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Best place to buy HKD in Hong Kong?

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Old Nov 27, 2017, 4:18 am
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Best place to buy HKD in Hong Kong?

Which place in HK offers the best rate for exchanging CAD and USD to HKD?

Thanks.
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Old Nov 27, 2017, 5:34 am
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Various money changers in Chungking Mansions probably. Shop around the kiosks for the best rate - further from the entrance tends to be marginally better.

But unless you are planning to change large amounts of cash you won't gain a significant amount over just pulling cash from your bank account via an ATM.
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Old Nov 27, 2017, 9:04 pm
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Berlin Exchange is generally assumed to offer better rates. But as above, there's Chungking Mansions on Kowloon-side, and also Island-side there are a number of exchange places in WorldWide House.
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Old Nov 27, 2017, 10:14 pm
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Really, no reason at all to trek to Chungking Mansions to change money! There are plenty of exchange places in every shopping district.

Worldwide House if you need pesos, but not otherwise.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 7:57 am
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https://hk.ttrate.com/en_us/index.ph...te_buy&order=0

Queues at Berlin are a real turn off - the T/T rate at banks ain't that bad sometimes
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 6:33 pm
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If you are on the Island then go to Berlin at 0910 and the queue will have 6-7 people. They open at 0930 so bring something to do for 30 mins.

If you are in Kowloon then go to Chungking.

ATMs are only useful if you have a way to get the cash into your bank account...
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 9:21 pm
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Originally Posted by 889
Really, no reason at all to trek to Chungking Mansions to change money! There are plenty of exchange places in every shopping district.

Worldwide House if you need pesos, but not otherwise.
WWH is not just for pesos. But it takes some checking between different places here and then a bit of bargaining (i.e. not going by the boards).

Berlin is best, barring the queues. But it really depends on the sum being exchanged.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 10:44 pm
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No WWH is not just for pesos -- there's rupiah there as well! -- just that for USD exchange you may as well simply head to any convenient exchange place in any commercial district in Hong Kong. Compare rates at a couple of places first, of course.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 11:49 pm
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Originally Posted by christep
Various money changers in Chungking Mansions probably. Shop around the kiosks for the best rate - further from the entrance tends to be marginally better.

But unless you are planning to change large amounts of cash you won't gain a significant amount over just pulling cash from your bank account via an ATM.
That's where I have always went to exchange my money. It's been a while since I went back to HK so I thought there are better options now. I'm still thinking whether it's worth buying HKD at home before flying over to HK.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 11:52 pm
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Originally Posted by DragonSoul
Berlin Exchange is generally assumed to offer better rates. But as above, there's Chungking Mansions on Kowloon-side, and also Island-side there are a number of exchange places in WorldWide House.
Do they provide rates online? Never heard of them. Gotta give that place a look.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 11:53 pm
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Originally Posted by :D!
If you are on the Island then go to Berlin at 0910 and the queue will have 6-7 people. They open at 0930 so bring something to do for 30 mins.

If you are in Kowloon then go to Chungking.

ATMs are only useful if you have a way to get the cash into your bank account...
How long are the lines at Berlin? Is the rate significantly better? IIRC, the lines at Chungking ain't that long. I don't recalled waiting more than 10 min. until it's my turn to exchange money.
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Old Nov 28, 2017, 11:54 pm
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Originally Posted by DragonSoul
WWH is not just for pesos. But it takes some checking between different places here and then a bit of bargaining (i.e. not going by the boards).

Berlin is best, barring the queues. But it really depends on the sum being exchanged.
Not a lot. I'm probably going to exchange C$500 at a time since most of my significant expenses have already been paid by credit card.
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Old Nov 29, 2017, 4:40 am
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Most HK banks will not do currency exchange unless you are a customer.
Canadian to HKD or any Asian currency locally is always bad due to low volume. Last week they were buying at $5.6 and selling at $6.5.Base on Toronto money changer rates for CDN to US and HK changer US to HK you do better exchanging for US $100 new notes and then changing it to local currencies in Asia.
There is a circle of Canadian expats and Hong Kongers with Canadian citizenship/relative living in Canada who do person fx rate exchanges.
I usually ATM HKD for incoming Candain visitors in exchange for Candian dollars, cut out the middleman.
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Old Nov 29, 2017, 2:18 pm
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Originally Posted by lsquare
How long are the lines at Berlin? Is the rate significantly better? IIRC, the lines at Chungking ain't that long. I don't recalled waiting more than 10 min. until it's my turn to exchange money.
http://bcel1985.blogspot.com/

Rate changes during the day but usually 4-5 HK cents spread between buy and sell. It's good enough for people to line up for over an hour later in the day. Most people are exchanging 10-30K HKD, but there seem to be some idiots who lineup with 40K RMB when they can get better rates at any shop on the roadside without waiting at all plus Berlin adheres to the restriction of 20K per person per day.

As I said, go at 0910 and wait until it opens. From 0920 or so you will be standing downstairs so the 17th floor doesn't get too crowded to evacuate, along with everyone else who can't wake upearly.

If you speak Cantonese thenyou can also book by phone and skip the line, but you may spend longer on the phone than waiting in the morning.
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Old Dec 2, 2017, 1:15 pm
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Chungking Mansions near the bottom of Nathan Road in TST. But avoid the first couple of booths on either side as you enter. Go a little further in for better rates. There are several booths all offering very similar rates.
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