a better rate.
The reason is explained later in “[Very important] Choose whether to denominate in yen or zloty” in section 8.
If you are not sure which button to select on the card machine, point to the screen and say “polish złoty (polish złoty)” to the clerk, and he or she will tell you.
Precautions (2) Take measures against skimming.
I have never been a victim of skimming in Poland, and I have never heard of any friends or acquaintances living in Warsaw who have been victims.
So there is no need to be overly fearful, but the following minimum precautions should be taken just in case.
- Whenever you pay by credit card, have it done in a place where you can see it.
- Get a copy of the card and keep it until the settlement is completed.
I have never entrusted my card to a clerk before.
I do the basics of operating the card machine myself.
However, all I have to do is insert the card and press the PIN.
When you have completed the payment, you will be asked, “Do you want a copy?” You will be asked, “Do you want a copy?
[English] Copy?
[Polish] Potwierdzenie?
If they don’t ask, ask them to say “Copy, please.
Withdrawals from ATMs in Poland
So far, we have written about exchanging money at a currency exchange, paying with a credit card, and
The last one is “ATM withdrawals.
If your credit card has a cash advance facility abroad, you can withdraw cash from ATMs in Poland.
Cash advances, or “borrowing money,” incur interest. In addition, many credit card companies charge fees.
Right?
However, if you have a small amount of money, it may cost a few tens to a few hundreds of yen.
If the amount is small, it will only cost a few tens or hundreds of yen, so there is no need to be overly fearful.
I experimented again with Rakuten Card (MasterCard).
Interest: 26 yen (If the full amount is debited (repaid) in the following month.)
Commission fee: 108 yen (216 yen for cash advances of 10,000 yen or more)
50 zloty was withdrawn and the bill including interest and fees was 1,654 yen.
That is the equivalent of 1 zloty = 33 yen.
It is more economical than exchanging money at the airport in Japan or at Warsaw Chopin Airport.
(The exchange rate at Warsaw Chopin Airport on the same day was 37 yen. The exchange rate at the airport in Japan was 35 yen.)
The commission rate is fixed, so if the amount is too small, you may get a better rate from a Japanese exchange.
(For example, if you withdraw 20 zloty on the same day, the rate is 1 zloty = 36 yen.)
I generally use ATM cash advances when I travel abroad because they are easy and the rates are fair.
Debit cards do not accrue interest because they are deducted directly from the bank account.
Fees are charged, so for small amounts, it may not be much different from a cash advance on a credit card.
If you don’t know this, you will lose money! How to do ATM withdrawals and important points explained with photos.
In Poland, ATMs are located throughout the city.
The screen display and flow may differ slightly from one ATM stand to another, but the general usage is as follows.
Insert the ① card
(2) Select Language
This time, choose English. There is no Japanese.
Enter PIN
Select “Cash withdraw
(5) Select how much to withdraw
In this case, there was no amount that I wanted to withdraw, so I selected “other option.
(6) Enter the amount you wish to withdraw.
The machine does not seem to have bills smaller than 20 zloty, and it says to enter in units of 20 zloty (20, 40, 60…). The machine does not seem to have bills smaller than 20 zloty.
(vii) Select whether or not to have a copy of the annex.
Be sure to get one in case of emergency.
8) [Very Important] Choose whether to denominate in yen or zloty.
We choose the zloty construction on the left. The reason will be explained later.
(ix) Asked the same questions as (viii) again
We choose the zloty construction on the left. The reason will be explained later.
(10) The card, money, and a copy of the receipt will come out.
↑↑up↑Usage ends here↑up↑
Screens (8) and (9) are very important.
On this screen, you are asked, “Do you want to charge the credit card company in yen?” you are asked.
When I experimented, it was clearly more profitable to choose the zloty denomination on the left side.
If you choose the right side (in yen), the rate is 1 zloty = 33.8 yen
(Interest and fees are charged separately for both)
Here’s how it works, in a nutshell.
Yen denominated
In the case of zloty building
It depends on the rate each card company uses and the rate the ATM offers, but in my experience, the card company’s exchange rate is higher than yours!
So, if there is a significant exchange rate fluctuation during those few days, it may be better to denominate in yen.
It is hard to predict such a thing ^^;
This is the fee paid to the Polish company that installs the ATM.
These two machines at Warsaw Chopin Airport did not charge ATM fees.
summary
You had the following four ways to get the Polish currency, the zloty.
- Exchange yen for zloty at a Japanese exchange
- Exchange yen to zloty at exchange offices in Poland
- Pay by credit card
- Withdrawals from ATMs in Poland
As for which exchange method is the best value, we have checked the rates as of late October 2018, and they are as follows
The notes for each method are also included.
That’s all I have to say, hope this helps you on your trip!
Thank you for reading this long article^^.
