Pricing & plans 101: Currency
Configure multi-currency billing in Recurly to seamlessly scale your subscription business globally. Learn how to manage independent local pricing across 140+ currencies, verify payment gateway compatibility, set up localized coupons, and execute strategic market pricing models.
Acquire · Pricing & Plans 101
Currency
Recurly supports 140+ currencies, letting you price plans in local currency for subscribers anywhere in the world. This page covers how multi-currency works, what you need to set up before enabling it, and the decisions that matter most.
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Currency
How multi-currency works in Recurly
When multi-currency is enabled, you define a separate price for each currency on each plan. Recurly presents the subscriber's currency to your payment gateway and processes the charge in that currency — no conversion happens inside Recurly itself.
This matters because your prices are independent per currency. If you charge $10 USD and £10 GBP, those are two distinct price points you control — not an exchange-rate calculation. You decide the local price; Recurly and your gateway handle the rest.
No Recurly conversion
Recurly does not convert currencies. Each currency's price is set independently on the plan. Your gateway processes the charge in the subscriber's currency and settles to your merchant account.
Currency is set at subscription creation
When a subscription is created, the currency is locked for the life of that subscription. It cannot be changed after creation — plan this before going live in a new market.
Independent pricing per currency
Each currency gets its own price on the plan. You can price strategically for each market rather than relying on exchange-rate equivalents.
Gateway compatibility required
Your payment gateway must support each currency you enable. Recurly shows you which currencies your current gateway configuration can handle before you activate them.
How to enable a new currency
Currency setup is a two-step process: enable the currency on your site, then add prices for that currency to your plans.
Check gateway compatibility
Go to Configuration → Currencies. The Currencies Configuration page shows which currencies your current gateway setup can process. Confirm your target currency is listed before enabling it.
Enable the currency
From the Currencies Configuration page, add the currency to your accepted list. Multi-currency support must be active on your account — contact Recurly Support if it isn't enabled yet.
Add prices to your plans
Go to Configuration → Plans and edit each plan you want to offer in the new currency. Add a price for the new currency in the plan's pricing section. Existing subscriptions are not affected.
Update coupons if applicable
If you use coupons, add pricing for the new currency to any active coupons that should apply to subscribers in that market. Coupons without a price defined for a currency cannot be redeemed in that currency.
The amount you set for a currency is the exact amount charged — there is no automatic conversion from your base currency. If you enable GBP but don't set a GBP price on a plan, subscribers in that currency cannot subscribe to it. Set prices deliberately for every currency you enable.
Pricing strategy across currencies
Because each currency's price is independent, you have two approaches. Neither is wrong — your choice depends on your market strategy.
| Approach | How it works | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Exchange-rate parity | Set prices that roughly mirror your base currency converted at current rates. Simpler to maintain; may require periodic adjustments as rates shift. | Businesses entering a new market quickly, or where local pricing perception isn't a key factor. |
| Local market pricing | Set prices based on what the local market will bear — not exchange-rate equivalents. GBP 8 instead of the USD 10 equivalent of GBP 7.90, for example. | Businesses prioritizing conversion in specific markets, or where local price anchors differ significantly from the base currency. |
Subscribers notice odd prices. If your USD price is $9.99, set your GBP price to £7.99 or £8.99 — not the exact exchange-rate equivalent. Clean price points convert better and signal a localized experience rather than a converted one.
What to decide before enabling a new currency
Four questions to answer upfront
- Does your payment gateway support this currency? Check the Currencies Configuration page before enabling. Adding a currency your gateway can't process creates a broken checkout path.
- What price will you set — parity or local market? Decide your pricing strategy before setting prices on plans. Changing prices later affects only new subscribers; existing ones keep their original price.
- Will you offer all plans in this currency, or a subset? You can enable a currency site-wide but only add prices to select plans. Subscribers in that currency can only sign up to plans with a price defined for their currency.
- Do your active coupons need to support this currency? Check all active coupons and add the new currency price before launching. A coupon without a price for a currency cannot be applied to subscriptions in that currency.
Expanding into a new market?
Multi-currency setup touches plans, coupons, and gateway configuration. If you're launching in a new region and want to make sure everything is set up correctly, bring your questions to Global Office Hours.
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