First the good: Friendly staff and quick service. They validate parking in the building. The not so good: I exchanged US dollars for Hungarian Forint. The exchange rate that day was 1:286.9 but all I recieved from them was 1:268.3 It was my fault for not checking the exchange rate at the time of the transaction and waited until I got home. I should have waited to get to Hungary to exchange my USD read more

Excellent service! Good rate, fast service, easy to communicate on the phone or in person, friendly & professional. Highly recommend this business. read more

Used this service for our Japan trip. The rates were a lot better than what the bank offered. Communicating through messages was amazing! They replied back fast. They do have a parking lot but it's tricky to find. Will definitely check this currency exchange place for my next trip read more

Quick in and out with free parking right by the elevator and no fees! Good rate (a few points higher than the trading rate of the day, but just try to do better when exchanging money) and they're always friendly and fast with your cash. Go in to the parking garage, turn right and park on the left just past the elevator. You are on parking floor "C." Go into the elevator and to "1", the main concourse, exit the lift and turn left and left and the office is on the other side of the elevator banks. On your way out, stuff your validated parking into the pay machine right by the elevator and if you made it in and out in 12 minutes it's freeee (and I have always made it out on time, even when there was a line at the exchange counter) Happy travels! read more

Its hard to find bad rates though buying or selling. The usual is .02-.03 cent difference in comparison to the current real rate set by economy. 15 mins parking free bring ticket in. Easy parking. No parking on the streets dont even look lol. Easy to find in big building. More than satisfied. Parking on level c. Place on level 1 i believe. It was a pleasure doing business and talking to them. read more

Their exchange rates beat my bank!. Really friendly and fast service. Definitely no completion in the local area. I had a great experience with them ! read more

PROS: Fair prices for exchange rates. Probably one of the best rates in LA. Friendly and quick. No fees, etc. CONS: Parking to get your money costs money. read more

Add me to the list of converts. No more AmEx offices or banks for me. When it comes to getting your money's worth on ForEx, this is the place to go. The dollar to euro was 1.318 today on xe.com and I got 1.35 from Foreign Currency Express. No hidden fees. Just a straight exchange. They saved me hundreds of dollars over what other places quoted me. Downtown LA can be intimidating, especially to Westsiders ( all those tall buildings, scary one-way streets, parking, no movie stars or paparazzi), but don't let that deter you from this place. It is so easy to get in and out of the World Trade Center. Butter. If you enter off of Figueroa, do as others have suggested and park in an empty valet spot. Turn right just as you enter past the ticket gate. Drive past the "reserved" spots and you will see "valet" spots. These are right next to the South elevator which takes you up from floor "C", the floor you have just parked on, to floor "1," the main floor of the World Trade Center building. Don't worry about the valet warning sign that says you will be towed. I saw no valets and you're only going to be there a few minutes anyway. Not enough time for anyone to notice your car, much less call a tow. Once you're on the 1st floor, step out of the elevator and hang a left. You'll walk a few steps and see an atrium and info desk with a guard there. Wave at him and smile as you hang another quick left, where you will see the sign for Foreign Currency Express store, which is about ten steps away. I was there on a Friday at 1 pm and there was no line. The nice woman behind the counter came right up at the sound the bell as I entered and our entire transaction took approximately 3 minutes. Before I left, she offered to validate my parking ticket for $2. This will save you $1.50 (without validation the WTC building charges $3.50 every 12 minutes). Also, if you're coming from Weho/Hollywood/Valley and, like me, the 101 traffic paralyzes you with fear, murderous rage and frustration, today is your lucky day. I found a sweet short-cut to this fantastic place. Take Franklin Blvd to Hillhurst. Take Hillhurst south (it turns into Virgil). Turn left off of Virgil onto 3rd Street. 3rd Street will take you all the way to Figueroa. Make a quick left onto Fig and then get in the far right lane because the WTC building is right there! I drove this route on a Friday afternoon from Studio City. Round trip, the whole exercise (including the time I spent in the store) took me a grand total of 50 minutes. If you need foreign currency, I can't recommend this place enough. read more

