XE.com is heralded as ‘The world’s favourite currency site’ and it is clear from the website why it deserves such an accolade; a straight forward design, highly accurate and reliable conversion rates updated every minute, basic tools for quick conversions and specialised tools for users requiring comprehensive conversions and data.
The first thing to notice about the homepage is the central panel displaying a cross-reference table of the US Dollar, Euro and British Pound’s respective exchange rates against eight of the most popular currencies. This table is updated in real-time and can be customised to show currencies relevant to the user, to show historical information of the chosen currencies and updates for the table can be emailed to the user. Beneath this table is the XE.com quick currency converter which consists of two drop-down menus to locate the required currencies, a box to type the amount of money to convert and a ‘Go!’ button to start the conversion. As it is only a quick search, there is a limited selection of currencies to choose from; however, at the bottom of the list is an option for more currencies. By selecting this option the user is taken to the Universal Currency Converter and has a choice from 116 currencies, a selection ‘special units’ and even exchange rates for precious metals such as gold and platinum. Again, if the required currency is still not available, more are available through the Full Universal Currency Converter which holds data on every known currency in the world and also includes obsolete currencies such as pre-Euro European currencies; if the user can still not find their required currency it does not exist.
The results page for the actual conversion deserves mention as although it really only shows the exchange rates, the values are presented in large bold letters making it stand out. This may seem like a small point, however, it is a considerate piece of web design to make the fundamental values easy to read.
With the advent of worldwide internet shopping, buyers are often purchasing items in different currency to their own. To aid these buyers, XE.com has a pop-up currency converter which stays open whilst the user surfs between sites allowing immediate access to a converter. Users can even use XE.com’s converters away from their computers with the Wireless Currency Converter for any devices with WAP internet access, which includes most mobile phones and PDAs. This is an indispensable application for people who travel abroad and intend to take their mobiles with them; no more confusion as to whether that tacky souvenir for your Aunty is £5 or £50. To aid business travellers, the Travel Expenses Calculator will automatically advise you of how much you need to claim for; simply input all business purchases, amounts, dates and click ‘calculate’ (there is also a version for users with slow internet connections).
XE.com offers an extensive currency converter coupled with user-friendly services and all with a clutter-free design. From checking the Pound against the Euro for your holidays, buying a DVD on eBay to checking the exchange rate of gold against obsolete currencies, XE.com has the solution.