“I’m flying to South Korea soon, but I can’t find the Korean Won in my YouTrip app!”
Many YouTroopers have slid into our DMs, asking why there are only 12 currencies in their YouTrip app. “What happened to the rest? Is there a glitch? Can I still use YouTrip in Korea?”
The 12 currencies you see in-app (SGD, USD, EUR, MYR, THB, GBP, JPY, HKD, AUD, NZD, CHF, SEK) are among the top-most-traded currencies globally. You can exchange (‘convert’) and store them in your YouTrip wallet for your upcoming trip.
For the remaining 140+ currencies – including popular ones like Korean Won (KRW), Chinese Yuan (CNY), and Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) – pre-conversion and storage aren’t available. But no worries: when you spend in these currencies, you’ll still enjoy Wholesale Exchange Rates (with zero mark-ups) that’s managed by the YouTrip platform with our foreign currency partners and Mastercard®. ✨
Simply top up your wallet with Singapore Dollars (SGD), and you’re ready to spend anywhere across the globe.
But I still want to know the rates, though!
So you’re in Seoul right now and ready to purchase your skincare haul of 160,000 KRW – and you’re wondering how much that is in SGD. (Pro tip: Never ask to be charged in SGD, that’s a DCC trap you’d want to avoid)
Follow this guide to check YouTrip’s competitive Wholesale Exchange Rates:
- Access the Mastercard® Currency Converter
- Select Transaction Currency (e.g. KRW)
- Enter the Transaction Amount (e.g. 160,000 KRW)
- Enter 0 for bank fee (since YouTrip doesn’t charge any fees ✨)
- Your Card Currency (SGD)
- Select your date of transaction
- Once done, you’ll see how much you’ll get charged in SGD at the bottom!
📚 Where’s my Korean Won and Chinese Yuan? : read our guide on receiving rate alerts via the YouTrip app 💹📱
How good are these rates, really?
In short: it’s as good as it can get!
Here’s what you need to know – Mastercard’s Wholesale Exchange Rates are:
- ✅ Very close to mid-market rates you see on Google or currency apps – These are considered the “real” exchange rates, before any markups. Unlike credit cards that typically add a 1 – 2% markup, YouTrip doesn’t. 💡
- ✅ Often better than money changers – money changers typically bake in a profit margin to the rates they display. The amount adds up especially with large amounts. 📈
- ✅ Institutional-level rates – Mastercard’s rates are based on real-time wholesale FX markets – the same rates used for global interbank settlements. 🫱🏻🫲🏼
📚 Where’s my Korean Won and Chinese Yuan? : read our South Korea ATM Withdrawal Guide!
Comparing how much you’ll save with YouTrip’s Wholesale Exchange Rates
Wonder how YouTrip’s Wholesale Exchange Rates stack up to the rates of money changers and other cards? Here’s a quick comparison to help you visualise:
| Amount charged when spending 100,000 KRW 🇰🇷 with: | ||
| YouTrip (Wholesale Exchange Rates) | S$94.72 👑 | |
| Cash from Money Changer | S$101.17 | |
| Credit Card (including 3.25% fee) | S$97.80 | |
| Amount charged when spending 1,000 CNY 🇨🇳 with: | ||
| YouTrip (Wholesale Exchange Rates) | S$178.78 👑 | |
| Cash from Money Changer | S$183.95 | |
| Credit Card (including 3.25% fee) | S$184.59 | |
| Amount charged when spending 5,000 TWD 🇹🇼 with: | ||
| YouTrip (Wholesale Exchange Rates) | S$218.53 👑 | |
| Cash from Money Changer | S$229.95 | |
| Credit Card (including 3.25% fee) | S$225.64 | |
Rates taken as of 25 June 2025
As you can see, you’ll get charged less when you pay with YouTrip’s Wholesale Exchange Rates vs spending with cash or a credit card. With the right payment method, you could save enough dollars for an extra serving of tteokbokki or a bowl or ramen 🍜
So what are you waiting for? Time to join the YouTrip fam! Sign up for a card with code <YTBLOG5> to get FREE S$5 in your account upon registration 💜👇🏻
More guides you may enjoy:
- How to Avoid DCC
- A Full Guide To YouTrip’s Exchange Rates (2025)
- YouTrip vs Credit Cards: Which One’s Better For Travelling?
- Can YouTrip Be Used In China?
