Tech Update: Browse Etsy in Multiple Currencies

muka

Story by muka

Published on Aug 02, 2010 in Etsy News

Photo by picapicafound

Hello from Etsy International!

I am very pleased to announce that we’ve launched one of the most requested features for global shoppers and sellers — the ability to see prices in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar! A big shout-out to Eric Stephens and the rest of the folks listed below for their hard work. Details follow.

— Liz, a.k.a. muka, Director of International

What’s happening?
You can now see prices on Etsy in currencies other than the U.S. Dollar.

What currencies are available?
Currencies include: Australian Dollars (AUD), Brazilian Real (BRL), British Pounds (GBP), Canadian Dollars (CAD), Czech Koruny (CZK), Danish Kroner (DKK), Euros (EUR), Hong Kong Dollars (HKD), Hungarian Forints (HUF), Israeli Shekels (ILS), Japanese Yen (JPY), Mexican Pesos (MXN), Malaysian Ringgits (MYR), New Zealand Dollars (NZD), Norwegian Kroner (NOK), Philippine Pesos (PHP), Polish Zloty (PLN), Singapore Dollars (SGD), Swedish Kroner (SEK), Swiss Francs (CHF), Taiwan New Dollars (TWD), and Thai Baht (THB).

We understand that some users may not see their currency on this list. At this time, we are only able to offer the currency options that PayPal supports.

currency-code-link.pngHow does it work?
You’ll notice that there’s now a link to set your currency preferences at the bottom of each page on Etsy. You can also click the USD link (see image at right) next to the price on each listing page to set your preferences. If you’re signed in, you can also set a preference at Your Etsy > Account > Preferences.

currency-overlay.png

currency-mismatch.png

You can change your currency preference at any time, and you don’t need an account to view prices in other currencies.

Once you select a currency, item prices will be in your currency in almost all areas of the site. You will even see an approximate price for shipping in your preferred currency.  Exceptions which will not show approximations include prices displayed in Flash applications (for example: Shop Local or Time Machine 2); these will remain USD-only.

Prices displayed will be approximate until you purchase an item, at which point the exchange rate is fixed. We get data from PayPal to calculate these approximations several times throughout the day. Please note that the rate PayPal uses may not be the same as what you see on other websites or your bank.

Does this mean I can sell in my currency?
For the time being, sellers will continue to sell in U.S. Dollars, and transactions will still occur in U.S. Dollars. The new currency preference will simply allow you to view prices in any of the currencies offered.

This is just the first step toward supporting global commerce on Etsy. The next step is to enable selling in your currency. We will share more details with a timeline as we get closer.

Follow the discussion threads in Français, Deutsch, and English.

P.S. If you want to get a monthly Etsy news digest delivered straight to your email inbox, then sign up for Etsy News emails. Read more about it here.

You can also get an RSS feed of all TechUpdates here.

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