Currency Codes & Symbols Reference Guide

ISO 4217 assigns three-letter codes to global currencies. Common ones: USD (US Dollar), EUR (Euro), GBP (British Pound), INR (Indian Rupee), JPY (Japanese Yen), AUD (Australian Dollar), CAD (Canadian Dollar), CNY (Chinese Yuan), CHF (Swiss Franc), SGD (Singapore Dollar). The first two letters typically come from the country code, the third from the currency name (e.g., IN + R = INR). Some smaller currencies share parts of codes — XOF for West African CFA Franc. Standard codes are used in banking, forex, and accounting globally. The calculator supports all major and many minor codes.

ISO 4217 is the international standard for currency codes — three-letter alphabetic codes plus three-digit numeric codes. Example: USD = 840, EUR = 978, INR = 356, GBP = 826. Banks, forex platforms, and accounting systems use these codes for unambiguous identification. The first two letters usually represent the country (ISO 3166), and the third letter the currency. Codes get updated when countries adopt new currencies (e.g., the Euro replacing many European national currencies). Always use ISO codes in international payments and contracts to avoid confusion. The calculator references these for currency conversions.

A currency symbol is the visual character used to denote a currency in writing — $, €, £, ¥, ₹. A currency code is the three-letter ISO 4217 abbreviation — USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, INR. Symbols are used in casual or retail contexts; codes are used in banking, forex, and formal documents. Some currencies share symbols ($ is used by 20+ countries' dollars), so codes are essential to avoid ambiguity. "$100" could mean USD, CAD, AUD, SGD, or many others. Always specify "USD 100" or "$100 USD" in international contexts. The calculator handles both formats.

Many currencies share the dollar sign ($) — US Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Australian Dollar, Singapore Dollar, New Zealand Dollar, Hong Kong Dollar, and others. They're separate currencies with different values. Symbol-sharing exists historically because the symbol predates global standardisation. The pound sign (£) is shared by GBP and a few others. Always check the ISO code (USD, CAD, AUD, etc.) for clarity. In international invoicing, never use just "$"; specify the code. Banks always use ISO codes regardless of symbol. The calculator displays both symbol and ISO code for every currency.

Different currencies have different formatting conventions. INR uses lakhs and crores: ₹1,00,000 (one lakh) and ₹1,00,00,000 (one crore). USD uses thousands separators: $1,000 and $1,000,000. EUR varies by country: 1.000,00 € (Germany, France) or €1,000.00 (Ireland, Malta). Decimal separators differ — comma in much of Europe, period in US/UK. Format also depends on placement: symbol before (₹1,000) or after (1,000 €). For international invoices, follow the recipient's regional convention. The calculator formats output appropriately for each currency.

Minor units are the smaller subdivisions of a currency. INR's minor unit is paisa (1 rupee = 100 paise). USD's is cents (1 dollar = 100 cents). EUR has cents, GBP has pence, JPY has no minor unit (no decimal). The minor unit count varies — most have 100, some have 1,000 (Bahraini Dinar = 1000 fils), and some have none (JPY, KRW). For accounting, transactions are often stored in minor units (paise, cents) to avoid floating-point errors. ISO 4217 specifies the number of decimal places for each currency. The calculator handles minor units correctly.

Currencies with no decimal places include Japanese Yen (JPY), South Korean Won (KRW), Hungarian Forint (HUF, technically 2 decimals but rarely used), Vietnamese Dong (VND), Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), and a few others. These are typically high-denomination currencies where the minor unit lost practical value due to inflation. JPY 100 is roughly equivalent to ₹60 — there's no need for sub-yen units. ISO 4217 specifies which currencies have 0, 2, or 3 decimal places. Always format these without decimals in invoices and reports. The calculator follows ISO formatting rules.