At CanAm Currency Exchange, we specialize in helping Surrey businesses reduce their currency exchange costs through competitive commercial rates, volume pricing, and professional service designed specifically for business needs. As a FINTRAC-registered money services business with over 15 years of experience, we understand that every dollar saved on exchange rates is a dollar that flows directly to your profit.
Why Currency Exchange Costs Matter for Surrey Businesses
Many Surrey business owners treat currency exchange as a minor operational expense, defaulting to their business banking relationship without comparing alternatives. This oversight can cost thousands—even tens of thousands—annually depending on your exchange volume.
The Hidden Cost in Your Business Banking Relationship
When you exchange currency through your Surrey business bank account, you’re typically paying exchange rate markups of 3-5% above the mid-market rate. On a $100,000 USD annual exchange volume, that 3-5% markup costs your business $3,000-5,000 in unnecessary expenses.
Your bank presents this as convenient and integrated with your other banking services. But that convenience comes at a steep price—a price that many Surrey businesses don’t realize they’re paying because it’s hidden in the exchange rate rather than listed as a separate line item.
| Annual USD Exchange Volume | Bank Cost (4% markup) | CanAm Cost (1.5% markup) | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 USD | $2,000 | $750 | $1,250 |
| $100,000 USD | $4,000 | $1,500 | $2,500 |
| $250,000 USD | $10,000 | $3,750 | $6,250 |
| $500,000 USD | $20,000 | $7,500 | $12,500 |
| $1,000,000 USD | $40,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
These aren’t hypothetical numbers—they represent real money flowing out of Surrey businesses every year. Money that could fund hiring, equipment upgrades, marketing, or simply improve profit margins in competitive industries.
Ready to see how much your business could save? Call us at 1-888-509-7798 for a free business currency exchange consultation.
Common Business Currency Exchange Scenarios in Surrey
Surrey’s diverse business community has varied currency exchange needs. Here are the most common scenarios we help Surrey businesses with:
Importing Goods from US Suppliers
Many Surrey businesses—from construction companies to retailers to restaurants—regularly purchase inventory, materials, or equipment from American suppliers. These purchases require USD payments, and the exchange rate you get directly affects your cost of goods sold.
Typical volume: $5,000-50,000 USD monthly depending on business size
Common industries: Construction, retail, manufacturing, food service, wholesale
How we help: Volume pricing on regular exchanges, predictable rates for budgeting, invoicing for accounting records
Importing from Asia or Europe
Surrey businesses importing from China, India, Europe, or other international markets need various foreign currencies. Exchange rate spreads on less common currencies are even wider than USD, making competitive rates even more valuable.
Typical volume: $10,000-100,000+ in various currencies quarterly or monthly
Common industries: Retail, wholesale, manufacturing, technology
How we help: Competitive rates on 50+ currencies, ability to source virtually any currency needed, professional service for large transactions
Paying International Contractors or Employees
Surrey tech companies, professional services firms, and digital businesses often work with contractors or employees in other countries. Regular currency exchange for payroll or contractor payments benefits from consistent competitive rates.
Typical volume: $2,000-20,000 monthly in various currencies
Common industries: Technology, professional services, marketing agencies, consulting
How we help: Reliable service for time-sensitive payments, business accounts for regular transactions, multiple currency support
Receiving Foreign Currency Payments
Surrey businesses exporting services or products receive payments in foreign currencies that need conversion to CAD. The rate you get when converting these receivables affects your actual revenue.
Typical volume: Varies widely by business
Common industries: Exporters, professional services, software companies
How we help: Competitive rates when converting foreign currency to CAD, helping you retain more of your earned revenue
Cross-Border Real Estate or Investment
Surrey businesses or business owners investing in US real estate, purchasing business property across the border, or making other international investments need large-sum currency exchanges where even small rate differences mean substantial money.
Typical volume: $50,000-500,000+ for individual transactions
Common scenarios: US commercial property, business acquisitions, large investments
How we help: Professional service for large transactions, rate negotiations on significant volumes, secure handling of substantial amounts
How Business Currency Exchange Differs from Personal
Business currency exchange has different requirements than personal vacation currency or family remittances. We’ve designed our business currency exchange services to meet these specific needs:
Volume-Based Pricing
Unlike personal exchange where most people exchange occasionally, businesses exchange regularly and in larger amounts. We offer volume-based pricing that gets progressively better as your exchange volume increases.
