Обменные пункты и валютный обмен

Business where a currency can be exchanged for another

A bureau de change (plural bureaux de change, both ,/b//jʊər//oʊ// //d//ə// /'/ʃ//ɒ//n//ʒ/ BUREoh də SHONZH; British English) or currency exchange (American English) is a business where people can exchange one currency for another.

Originally French, the term bureau de change (byʁo d(ə) ʃɑ̃ʒ) is widely used throughout Europe and French speaking Canada, where it is common to find a sign saying "exchange" or "change". Since the adoption of the euro, many exchange offices have started incorporating its logotype prominently on their signage. In the United States and English speaking Canada the business is described as "currency exchange" and sometimes "money exchange", sometimes with various additions such as "foreign", "desk", "office", "counter", "service", etc. ; for example, "foreign currency exchange office".

A bureau de change is often located at a bank, at a travel agent, airport, main railway station, large supermarket branches, and anywhere else where there is likely to be a market for people needing to convert currency. They are particularly prominent at travel hubs, although currency can be exchanged in many other ways both legally and illegally in other venues. Some of the major players include HSBC, Travelex, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo, and Bank of America.

The rise of peer to peer foreign currency exchange platforms and FinTech has led to disruptive P2P forex platforms that significantly undercuts traditional banks and financial institutions. Providers that use the P2P model to satisfy offsetting currency demands without an intermediary (such as a broker) has result in significant margin and spread compression in the foreign exchange business model.

Changing money at a bureau is often more expensive than withdrawing it from an automatic teller machine at one's destination or paying directly by debit or credit card, but this varies depending on the card issuer and the type of account. Fees from multiple ATM withdrawals should also be considered. Some people may feel uncomfortable carrying a lot of cash and so prefer to use a card and carry minimal cash for tipping cabs, hotels, and restaurants. Hotels and rental cars many times also need cards for temporary holds. Some may also prefer to hold foreign currency rather than change it back if they are expecting to return to where it is used. Companies that frequently send employees abroad may essentially act as their own exchange by reimbursing their employees in the local currency and holding the foreign currency. If exchange rates are relatively stable, the fees charged by a bureau may exceed any likely fluctuation and it also makes the company's accountancy easier. In the alternate, some prefer to buy their currency before they travel, either just for a sense of security against credit card fraud typically achieved by tampered card readers or hackers, or because they expect to benefit from more favorable conditions thinking the exchange rate is better at that time than it will be when they make their trip. As well, some places may only take cash or have credit card terminals down. In 2002, many bureaux reported substantial reductions in profit due to the replacement of many European currencies with the euro.

Bureaux de change offer an opportunity for money laundering, and a number of countries require bureaux de change to register as money service businesses and are subject to their anti money laundering measures. The Financial Action Task Force offers a set of recommendations for money services businesses to identify risky customers and transactions, however it is up to the various regulatory authorities to set out the specific regulations that govern the money services businesses in different countries.