Multi-currency center definition

What is a Multi-Currency Center?

A multi-currency center is a cash pool in a cluster of subsidiary bank accounts and a concentration account into which funds flow from the subsidiary accounts. If a company pools all of its foreign currency accounts in a single location, this is called a multi-currency center arrangement. Multi-currency centers are generally easier to manage, but transactions are more expensive than under a single currency center model.

Advantages of a Multi-Currency Center

There are several advantages associated with operating a multi-currency center system, which are as follows:

  • Reduced exchange fees. An advantage of having a multi-currency center is that currencies are pooled, making it less expensive to make payments in foreign currencies from a company’s own resources, rather than having to pay an exchange fee to acquire the foreign currency from a third party.

  • Centralized management. A group of specialists can monitor currency inflows and outflows, and aggregate investments and payments to minimize costs.

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