This place is great. The rate is better than credit card exchange rates. I've been here twice and both times they were really quick. The second time I came here, I needed 3 different currencies. The lady saw that the transaction would take a while and took my parking ticket. And after i was done, she gave it back to me and said I was ready to exit. I didn't have to go to the machine. She had asked someone else to go for me. The service! Totally unexpected. The lady is very professional. She alway asks me to double check her. Parking is a little hard to find. It's in the World Trade Center building. Drive forward and they have reserved parking for their customers. Take the elevator up, go left towards the security guard. read more

I got a quote on Wednesday (4/6/16) for $ to Yen. Michelle quoted me 107 and said I can make an appointment and pick it up for that price on Saturday. Called today (4/8/16) to confirm my appointment and Michelle said now its 106 and you need to make a down-payment to reserve the quote from Wednesday. Well damn, she shoulda told me that on Wednesday.. read more

"Hello, I'd like 40,000 Thai Baht, please." Lady goes behind a huge filing cabinet, and comes back to the plate glass window with a huge wad of multi-colored bills. I was pretty surprised she had that much baht on hand! Located in the bowels of the World Trade Center, Foreign Currency Express is the place to get foreign currency in a flash before you travel. That is, if you're looking for a frequently requested currency, such as the Euro, Mexican pesos, Japanese yen, RMB, etc. I've had to call ahead to make sure they had Costa Rican Colons on hand (which they didn't). If it's not in stock, they can get it for you in a few days' time. A co-worker came here the day before she left for Prague, looking for Czech Crowns. No such luck. Call ahead! Also, there are no fees, commissions, or charges. No, I didn't get my 40,000 baht yet b/c this place is **cash only** and I'm not ballin' and carrying around a couple Gs in my backpocket. ;) read more

While the rates are better than what you get at the airport or hotel, it's cheaper to withdraw cash from a foreign ATM or use a credit card since with those, you'll get current market exchange rates. FCE charges 4%+. A couple credit unions I belong to only charge a 1% conversion fee and use current market exchange rates for ATM withdrawls, credit and debit purchases (double-checked my transactions online and only charged 1% conversion fee using market rates). My AMEX prepaid card (not the regular credit card) which allows one free ATM withdrawl didn't even charge 1% conversion fee for credit purchases and ATM withdrawls. My Citibank and VISA regular credit cards charge 3% conversion fee which is still lower than the exchange rate you'll get at FCE. Some of the bigger banks don't charge any conversion fees if you use an affiliate like HSBC, Barclays, Paribas. So my advice is to ask your bank and credit card companies what the fees are for foreign ATM withdrawls, debit & credit purchases (I usually use the "Contact" button when I log in to my accounts). read more

No Fees! Exchange rate is what you get! Quick Tips: - If you will be exchanging a large amount of money, call ahead of time to make sure that they have enough Euros, Pounds, or whatever. I had to get a large amount of Euros and they told me to come back the following day to pick it up. - The entrance to the building is on either Flower or Figueroa. On both streets there is a small, kind of hidden, elevator, located on the street level. If you did not know to look for it, you probably would pass it by. Take it to the 1st floor and enter the building. - I really have no advice for parking because I work 5 minutes away. - If you will be arriving late in the day, call ahead of time to make sure there is still someone there. I came by and there was a long line and I asked the building security what time do they close. He told me they close at 4, but sometimes the owner likes to close early without telling anyone. - Service is not too friendly, so don't expect it. - Make sure you count your money before you walk away from the window. There is a small sign that says something to the effect of "if we short you, once you leave this window, we are not responsible, so count your money." - Quick and painless exchange! Like I stated above, I did not get charged any fees for exchanging my USD into Euros or Pounds. The owner emailed me the exchange rate before hand and I calculated what I was supposed to get. I took an early lunch, went in, handed her the money and got back exactly what I calculated. The whole process took about 5 minutes (because I double counted to make sure I got the right amount back). read more

