How to Add a Currency Converter in WordPress (2 Easy Ways)

Have you ever lost a potential customer simply because they weren’t sure what your prices meant in their own currency? It’s a common problem for online stores that sell around the world.

A currency converter solves this by letting visitors quickly check exchange rates without leaving your site, making it easier for them to complete a purchase.

At WPBeginner, we’ve helped many users set up currency converters on their WordPress sites, and we know the right tool depends on your goals. We found that Currency Converter Widget is perfect if you just want to add a simple calculator, while CURCY is designed for creating a complete multi-currency WooCommerce store.

In this tutorial, we’ll show you two easy ways to add a currency converter in WordPress.

What Types of Websites Need a Currency Converter?

Whether you have an online store, a small business website, or a WordPress blog, as long as you have an international audience and are selling something, you can use a currency converter.

Here are a few examples of websites that may need a currency calculator for WordPress:

• eCommerce stores: If you are running an eCommerce store with WordPress and selling products internationally, then a currency converter can help your users quickly calculate costs in their local currency.
• Travel blogs: If you own a travel blog, then a currency calculator can help your users calculate travel costs in different currencies.
• Business websites: A business website may also want its users to see the exchange rates of different currencies, particularly for businesses with a presence in different countries.
• Finance and banking websites: Websites in the finance and banking industries can add currency calculators for their visitors to calculate conversion rates without leaving their website.
• Coin and forex exchange sites: There are many websites that blog or deal with cryptocurrencies, forex trading, and similar niches. These websites need a currency converter so that their users can quickly calculate conversion rates.

There can be many other WordPress websites that may need a currency converter. That being said, let’s take a look at how to easily add a currency converter in WordPress.

We will show you 2 methods, including a way for a WordPress site and a WooCommerce store.

You can click the links below to jump ahead to your preferred section:

• How to Add a Currency Converter in WordPress
  • Setting Up Your Currencies
  • Customizing Your Currency Converter
  • Displaying the Currency Converter on Your Site
• How to Add a Currency Converter in WooCommerce
  • Setting Up the Currency Converter
  • Customizing Your Currency Converter
• Frequently Asked Questions About Currency Converters in WordPress

How to Add a Currency Converter in WordPress

You can easily add a currency converter in WordPress using the Currency Converter Widget. It is a free WordPress plugin that calculates and displays up to 168 currencies.

The first thing you need to do is to install and activate the Currency Converter Widget plugin. For more details, see our step-by-step guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Setting Up Your Currencies

Upon activation, head over to the Currency Tool page from your WordPress dashboard. This will take you to the ‘Widget Parameter’ screen, where you will see plugin settings on the left and your currency converter widget preview on the right.

Now, to begin with, you need to select the primary currency. This is the currency you use on your site and the currency users will be converting prices from. For example, here you can choose USD.

Next, select the secondary currency that users will be converting prices to. Here, you can only choose one, and it will be the main currency displayed on the converter.

A good rule of thumb is to select the currency from where most of your traffic comes. For example, if many of your visitors are from Europe, you could set the Euro as the secondary currency.

After that, choose a language for your converter. This is useful if you run a multilingual site because it allows the converter to adapt to your visitors’ preferred language.

Customizing Your Currency Converter

Next, set the converter widget size. You can choose the auto option (a square box), 200×350, or set custom dimensions.

Since this will be a widget, we recommend using the 200×350 option. This size makes your currency converter visible and easy to notice without being too intrusive.

Then, you can customize the widget’s design by selecting the font color, background, gradient, shadow, and border.

After that, scroll down to the Currencies section. Here, you can select all the currencies that you want to add to your converter, such as the Canadian Dollar, Saudi Riyal, Japanese Yen, or any others.

Keep in mind that the secondary currency you set earlier (e.g., Euro) will be shown by default. But once users click the dropdown, they’ll also be able to see all the other currencies you select here.

Next, configure the currency display format and choose a separator. You can also select a date format, since the currency converter displays the date in the bottom-right corner.

Once you are done, your changes will be saved automatically — you don’t need to click any button.

Finally, scroll down to the ‘Short Code’ section and copy the code from there.

