Define one transaction before comparing

A bank’s discount percentage and a shop’s attractive-looking rate may describe different transactions. Write a fixed request such as “receive USD 500 in banknotes on the same date,” then obtain a final quote for those conditions.

The figures below are invented teaching quotes, not a provider’s price or the results of a shop survey.

Record four parts of each quote

  1. Record the checking time and quote conditions.
  2. Confirm the foreign amount and quantity used in the rate quotation.
  3. Ask about separate charges and minimum amounts.
  4. Confirm reservation, collection place, and note availability.

Do not compare one price before a discount with another after it. If a final won total already includes a charge, do not add that charge again.

Calculate the difference between the teaching quotes

Assume KRW 1,402 per dollar at a bank and KRW 1,398 at a changer, with no separate transaction charges. Both provide USD 500.

Bank: 500 × 1,402 = KRW 701,000
Changer: 500 × 1,398 = KRW 699,000
Transaction difference: KRW 2,000

That is the difference before visiting. If only the changer requires an additional KRW 3,000 journey, its comparison total becomes KRW 702,000: KRW 1,000 more than the bank in this example.

Find the amount that offsets the additional trip

The illustrative difference is KRW 4 per dollar. Offsetting KRW 3,000 of travel takes 3,000 / 4 = USD 750. At USD 750 the comparison costs match; above it the transaction saving exceeds the extra travel cost.

That threshold belongs only to these assumptions. Recalculate if fixed fees, tiered prices, or note availability change. You can also judge travel time against your schedule without assigning an arbitrary monetary value to it.

Check the final figures again at the counter

Prices can change between enquiry and exchange. Confirm currency, cash amount, and won total before handing over money, then count the notes and compare them with the receipt.

For registration checks, use the Customs record-matching guide. The cash-rate and discount guide explains the discount calculation separately.