Foreign Currency Express - Currency Exchange Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Let's break this down. I have researched every other place that does exchange and this place has the best rates in Los Angeles. Let's be clear about one thing. If you Google "British Pounds to US Dollars" today it would show USD 1.56 BSP 1 USD 1.32 Euro 1 What I paid at this exchange USD 1.63 BSP 1 USD 1.37 Euro 1 So you aren't going to get the exact rate of exchange but you will shave off a few cents more per dollar than other places. Also-- go in a team of 2! Have one person park outside or circle the block while you run in. If you are travelling here to save a few cents for every ______ to the dollar than why pay 2.50 for every 15 minutes! They were kind, quick, and convenient but truth be told I only saved a few cents per dollars vs. my regular bank which sells/buys foreign currency. read more

I wanted to be sure and write a review for this wonderful company, FCE. They are the best, most straight up and honest place out there with great rates and excellent customer service. After a nightmare in Santa Monica at the Travelex location inside the US bank at 2nd and Santa Monica Blvd - with a load of hassles, challenging parking, and a serious bate and switch situation - I was completely deflated and not sure which way to turn. The guy there out and out lied! Told one rate over the phone and a completely and radically different rate in person. So it was soooo refreshing to get the same info when I arrived at the FCE office as when I called them on the phone. And to be treated with respect and consideration. And following the directions that other provided here, I made the trip easily and effortlessly, got convenient parking for only $2.00, and was in and out in minutes! I will definitely use this service every time I need foreign currency exchanged. Definitely worth the trip downtown - and in fact a lot easier than the challenges of getting to the Santa Monica Travelex location. Not to mention the bate and switch liar who works there! read more

I decided to use this place based on the reviews. Beware that you will have to pay for parking either inside the L.A. World Trade Center or outside. Cost me $3.50 because I ran in, exchanged the dolla-dolla bills, and ran out. I guess this wasn't as I expected. I was expecting exchange rates close or very close to actual exchange rates found on the trading floor. As of today, the exchange rate for Japanese Yen is 1.00000 US Dollar = 80.12820 Japanese Yen. When I got there, the board says Buying at 84 Yen and Selling at 77 Yen. She also mentioned that there's a separate exchange rate for coins versus bills. What?? Sigh. So in the end, I was charged ~$10 or so for exchanging money here. The website states "no commission, no fees"...well, based on the exchange rates they are using they are making bank, money, moola, dinero, dolla's off the difference. And here I was thinking if I can exchange the money when the Japanese Yen is low, I would make my money back and a little somethin'-somethin'...Oh well... read more

I came here to obtain Japanese Yen before my trip. Other Yelpers provided great reviews for this establishment that I scheduled an appointment on Saturday (they only take appointments on Saturday) and trekked my way there via metro. The person at the counter was prepared for me when I entered the small little space in the trade center. The transaction was fast and easy. They do not have a processing fee which was a plus in my book. Getting out of the building is another story. I sort of got lost and it took me 15 minutes to exit it. Note: If you are heading there via metro on the red line, get off at Civic Center. Google maps instructed me to get off at Union station and the walk to there is a little far. read more

Couldn't be more pleased with Foreign Currency Express, they are trustworthy and their customer service goes beyond what I'd expect. Everyone I've sent here says the same thing, too! Just got back from a big trip to Australia, Singapore and Thailand- they provided me with currency and happily exchanged the unused currency back to US Dollars for me when I returned. Thanks for always making it easy! read more

Good rates and excellent service. Today, they offered the Euro at 1.37 (with no fees) when my usual place, Travelex, offered it at 1.53. Big difference. The office is a bit difficult to find inside the World Trade Center bunker on Figueroa. It's on the first level near the security desk. A note on parking: park a bit further north on Figueroa where's there's cheap meters with 2hr parking. Worth the trip downtown if you're changing lots of money. read more

