Currency Exchange in Melbourne: What's Actually Available

Migratio Editorial · Last updated 11 September 2026

TL;DR: Travelex, Travel Money Oz and Crown Currency Exchange all run walk-in currency-exchange branches across greater Melbourne. Melbourne Airport's own currency-exchange counters are operated by Prosegur Change, not by either of the two chains with the most suburban branches — a detail worth knowing before assuming a familiar brand runs the airport desk. As with every operator checked, Melbourne's chains publish their own statements that pre-ordering online beats a walk-up rate.

This covers where to physically exchange currency in Melbourne — CBD, suburbs and the airport — based on what each operator's own site publishes about its Melbourne locations, plus how to check whether a quoted rate is reasonable before you buy.

Chains operating across greater Melbourne

Travelex's own store sitemap lists Melbourne-area branches at Chadstone, Fountain Gate, Frankston, The Glen and Epping Plaza, fetched September 2026. Travel Money Oz publishes a longer Melbourne list on its own site: Melbourne Central, Galleria, Elizabeth Street, Airport West, Chadstone, Southland, Epping Plaza, Plenty Valley, Watergardens, Eastland, Knox City, Melton, Fountain Gate, Frankston, Cranbourne, Mornington, Camberwell, The Glen, Ballarat, Bendigo, Doncaster, Geelong, Greensborough, Moonee Ponds, Northland and Werribee.

Crown Currency Exchange's Melbourne footprint, per its own store-locations page, includes Chirnside Park, Sydney Rd–Coburg, Dandenong Square, Elizabeth St–Melbourne, Forest Hill Chase, Belmont–Geelong, Greensborough Plaza, Wantirna South–Westfield Knox, Midtown Melbourne, Narre Warren–Westfield Fountain Gate, Keysborough–Parkmore, Preston–Northland, Watergardens, Taylors Lakes, Hoppers Crossing–Pacific Werribee and Eastland–Ringwood. Dandenong has a branch through Crown Currency Exchange specifically — worth noting if you were expecting Travelex or Travel Money Oz to cover it, since neither of those two lists a Dandenong site.

Melbourne Airport — a different operator to the CBD chains

Melbourne Airport's own website names its currency-exchange operator directly: the page's own title tag reads "Prosegur Currency Exchange | Melbourne Airport – 0% commission & Best Rates" (melbourneairport.com.au/currency-exchange, fetched September 2026). Neither Travelex nor Travel Money Oz holds the in-terminal counter concession at Melbourne Airport — the "Airport West" location in Travel Money Oz's own Melbourne list is a shopping centre near the airport, not a terminal counter.

Melbourne Airport's own page describes its Prosegur arrangement the same way the CBD chains describe theirs: "Don't miss out on 0% commission, when you order online!... When you order your travel money online, you can bag some savings with 0% commission and our best exchange rates on over 50 currencies. You can then collect your order for free at one of our branches before you embark on your journey." The same online-versus-walk-up pattern applies at the airport as everywhere else.

Checking a quoted rate against the mid-market rate

As with any currency exchange counter, the rate you're quoted in Melbourne includes the operator's margin. Wise's currency converter describes itself as showing conversions "at the mid-market exchange rate," and XE's converter page states: "We use the mid-market rate for our Converter. This is for informational purposes only. You won't receive this rate when sending money" (both fetched September 2026).

Pulling up either converter at the moment you're quoted a rate — in-store, online, or at the airport — and comparing the two figures shows the actual cost of the transaction as a percentage. That percentage, not a headline "0% commission" claim, is the number that matters, because a zero-commission rate can still carry a wide margin built into the exchange rate itself.

Online rates versus in-store rates

Travel Money Oz's own rates page — the same wording that applies to its Melbourne stores — states: "Rates shown are for customers buying online only — rates in store will vary. To lock in these rates, buy online for 1 hour Click & Collect or 3 hour delivery" (travelmoneyoz.com/rates, fetched September 2026). Travel Money Oz also separately publishes a "Board Rate" concept for its in-store posted rate, with a rate-move-protection offer that pays the difference if that Board Rate improves within seven days of a purchase — a different mechanism to the online rate entirely.

Whichever chain or branch you're considering in Melbourne, pricing the same currency and amount through the operator's own online ordering page before visiting in person shows whether the two differ for that specific transaction.

Carrying cash across the border

Currency bought in Melbourne for an upcoming trip is subject to the same national rule as anywhere else in Australia: carrying AUD 10,000 or more in physical currency (Australian or foreign, combined) across the border must be declared to the Australian Border Force. Migratio's dedicated guide to the cash declaration rule covers how to declare and the consequences of not doing so.

When a transfer suits a larger amount better

Buying banknotes over a counter works for travel spending money. For a larger sum — settling a property purchase, moving savings, or a one-off payment tied to a visa or relocation — an electronic transfer generally carries lower relative cost and doesn't involve carrying physical cash at all. Migratio's guides on sending a large amount overseas and on international money transfer for Australia cover the practical differences once the amount involved makes cash impractical.

Frequently asked questions

Who operates the currency exchange at Melbourne Airport?

Prosegur Change, confirmed directly on Melbourne Airport's own website (its currency-exchange page is titled around Prosegur), not Travelex or Travel Money Oz.

Is there a currency exchange in Dandenong?

Yes — Crown Currency Exchange lists a Dandenong Square branch on its own store-locations page, even though neither Travelex nor Travel Money Oz has a Dandenong site listed.

Is Melbourne Airport's currency exchange more expensive than the city?

No published figure compares the two directly. What Melbourne Airport's own page states is the same pattern every operator publishes: its online-ordered rate and 0% commission apply when you order ahead, while a walk-up purchase at the counter uses a different, in-store rate.

How do I check if a Melbourne currency exchange rate is fair?

Compare the quoted rate against the mid-market rate shown by a converter such as Wise's or XE's at the same time — both explicitly describe their converter rate as the mid-market rate, not a rate you'll actually receive.

Do I need to declare foreign cash leaving Melbourne?

If you're carrying AUD 10,000 or more in physical currency, combined across all currencies, yes — it must be declared to the Australian Border Force regardless of which Australian airport you depart from.

Compare migration agents in Melbourne →