A counter, not a call centre

What we are

A branch-based bureau de change on Hoe Street, a short walk from Walthamstow Central. We hold the currencies this street actually asks for — including Pakistani rupee, Indian rupee, UAE dirham and Turkish lira — alongside the usual euro and dollar.

The counter is run by Muhammad Mubasher Ahmad, trading as Safecash Exchange. You will be dealing with the person whose name is on the business.

How we price

We publish both sides of every rate, with our margin already included, so there is no separate commission to work out at the counter. The margin is how a bureau covers holding physical cash, insuring it, and the risk that the rate moves while the notes sit in the till.

We also cross-check every rate against more than one independent source before publishing it. If they disagree beyond our tolerance we publish nothing for that currency rather than show a number we cannot stand behind.

What this website is

Worth stating plainly, because it is easy to assume otherwise of any site that shows currency rates: this website is a shop window and a booking form. Nothing more.

• It shows the rates we are quoting at the counter today.
• It takes reservations, so the notes you need are waiting for you.
• It never asks for card details and never holds your cash.
• It cannot register you as a customer, keep a balance for you, or arrange a payment to somebody in another country.

Every exchange is a face-to-face transaction at 376 Hoe Street: you hand over notes, we hand back notes, and you leave with a receipt. If you need to pay somebody overseas, your bank or an authorised provider is the right route — not us.

Regulation

UK money service businesses have registration obligations with HMRC, and identification requirements that apply in certain circumstances.

Our identification page explains what to bring and why we have to ask.