Great rates, no fees, friendly service, parking is free if you can get in and out in 12 mins. They validate only for an additional 10mins on top of the initial free 12 mins. I called beforehand (that morning) because I was comparing rates to different currency exchange places. This place by far had the best rates. When I got there, the rates had changed but they were kind enough to honour the earlier phone quote, this was all done without me having to complain or argue that the quoted rate was different from what they were about to give me. Tiny place in the World Trade Centre. Make sure you park right by the elevators so you can be in and out within 12mins! read more

I came here to exchange for Euros. As per yelpers, called ahead to make sure I get the quoted price I was told, since it is a drive. I even verified where to park, and they do validate. And thanks to reviewers, I was prepared not to get the rates I saw on xe.com. I'm leaving next week and I'm working 3 days in a row before my flight, and I didn't have time to wait for my bank's 7-10 business days delivery, so this was my only hope. I got there a half hour before closing time. I was the first one, but then didn't realize I didn't have enough cash on hand to exchange. Unlike other places, this one doesn't do transactions off of debit cards. There is an ATM machine close by to withdraw, but there's a $2.50 fee. Gawd dammit. Lesson #1: make sure u have enough cash on hand to exchange. So after I withdrew the money, by the time I came back, there was another couple ahead of me. Crap! More time wasted! And I only have 12 mins else I'd have to pay $3.50 for parking! And it was already almost closing time at this point! Lesson #2: Get there way earlier than closing time. So I got the money exchanged, but then was told I'd have to pay $4 because lookin at the time, I guess I only had 3 mins left and he figured that wouldn't be enough time for me to go down and not pay, so by paying him the $4, it gives me an extra 15 mins to do so w/o getting charged downstairs. But as I was leaving the parking garage, it wasn't even 4pm yet and I was really able to get out of there in less than 3 mins!!! p00! Lesson #3: Have the teller validate and say you'll be responsible for the rest. It doesn't take long to go back the way you came, cuz it's such a fast transaction, the route will still be fresh in ur memory. I went back to my bank's website to check how much they would've given me, and it saved me like 48 bucks! minus the atm fee, the parking fee, and the gas to get there, Well maybe really only $30, cuz my bank has a fee for exchanges under $1000. It's a hassle, but if ur crunched for time, and it's not a weekend or dinner time yet, then this is ur last resort. I would've exchanged $1000+ but I read other reviewers who said that it's cheaper to just use ur debit/cc abroad cuz it'll only be a 3% charge vs a higher % exchanging at places like this. And Bank of America is partnered w/BNP Paribas in France, so if you withdraw there, there's no atm fee. But u know, if you plan on taking a taxi or bus from the airport to ur destination and u need immediate cash for tips n such, then u better have something before u go abroad, right? Anyway, this place isn't bad though. but I know better now. And no, it wasn't as scary as someone else described. But then again, I went during daylight savings time, so it could be different. Either way, I'm just glad this place is even available. read more

So I created a Yelp account just to warn people about this place. I'm not a big complainer, but this place is so unprofessional. Apparently, this place is supposed to be open till 4 pm. Today, I left work early to try to make it in time to this place to exchange some currency for my upcoming trip. I get to the office at around 3:30 pm and the door is locked. According to the security guard, the person who manages the business decided to leave early today. What kind of place just randomly closes whenever it wants to? I was not the only one annoyed and inconvenienced by this. At least three other people were looking for this place within the 5 minutes I was there. Shame on me for trying to help little businesses out by going to them instead of the corporate banks. To top things off, I had to pay $3.50 for just 12 mins of parking. What a joke of a day! Obviously they don't care about people's business, so I say don't waste your time or energy going to this place when you probably have a ton of other things on your mind for your upcoming trip. If you want to save yourself craziness, just go to the currency exchange place at 520 grand ave in downtown. read more

A tiny, little hole in the wall place in the WTC plaza. Don't let that detract you, though. I called to a few other places and this place had amazing rates. In fact, it was only 1.5% off XE's numbers. No other hidden fees. Bring cash to make the transaction quick, so you can get out and not pay for parking. I will definitely be back in the future. read more