This means your effective exchange rate improves with every transaction, reducing your cumulative currency costs throughout the year.
Invoicing and Documentation
Businesses need proper invoices for accounting and tax purposes. We provide professional invoices for every transaction that clearly document the exchange rate, amounts, and all relevant details your bookkeeper or accountant needs.
This makes reconciliation straightforward and ensures your financial records are complete and accurate.
Predictable Service for Budgeting
When you’re budgeting for international purchases or planning imports, you need to forecast currency costs. We provide rate quotes that help you budget accurately, and our consistent competitive rates mean your currency costs are predictable rather than wildly variable.
Multiple User Access
Larger Surrey businesses often have multiple employees who might need to initiate currency exchanges—purchasing managers, accounts payable staff, CFOs. We can set up business accounts with appropriate access controls and approval workflows.
Priority Service for Time-Sensitive Needs
When you need to pay a supplier by a specific date or meet a payment deadline, timing matters. Business account holders receive priority processing to ensure your currency needs are met on your schedule, not ours.
Industries We Serve in Surrey
Our business currency exchange services support Surrey companies across every industry. Here’s how we help some of the most common:
Construction and Trades
Surrey construction companies, contractors, and trades businesses frequently purchase materials, equipment, and tools from US suppliers for better prices or unavailable products. Currency exchange costs directly impact project profitability.
Common needs: $10,000-50,000 USD monthly for materials and equipment
How we help: Competitive rates that improve project margins, fast service for time-sensitive material orders, volume pricing for regular purchases
Retail and Wholesale
Surrey retailers and wholesalers importing inventory from US, China, India, or Europe need multiple currency types and regular exchange service. Better rates mean better margins on goods sold.
Common needs: $20,000-200,000+ quarterly in various currencies for inventory
How we help: Multiple currency support, volume pricing, helping maximize profit margins on imported goods
Food Service and Restaurants
Surrey restaurants, food trucks, and catering businesses purchasing specialty ingredients, beverages, or equipment from US suppliers benefit from better exchange rates on regular purchases.
Common needs: $2,000-15,000 USD monthly for specialty ingredients and supplies
How we help: Consistent competitive rates, helping control food costs and improve restaurant profitability
Technology Companies
Surrey tech companies paying international contractors, subscribing to US-based software and services, or operating with distributed teams need regular currency exchange in multiple currencies.
Common needs: $5,000-50,000 monthly in various currencies for contractors and services
How we help: Multiple currency support, reliable service for payroll-related timing, competitive rates that reduce operational costs
Professional Services
Surrey consulting firms, marketing agencies, and professional services companies working with international clients or contractors need flexible currency exchange for varied transaction sizes and timing.
Common needs: Variable amounts in multiple currencies
How we help: Flexible service for irregular needs, competitive rates regardless of transaction size, professional documentation
Manufacturing and Distribution
Surrey manufacturers and distributors importing raw materials, components, or finished goods for distribution need high-volume currency exchange with the best possible rates.
Common needs: $50,000-500,000+ quarterly in various currencies
How we help: Volume pricing for significant exchanges, professional service for large transactions, multiple currency expertise
Setting Up a Business Currency Exchange Account
Getting started with business currency exchange through CanAm is straightforward. Here’s the process for Surrey businesses:
Step 1: Initial Consultation
Call us at 1-888-509-7798 to discuss your business currency needs. We’ll ask about:
- Which currencies you need regularly
- Approximate monthly or quarterly exchange volumes
- Typical transaction sizes
- Timing requirements and urgency
- Current exchange provider and rates
This conversation helps us understand your needs and recommend the right account structure and pricing tier.
Step 2: Account Setup and Documentation
As a FINTRAC-registered money services business, we’re required to collect certain business information:
- Business legal name and operating name
- Business address (your Surrey location)
- Business registration number
- Ownership and signing authority information
- Nature of business and currency needs
This one-time documentation ensures compliance and sets up your account properly. We make the process as efficient as possible—most Surrey businesses complete setup in one day.