Displaying the Currency Converter on Your Site

You can easily display the currency converter anywhere on your website using this shortcode.

First, you can create a new page or edit an existing one. Once you are in the content editor, simply click the ‘+’ button and add the ‘Shortcode’ block.

Then, simply add the shortcode you copied earlier into the box and click the ‘Update’ button.

Alternatively, you can also display the currency converter in the sidebar of your website.

You can go to Appearance » Widgets from your WordPress dashboard. After that, you can simply add the shortcode block to the sidebar area.

Then, add the shortcode into it.

Once you are done, simply click the ‘Update’ button.

Now, you can visit your website to see the currency converter in the sidebar widget or WordPress page.

Your users will be able to enter an amount, select the currency they want to check, and then the results will be displayed.

The first method is perfect for adding a simple calculator to your site for informational purposes.

However, what if you want to automatically change the product prices in your WooCommerce store for international customers?

For that, you’ll need a dedicated multi-currency plugin. Let’s look at how to set that up using a free and easy plugin.

How to Add a Currency Converter in WooCommerce

If you have a WooCommerce store that attracts customers from different parts of the world, then a currency converter can show prices in local currencies and boost conversions.

The easiest way to add a currency converter in WooCommerce is by using the CURCY plugin. It is a free WooCommerce plugin that is easy to use and offers multi-currency support.

First, you will need to install and activate the CURCY plugin. For more details, please see our guide on how to install a WordPress plugin.

Setting Up the Currency Converter

Upon activation, you can head to the Multi Currency page from the WordPress dashboard and view the ‘General’ settings tab.

Here, you can click the ‘Enable’ toggle to activate currency converter options for WooCommerce. Additionally, the plugin allows you to adjust the prices.

Next, you can scroll down and add different currencies. Simply click the ‘Add Currency’ button. Remember that in the free plugin, you can only add 2 currencies at a time.

This is great if you primarily sell to two regions, like the United States (USD) and Europe (EUR). If you need to display more currencies for a global audience, you can upgrade to the premium version.

After that, you can switch to the ‘Location’ tab.

Here, you’ll find options to auto-detect currencies and show a particular currency for visitors from different locations.

Customizing Your Currency Converter

Next, you can head to the ‘Design’ tab and edit your currency converter’s appearance.

The plugin lets you choose its position, add a title, change the text color, style, main and background color, and much more.

Once that’s done, you can save your changes.

You can now visit your WooCommerce store to see the currency converter in action.

Frequently Asked Questions About Currency Converters in WordPress

Here are some questions that our readers frequently ask about adding currency converters in WordPress:

Do I need a currency converter if I only sell to one country?

No, if you only sell products or services locally and don’t expect international visitors, then you don’t need a currency converter. It’s mainly useful for websites with a global audience.

Will a currency converter automatically update exchange rates?

Yes — most currency converter plugins (such as Currency Converter Widget or CURCY) automatically fetch exchange rates from trusted sources like Currency Wiki or APIs. The rates are updated in the background, so you don’t have to refresh them manually.

Can I show multiple currencies at the same time?

Yes. With Currency Converter Widget, you can display a list of different currencies or a calculator. CURCY also lets you add multiple currencies in WooCommerce (though the free version is limited to 2).

Is a currency converter the same as multi-currency checkout?

Not exactly. A currency converter only shows prices in different currencies for convenience, but checkout still happens in your store’s base currency. For true multi-currency checkout, you’ll need a WooCommerce plugin that supports payments in multiple currencies.

Will adding a currency converter slow down my website?

No, a well-coded plugin won’t slow down your site. Both Currency Converter Widget and CURCY are lightweight and optimized for WordPress.

Can I customize the design of the currency converter?

Yes — both plugins allow you to customize the look of the converter. For example, CURCY lets you adjust the position, colors, and overall style within WooCommerce, while Currency Converter Widget lets you tweak the size, border, gradient, colors, and shadow to better match your site’s design.

We hope this article helped you learn how to add a currency converter in WordPress. You may also want to see our expert pick of the best WooCommerce alternatives for your specific needs and our tutorial on how to add a shipping calculator to your WordPress site.

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