Came here one day to exchange for Canadian money. The shop is in a very hidden and mostly closed off plaza. Friendly and fast service! They offer good exchange rates and exchange back at a higher rate. I will definitely be back here when I'm going to another country. I was probably in and out in 5 min. Looking for the shop took longer than the exchange process. Paid parking but I believe they validate for first 15 min of parking. read more

I went here one time, had a great experience, nice staff, polite and very helpful. I came here a second time, due to the first experience, however, staff was short, deceiving and misrepresented currency rates. I would recommend using your ATM card at a partner bank when you travel out of the country instead. This way you will only be charged 1% fee from your bank at the rate of the day (that's how BOFA does it). This place will cost between 5% to 10% depending on how honest the staff is...the more you exchange the more you lose. I would never go back. ---- Specifically, I went in on Tuesday and paid the following rates: IDR - 0.00009 BHT - 0.033 Went in on Thursday, was told these were the rates. IDR - 0.0000936 BHT - 0.034 When in actuality the rates had changed in my favor...whereas I should have spent less for the same currency. --- Find a partner bank and use an ATM card...save you time, money, and rid of your life of dishonest individuals. read more

I keep meaning to write a review about this place. It was worth the drive to Downtown. The exchange rate is good. I came here in April to get Euros for an Italy trip.Researched several places to get money exchanged at a good rate and took a chance. Was not disappointed. Read the other reviews on how to get here. I followed their directions exactly as written. Fast and easy. No line, too. Definitely coming back since I travel a lot. I only wished they were open on weekends, otherwise I will take time to come here to exchange money again. read more

I haven't used their service but I called to get a quote because I have a decent amount of CAD to sell. Seems like they give pretty good rates. They were giving 0.7705 for 1 CAD. Here is the breakdown for the ones I've compared so far. XE.com gives the best rates if you have large amounts and can go through setting up the banks but most aren't looking to convert tens or hundreds of thousand so may not be worth the hassle. 3/9/15 11:17 AM PT (might have changed a few ticks as foreign market is very fluid) Actual CAD/USD rate = .7938 XE.com - 1 CAD = .7829 USD Currency Exchange International http://www.yelp.com/biz/currency-exchange-international-los-angeles-2 1 CAD = .7547 USD World Banknotes Exchange - http://www.yelp.com/biz/world-banknotes-exchange-los-angeles-4 1 CAD = .77 USD Foreign Currency Express - http://www.yelp.com/biz/foreign-currency-express-los-angeles 1 CAD = .7705 USD read more

I needed to obtain Yen for an upcoming trip. Came across this place and decided to make a voyage to exchange USD since they have no fees. The exchange rate (110.05 yen to USD) was really close to what I'd seen online (111.95). I was able to walk right in, took less than 5 minute and I was out of the door. It took me longer to walk there from my building than the actual exchange transaction. The person who did the exchange was nice too. Would recommend. read more

My Experience at this currency exchange place could not have been more quick and convenient. The attendant was very nice both over the phone & in person. It is located in the lobby of the WTC building just park inside the structure they validate the first 12 minutes which is more than enough time. Upon arrival the woman at the counter was very nice and efficient it took me longer to park than to complete my transaction. Will definitely be going back there for future transactions ! read more

Very good deal on exchange on euros. Since the dollar is so weak these days, I new I couldn't afford any big fees. None here at Foreign Currency Express! Also I was in a time crunch and didn't have time to order through my bank and AAA only carries small denominations. I needed to exchange over 1,000 and thanks to helpful yelp reviewers I new to call ahead to make sure they would have enough euros. The only con is that it is in Downtown LA and hard to find. The world trade center building parking is also crazy, 3.50 for every 12minutes! We parked at a meter and walked around until we found it. No real front door entrance, all we saw was an elevator and hoped for the best! It's on the 1st floor to the left at a small window. Happy exchanging! read more