Step 3: First Transaction
Once your account is active, place your first currency exchange order. We’ll provide a competitive rate quote, you’ll approve it, complete payment via bank transfer, and receive your foreign currency via secure delivery to your Surrey business address.
The first transaction establishes the workflow and lets us fine-tune service to match your specific needs.
Step 4: Ongoing Service
After your account is established, subsequent transactions are even simpler. Call or email for rate quotes, approve transactions, and receive currency on your schedule. Your account history helps us provide faster service and better understanding of your needs over time.
Volume Pricing Structure
Our business currency exchange pricing improves with volume. While we can’t publish exact rate sheets (rates fluctuate with markets), here’s how volume pricing works:
Standard Business Rates
All Surrey business accounts start with rates that are already 2-3% better than typical bank business banking rates. This baseline pricing makes us competitive immediately, even without volume commitments.
Mid-Volume Pricing
When your monthly exchange volume reaches $25,000-50,000 in any currency, your rates improve. The better pricing applies automatically—no need to negotiate or request upgrades.
High-Volume Pricing
Surrey businesses exchanging $100,000+ monthly or $250,000+ quarterly qualify for our best volume pricing. At these levels, we’re approaching wholesale rates, and savings versus bank exchange become very significant.
Custom Enterprise Pricing
For Surrey businesses with very high volumes ($500,000+ quarterly), we provide custom pricing based on your specific situation. Contact us to discuss enterprise-level currency exchange needs.
Discuss your business volume: Call 1-888-509-7798 to see which pricing tier your company qualifies for.
Managing Currency Exchange Risk for Surrey Businesses
Beyond getting good exchange rates, Surrey businesses need to manage currency risk—the risk that exchange rates move unfavorably between when you commit to a price and when you actually exchange currency.
Understanding Currency Risk
If you quote a project in CAD but need to purchase $50,000 USD in materials, and the USD strengthens by 3% before you exchange currency, your costs just increased by $1,500. That can eliminate profit margins on many projects.
Similarly, if you’re receiving USD payments but the USD weakens before you convert to CAD, you’re receiving less CAD revenue than expected.
Strategies to Manage Currency Risk
1. Rate Locks
For confirmed transactions, we can lock exchange rates for defined periods. If you know you need $50,000 USD in 30 days, lock today’s rate and eliminate uncertainty about future rate movements.
2. Systematic Exchanging
Rather than exchanging large amounts occasionally, exchange regularly in smaller increments. This averages out rate fluctuations and reduces risk of exchanging everything at an unfavorable moment.
3. Natural Hedging
If your business both receives and pays foreign currency, match them naturally. Use foreign currency revenue to pay foreign currency expenses without converting to CAD in between.
4. Forward Contracts
For very large transactions or significant ongoing needs, forward contracts lock rates for future dates. While we primarily serve immediate and short-term needs, we can discuss forward contract options for larger Surrey businesses.
Case Studies: Surrey Businesses Saving with Better Exchange Rates
Here’s how real Surrey businesses (details changed for privacy) improved profitability by switching their currency exchange to us:
Surrey Construction Company
Situation: Mid-sized construction company exchanging $40,000-60,000 USD monthly for materials and equipment from US suppliers. Using business banking relationship at 4.5% markup.
Annual currency cost with bank: $24,000-27,000
Annual currency cost with CanAm: $9,000-10,000
Annual savings: $15,000-17,000
For this company, that $15,000+ annual savings funded a new work truck and improved project profitability across their entire operation.
Surrey Restaurant Group
Situation: Restaurant group with three Surrey locations exchanging $8,000-12,000 USD monthly for specialty ingredients and imported beverages. Bank exchange at 4% markup plus service fees.
Annual currency cost with bank: $4,500-5,000
Annual currency cost with CanAm: $1,500-1,800
Annual savings: $3,000-3,200
In the tight-margin restaurant industry, $3,000+ in annual savings directly improves profitability and helps weather slow seasons.
Surrey Tech Startup
Situation: Technology company paying $15,000-20,000 monthly to international contractors in USD, EUR, and INR. Using combination of bank transfers and online payment services with poor exchange rates.
Annual currency cost with previous methods: $9,000-11,000
Annual currency cost with CanAm: $3,600-4,200
Annual savings: $5,400-6,800
For a startup watching every dollar, $5,000+ in annual savings represents meaningful runway extension or ability to hire additional talent.
