Convert USD to GBP
🇬🇧English
One US dollar buys less than one pound sterling, so a USD→GBP conversion returns a smaller number. Currency Converter & Exchange shows both directions at once, which is the fastest way to avoid reading this pair backwards.
Get Currency Converter & Exchange
The two currencies, side by side
Durable facts about each side of the pair — these change on a scale of years, unlike the rate.
US Dollar (USD)
- ISO 4217 code
- USD
- Symbol
- $
- Minor unit (ISO 4217 exponent)
- 2
- Issued for
- United States
- Issuing central bank
- Federal Reserve System
British Pound (GBP)
- ISO 4217 code
- GBP
- Symbol
- £
- Minor unit (ISO 4217 exponent)
- 2
- Issued for
- United Kingdom
- Issuing central bank
- Bank of England
Who converts US dollars to British pounds
This pair comes up for American visitors to the United Kingdom and for US shoppers buying from British sites — a category that grew with independent UK sellers on marketplaces and with brands shipping direct to consumers worldwide.
The trap here is direction. The market quotes sterling the other way round by convention, as GBP/USD, so a headline figure in the news normally tells you what one pound is worth in dollars rather than the reverse. Read it the wrong way and everything looks far cheaper than it is.
For UK purchases there is a second cost that is easy to miss: import duty and handling charges assessed on the American side, applied to the converted value rather than the price you saw.
Practical notes for USD/GBP
- UK shelf prices include VAT; US prices normally exclude sales tax. Compare final totals, not tickets.
- Scotland and Northern Ireland issue their own banknotes; they are the same pound and the same rate.
- Card terminals in the UK will offer to bill you in dollars — decline and pay in pounds.
- Check the converted total before ordering from a UK site so the landed cost holds no surprises.
Both currencies float, so the USD/GBP rate is set by the market rather than fixed — mainly by the interest-rate decisions of Federal Reserve System and Bank of England. That is why no static page can print a rate and stay correct.
How to convert USD to GBP in Currency Converter & Exchange
- Enter the USD amount.
- Pick British Pound (GBP) — search by country, currency name or ISO code.
- Tap the converted GBP figure to copy or share it.
- Pin USD/GBP to your favourites for one-tap access.
Converter home screen 
Historical exchange rate chart 
Currency picker with search
Questions about USD to GBP
Why do news reports quote GBP/USD instead of USD/GBP?
Market convention quotes sterling as the base currency, so the headline number is dollars per pound. This page converts in the direction you asked for and shows the inverse table underneath, so both readings are available.
Are Scottish banknotes worth the same as Bank of England notes?
Yes. They are the same currency at the same rate. Some retailers outside Scotland are unfamiliar with them, but no conversion is involved.
Where does Currency Converter & Exchange get its USD/GBP rate?
From financial data providers, refreshed several times a day whenever the device has a connection. Currency Converter & Exchange timestamps every update, so you can always see how old the figure on screen is.
Does that rate include my bank’s fees?
No. Currency Converter & Exchange shows an interbank reference rate. Banks, card networks and exchange bureaux add their own margin on top, so the GBP you actually receive for your USD will be less.
Does Currency Converter & Exchange convert USD to GBP without internet?
Yes. Currency Converter & Exchange stores the last rates it downloaded on the device and keeps converting with no connection, showing the date they were fetched.
Related currency pairs
Other USD and GBP conversions covered on this site:
Published by Julien Millau, independent Android and iOS developer. — Reference information only. Not financial advice, and not a quote for any transaction.