I have relied on this place for all my travel needs. I called ahead and was relieved to hear they had Estonian krooni and Polish zlotya in stock! I have never had to wait in line and I hope it stays this way after all these rave reviews. Be sure to call ahead if you are exchanging large amounts or if you're looking for less common currency. I almost forgot to mention what makes this place so great....wayyyy cheaper than exchanging money at the bank and the airport (who actually pays those rates at the airport when you have yelp to you out) read more

First time here and was super happy there was no fee! Reading reviews from fellow yelpers this spot validates and I got to park free in the structure for 12 minutes. The man behind the counter was nice and quick. Was literally exchanging money for less than 1 minute. This will be my go to spot for currency exchange. read more

I saved soooo much money coming here. I usually use AMEX since I have a card. I was changing $ 2400 northern Ireland pounds, which is not taken by certain currency places and I was buying the french pacific franc for tahiti another rare currency. FCE handled both. Anyways I checked rates on-line that day 1 pound = $ 1.59. AMEX gave 1pound=$1.40+ $6 processing fee FCE gave 1.51 theres is no fee and they are really really nice. I went during the day, parked in section B3, went to the first floor, i was in and out in 10 min. You can always compare it with any place by calling and asking ahead of time. It was worth saving 200 buck to drive from anaheim to LA. Do it you wont be sorry read more

I've been here twice before my trips flying over the Atlantic and they've never given me a bad exchange. (In fact more often than not, if I have to convert even more money while overseas, I wish I could teleport myself back to this place for the fair rate.) The lady working behind the counter is quick and right to the point when you're up at the counter -- she'll ask you to fill out a form w/ your name and address, and bam: money is exchanged. Easy peasy. When I've gone, the most I've seen is one other person in the queue so the longest I've been there is 10 minutes. I am fortunate enough to work in downtown, so I just took Dash A from Little Tokyo area and it stops right by the World Trade Center elevators. You just take it up to Level 1, maybe walk a bit, and you can easily find Suite 134 -- near the information booth w/ security guard -- possibly the only business that's getting any foot traffic in that quiet building. read more

The only issue I had was finding the physical place inside the building but otherwise they were so speedy and accommodating! Make sure you remember your SSN (LOL)! Ah I almost cried when the lady told us "welcome home" at the end - that was so sweet after such a long grueling airplane back..! Will be returning for sure! read more

Very nice service and really patient to help out. The location is really easy to find. They are located in Los Angeles world trace center building on the first floor near reception desk. Parking is validated. They have re severed spot for the parking so called in to check where is that exactly. The man works there is really nice and informative. Definitely come back next time . read more

Foreign Currency Express - Currency Exchange Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Quick and friendly customer service. When exchanging currency they calculate it to give you whole bills and not get change. Offered to validate my parking but I did not use it. Would definitely come here again. read more

The positives: Very happy with my experience here. Easy to park. Easy, quick transaction that beat the rate I was quoted at Travelex Currency Services. Validated parking. Gorgeous guy in elevator! The negatives: Goggle directions were confusing so I had a slight detour. Wished I had brought breadcrumbs to mark my path cause I started to return in the wrong direction and circled the lobby twice to find the corridor back to the same elevator and parking area I started at. read more

This place has hands down best rate for currency exchange. I have gone and also called many many different places for currency exchanges in LA and this place had the best rate. It is quick and easy transaction. If you wanna know the rate just call in advance and they will tell you the rate right away not like some place where they said can't tell the rate over the phone.... Also bank charges too much fees and probably the worst place to exchange money (in my case buy US dollar with Japanese yet), so don't go to your bank to change it. If you have time to drive down to down town LA, this place is so far the best place to go. There are street parking and parking at the building, and they will validate your parking also. read more

Simply the best services for the foreign currency. Went there today, really friendly people greet you. (If you contact them beforehand, they even prepare the exact amount for you already - it took me less than even 10mins) If you can wait for the currency rate to shoot back up in favor of you, cool! If you need that services done for you urgent, they are the peeps to find. Recommended read more