Surrey Retail Importer
Situation: Retail business importing $100,000 USD quarterly from Asian suppliers. Bank business banking relationship at 4.2% markup.
Annual currency cost with bank: $16,800
Annual currency cost with CanAm (volume pricing): $5,200
Annual savings: $11,600
That $11,600 in savings improved gross margins significantly and made the business more competitive on pricing.
Common Questions About Business Currency Exchange
Do you provide currency exchange receipts and documentation for our accounting?
Yes, we provide professional invoices for every transaction that clearly document the exchange rate, amounts exchanged, dates, and all details your bookkeeper or accountant needs for proper record-keeping.
How quickly can you process business currency exchanges?
Standard processing is 1-2 business days from payment verification to delivery at your Surrey business address. Priority service is available for urgent business needs, with same-day or next-day delivery possible depending on timing and amount.
Can multiple employees access our business account?
Yes, we can set up business accounts with multiple authorized users. You determine who has authority to request exchanges and approve transactions, ensuring appropriate internal controls.
What’s the minimum transaction size for business accounts?
We don’t impose strict minimums, but business accounts typically handle transactions of $5,000+ to make the service worthwhile versus personal exchange. We’re flexible based on your specific business needs.
Do you handle very large transactions ($100,000+)?
Yes, we regularly process large transactions for Surrey businesses. For amounts over $100,000, contact us directly to discuss timing, rate locks, and logistics to ensure smooth processing of significant exchanges.
Can you help with currency exchange for international business expansion?
Absolutely. If your Surrey business is expanding to the US or internationally and needs substantial currency exchange for property purchases, equipment, or operating capital, we provide professional service for these significant transactions.
Why Surrey Businesses Choose CanAm Currency Exchange
Surrey businesses switching to us from bank business banking or other providers cite several consistent reasons:
Transparent, Competitive Pricing
We quote rates clearly and transparently. No hidden fees, no surprises, no complicated pricing structures. The rate we quote is the rate you pay, and it’s consistently 2-3% better than business currency exchange through Surrey banks.
Professional Service from Currency Specialists
When you call us, you speak with currency exchange specialists who understand business needs—not general banking representatives handling dozens of different services. We provide knowledgeable guidance and efficient service focused entirely on currency exchange.
Reliability and Consistency
Your business depends on reliable suppliers and service providers. We’ve operated since 2009 with FINTRAC registration and A+ BBB rating, providing consistent, dependable service to Canadian businesses throughout that time.
Saves Real Money
The primary reason Surrey businesses switch: we save them substantial money. Whether it’s $2,000 or $20,000 annually, those savings flow directly to profitability. In competitive industries with thin margins, currency exchange savings can be the difference between profit and loss.
Getting Started with Business Currency Exchange
If your Surrey business exchanges foreign currency regularly—whether monthly, quarterly, or just a few times per year—comparing our rates to what you’re currently paying takes just minutes and could save thousands annually.
Request a Free Rate Comparison
Call us at 1-888-509-7798 and tell us:
- How much foreign currency you exchange and how often
- Which currencies you need
- What rate you’re currently getting
We’ll provide an instant comparison showing exactly how much your business would save by switching to us. No obligation, no pressure—just transparent information to help you make an informed decision.
Calculate Your Potential Savings
Take your annual foreign currency exchange volume and multiply by 2.5% (the typical difference between bank business banking and our rates). That number represents your approximate annual savings by switching to us.
For most Surrey businesses, the savings are significant enough to make switching an obvious decision.
Join Surrey Businesses Already Saving
Dozens of Surrey businesses across construction, retail, technology, professional services, and other industries have already switched their currency exchange to us. They’re saving money on every transaction and enjoying more professional, specialized service.
Your business could be next. Every dollar saved on currency exchange is a dollar that improves your bottom line.
Get started today: Call 1-888-509-7798 or visit canamcurrencyexchange.com/surrey-currency-exchange
CanAm Currency Exchange is a FINTRAC-registered money services business providing business currency exchange services to Surrey, BC companies since 2009. We maintain an A+ BBB rating and offer volume-based pricing that saves Surrey businesses thousands annually compared to bank business banking exchange rates. Professional service for businesses of all sizes exchanging foreign currency.
