This is a joint review for two companies: Currency Index, a smaller-scale UK currency broker, and a PlaceInTheSun Currency (aplaceinthesuncurrency.com) a brokerage put by famous relocation overseas property experts and TV show. APlaceInTheSun Currency was referring to Currency Index as their payment provider, and now refers to Currency Index as its “sister company”. Although APlaceInTheSun is independently regulated, we believed the best coverage would be to cover both services in one go.
Should I use Currency Index?
Cons:
Pros:
What is a Place In The Sun Currency (Currency Index)
Official Website:
Currency Index Review: Executive Summary
Currency Index and APlaceInTheSun have come together to create a service that provides customers with a safe and easy way to exchange their currency, and offers a variety of options for payment, including credit cards, debit cards, and bank transfers, namely A Place In The Sun Currency. The collaboration utilises the strong reputation and standing that A Place In The Sun has among expats in Spain together with Currency Index capabilities as a currency broker and money transfer service for over a decade. With that being said, there are many excellent competitors which have more experience a larger clientele in the Spain/UK international transfers route - Currencies Direct, the #1 rated company on MTC has dozens of offices in Spain alone!
1644
125Not Top 10 Ranked
Where is APlaceInTheSun Available?
A Place in The Sun Currency Alternatives
Currency Index is a good rated small UK currency broker our website. It’s t important to note there is no online platform in place – all communication is made via email and telephone. A family office or wealth manager often prefer these types of relationships or just anyone looking for a personal touch. Our communication with Currency Index was absolutely positive, but the look and feel of the website and the brokerage’s small size make it just an OK choice, as there are stronger alternatives with a similar service out there such as TorFX. Best A Place In The Sun Currency competitors below:
- Min Transfer: £/€/$ 100
- Currencies Supported: 39
- Offices : UK, EU, USA, India, South Africa.
- Our Rating : 97.8%
- Most Global Offices and Reach
No Fees from Anywhere and Competitive Rates
96% Client Satisfaction
- Min Transfer: £/€ 100
- Currencies Supported: 40
- Offices : UK, EU, Singapore, and Australia.
- Our Rating : 93.4%
- High Quality Bespoke Service
MoneyFact's Best Provider Award
Over 100 Years of FX Experience Across Its Trading Desk
- Min Transfer: £/€/$ 50
- Currencies Supported: 120
- Offices : UK, EU, USA, HK, and UAE.
- Our Rating : 92.8%
- Business Oriented, Many High Profile Business Customers
Industry Veteran since 1979
Diverse Hedging Options and Excellent Guidance
Is APlaceInTheSun Currency Safe? Is Currency Index Safe?
Is Currency Index Safe?
Currency Index Ltd. (hereafter “Currency Index”) was founded in 2008 with the ambition to provide a better service than that with a bank and indeed , the currency exchange industry at large. Currency Index Ltd. has fewer than 20 staff as per the information we could find online but relative to that they are a successful broker which have lead to the close deal they have with A Place in The Sun Money Transfers which refers to them as a sister company.
Awards:
- OPP Awards for Excellence, 2010
- Business of the Year British Business Awards, 2012
- UK Customer Experience Awards, 2013
- Corporate INTL Global Awards, 2014
- Best Payment Service Provider by Wealth&Money Management Awards, 2015
- Best Currency Broker by Wealth&Money Management Awards, 2016
- FinanceMonthly, Firm of the Year, 2017
Track Record:
Currency Index has been operating since before the majority of current money transfer specialists and very few online reviews, but majority of those are positive. The firm has been transparent and collaborative when we spoke to them.
Is Currency Index Well Regulated?
Currency Index is appropriately regulated by the FCA and registered with HMRC.
Is A Place In The Sun Currency Safe?
A Place in the Sun is a British Home Improvement show running the UK for 21 seasons now (started at 2000). The show is based around relocation, particularly to Spain, mostly by retirees looking for a… sunny new home. Based on Google, 83% of viewers like this show, it is obviously popular if it lasted that long.
A Place in The Sun is also one of the biggest overseas property classified ad site out there where you can search for thousands of properties available for sale or rent.
Lastly, a Place In The Sun Currency, is A Place In The Sun’s international money transfer service, and Currency Index’s sister company (as per aplaceinthesuncurrency.com).
There is no doubt A Place In The Sun is a credible and ever-so popular brand in the UK, and hence it has more than 1,500 customer reviews online, most of which are positive. And Hence, A Place In The Sun Currency is safe and trustworthy.
Is A Place In The Sun Currency Well Regulated?
APlaceInTheSun Currency is appropriately regulated by the FCA and registered with HMRC.
Client Reviews
Research:
Currency Index, being a smaller brokerage, doesn’t have many online reviews.We located most of its reviews on Google Reviews, 58 reviews with an average of 4.8 rating. Additionally, Currency Index has 23 votes on ReviewCentre, of which 22 are positive. Currency Index has also 6 votes on its Facebook page, all of which are positive.
A Place In The Sun Currency, Currency Index’s sister service, has a lot more reviews. We assume it serves a lot more clients and for certain, has a LOT more exposure than Currency Index. Additionally, a Place In The Sun has a cult-like following and customer stickiness is high, hence we believe a lot of them opt to use A Place In The Sun money transfer as their currency provider.
In fact, A Place In The Sun Currency reviews on reviews.co.uk platform exceed 1,500 reviews true for May, 2022. It’s average rating is 4.9, and there are very few complaints if any at all.
Conclusion:
Customers like Currency Index and aplaceinthesuncurrency.com.
Exchange Rates & Fees
Fees: Currency Index is in business to serve companies and individuals who are transferring large amounts of funds internationally. For transfers lower than £30,000, there is usually a £12 fee, discounted to £7 for Eurozone SEPA payments, and proof of payment is also available at request for £8. These are perhaps above average for private clients but given Currency Index make fewer payments each day than their larger competitors it’s likely they will incur higher payment fees themselves with the banks.
Exchange Rates: For transfers under £50,000 there’s no fixed margin in place. Like with most companies, it would depend how much you transfer and for which currencies.
Currency Index may not be the best solution for clients looking to regularly make transfers under £50,000. For large transfers above that mark, using our registration link, you will be entitled to a fixed rate of 0.495%, the cheapest in the market. Even cheaper than competitors like TransferWise which don’t offer dedicated dealers or hedging services. That applies for all currency pairings, and means savings of as much as 95% in some cases.
CurrencyIndex Offices and Global Reach
UK Portugal Ways to Contact: Email and Telephone.
Translations: None
Accepts Clients: Generally speaking, globally, with the exception USA.
Currencies Handled: all.
Client Reviews: 0 Complaints.
Review Summary
- Credibility Score - 80%80%
- Client Feedback Score - 90%90%
- Fees, Exchange Rates Score - 90%90%
- Global Reach, Availability, Service Score - 80%80%
- Added Values Score - 65%65%
Bottom Line
Currency Index is trustworthy and safe to use, whether directly or via A Place In The Sun Currency. It’s a little dated, doesn’t have an online system, and offers less functions than leading money transfer services but it has tremendous reviews and made a good impression on us.