When it comes to Iran, Google might not be right about everything; especially Iran currency. Below you can see why you should absolutely avoid trusting google about.
Iran Currency
The real exchange rate is three times higher than what Google shows
Within spending only a few minutes on searching about Iranian rial, you’ll notice there is a huge gap between what Google shows as the exchange rate and what the exchange rate is in reality; if you’re in Iran though! Things get worse when you have no idea and you’re planning your budget based on the assumption that Google is always right! What you don’t know (And you’ll be probably really happy to hear) is that the real exchange rate is about 3 times higher than you see on Google; The rate you see on Google is only used by the government to import essential goods. (To get more info over multi-tiered exchange rate system in Iran, you can read this insightful article on Aljazeera News https://bit.ly/2s9W3kE ).This has become a tourist trap recently for those who have no idea Google is wrong; scammers can easily refer to Google’s rate to rip you off by the difference between the exchange rates.
So you might wonder: “Where can I see the accurate Iranian rial exchange rate?”
Among the websites that show the exchange rate, many refer to www.bonbast.com, however, you need to know Bonbast shows the exchange rate based on USD; It means the exchange rate you see for US Dollar is more accurate than EUR to IRR because EUR to Rial is calculated based on USD to EUR exchange rate and it is not calculated directly. Having said that, the difference won’t be noticeable for EUR but for exchanging GBP to Rial, Bonbast’s rate is usually higher than the real exchange rate in the market.
Is there anything else about money and exchange in Iran I need to know?
Yeah, actually there’s a lot. You can read more on Iranian Rial (aka most confusing currency in the world) on this post “Exchange Rate in Iran”
What is MahCard and how can it help you to get rid of the currency exchange hassle in Iran?
Mah Card is an Iranian prepaid debit card designed for tourists traveling to Iran. Mah Card is an equivalent of International credit/debit cards(i.e. Visa or MasterCard) which lets you use your money in Iran as opposed to carrying cash around. Due to the exchange rate, you will have to carry a big load of cash all the time which apart the annoyance has its own risks. By getting a MahCard, you’ll get rid of the exchange hassle. It is accepted literally everywhere in Iran, even vendors in bazaars have a portable POS machine which you can swipe your card to pay.
I haven’t brought any cash, can I transfer money using my Visa/MasterCard in Iran?
Sure you can! All you need to do is to contact [email protected] and ask for the details.