Generally no. DCC often adds 5–10% versus paying in local currency with a low-fee card.

Weekend FX Pricing: Why Rates Look Weird on Saturdays | Invorya

Currency board showing exchange rates over a weekend

Travel & FX • 4 min read

Weekend FX Pricing: Why Rates Look Weird on Saturdays

Q: Do forex markets trade on weekends?

The interbank spot market is closed on weekends. Weekend quotes are provider prices reflecting risk and expected moves at Monday's open.

Q: Why is my app’s weekend rate worse than Friday?

Spreads are widened to cover risk while hedging is limited. Providers pad both buy and sell sides.

Q: Is Monday morning always better?

Spreads usually tighten when markets reopen, but prices can gap if major news breaks.

Markets nap. Risk doesn’t. Here’s why banks widen spreads on weekends—and how to avoid paying extra.

Why Weekend Rates Look Odd

Main market is shut

Spot FX doesn’t trade on Sat/Sun. Providers can’t immediately hedge your conversion, so they cushion for risk.

Wider spreads = weekend risk

They pad both sides (buy/sell) to cover possible news shocks before Monday’s open. That’s why the price looks worse than Friday’s close.

You might still see “prices” in apps—those are provider quotes, not the interbank market.

How Providers Price Weekends

Markup vs. mid-market: A percentage added to the mid rate when you buy foreign currency (and subtracted when you sell).
Direction matters: Buying foreign on the weekend? Expect a higher price than mid. Selling foreign? Expect a lower one.
Monday catch-up: If news breaks, Monday’s open can gap up/down—weekend pricing attempts to pre-price that risk.

Weekend Markup Estimator

Estimate weekend buy/sell rates vs. mid

Quote format: HOME/FOREIGN (e.g., USD/EUR = how many USD for 1 EUR).

Mid rate (HOME/FOREIGN)

Weekend markup (%)

Amount (HOME)

Weekend BUY rate: — (you get — FOREIGN)

Weekend SELL rate: —

Cost vs. mid: —

Rule of thumb: 0.5–1.5% markup is common on weekends, but it varies by provider & pair.

Card vs Cash vs DCC

What’s cheaper for a local purchase?

Enter a local price (FOREIGN currency). We compare your card’s FX fee, cash via ATM fee, and a DCC offer.

Mid rate (HOME/FOREIGN)

Local price (FOREIGN)

Card FX fee (%)

ATM fee (HOME, flat)

DCC markup (%)

Cash share of spend (%)

Card share of spend (%)

Method	HOME charged	Effective rate

—

DCC = “pay in your home currency” at the terminal. It often adds 5–10% on top of mid. When in doubt, pay in local currency and let your card convert.

Practical Tips

Avoid weekend conversions when possible. Convert on weekdays or at the Monday open (prices tighten).
Disable DCC and choose local currency at checkout.
Use cards with low FX fees (0–1%).
Withdraw cash sparingly; ATM flat fees can dominate small withdrawals.

Need quick conversions?
Try the currency tools in our Finance Toolkit.
Open Currency Tools

FAQs

Do forex markets trade on weekends?

Retail platforms may show quotes, but the interbank spot market is closed. Weekend quotes are provider prices reflecting risk and expected Monday moves.

Why is my app’s “weekend rate” worse than Friday?

Spreads are wider to cover news risk while hedging is limited. Providers set a cushion in both directions.

Is Monday morning always better?

Spreads usually tighten when markets reopen, but if major news breaks, the new price may gap relative to Friday’s close.

Should I ever use DCC?

Rarely. It’s typically more expensive than paying in local currency with a low-fee card.