Money & travel
Skip the exchange booth at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. Use an ATM with a no-fee card — the ATM gives you the real mid-market rate, while airport exchange booths charge 10–20% above it. On a $500 exchange, that difference is $50–100 in hidden costs.
The key rule
Airport currency exchange booths typically charge 10–20% above the mid-market rate.
On a $500 exchange, that is $50–100 in hidden fees. The ATM is almost always better — even with a bank fee. And with a no-fee card, the ATM is unambiguously better.
None. Travelex ran two CLE locations (Baggage Claim/Arrivals and Concourse C) but shut down all U.S. and Canada operations in 2021, and no replacement currency-exchange counter has opened at the airport.
With no on-site exchange counter, CLE travelers needing foreign currency must get it from a bank before arrival or an ATM after landing — airport exchange booths typically charge 15-20% above the mid-market rate anyway, so their absence isn't a real loss.
Nine KeyBank ATMs are spread across the airport: Concourse A (by Gate A-1), Concourse B (by the retail core and Gate B-5), Concourse C (by Gates C-5 and C-14), the Main Terminal (by the South Checkpoint and by the Airport Information Center in Ticketing), Baggage Claim (by the Welcome Center), the rental car facility, and Level Three of the hourly/daily parking garage.
All nine are KeyBank machines operating 24 hours on the Visa/Plus and Mastercard/Cirrus networks. A fee-free travel card (Charles Schwab, Wise, Revolut) avoids both the KeyBank ATM surcharge and any foreign transaction fee.
Best cards for ATM use abroad
Recommended for CLE
Get foreign currency from your home bank before you fly, or use a fee-free debit card at one of CLE's 24-hour KeyBank ATMs — there is no currency exchange booth in the terminal to fall back on.
Pro Tip
If you land at CLE needing foreign currency for a connection or layover elsewhere, don't expect to find it here — Travelex's 2021 exit left the airport with zero exchange counters, so cover currency needs before you arrive.
Before you leave
Order foreign currency from your bank before departure — Chase, Bank of America, and Wells Fargo all offer currency ordering at branches and online (3–7 business days). Rates are better than airport booths, and you avoid the airport rush entirely.
At your destination
Withdraw from a local ATM at your destination — you get the real mid-market exchange rate, minus a small network fee. A no-fee card eliminates even that. This is almost always the cheapest option.
In transit
Currency exchange at city banks or post offices in your destination country is typically far better than airport rates in both countries. Most major cities have walk-in currency exchange with rates 5–10% better than airport booths.
Is it better to exchange currency at CLE airport or at my destination?
Almost always at your destination. Airport exchange booths at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport charge 10-20% above the mid-market rate. At your destination, ATMs give the real interbank rate minus a small network fee — typically saving $50-100 on a $500 exchange versus the airport booth.
Where are the ATMs at CLE airport?
Nine KeyBank ATMs are spread across the airport: Concourse A (by Gate A-1), Concourse B (by the retail core and Gate B-5), Concourse C (by Gates C-5 and C-14), the Main Terminal (by the South Checkpoint and by the Airport Information Center in Ticketing), Baggage Claim (by the Welcome Center), the rental car facility, and Level Three of the hourly/daily parking garage. All nine are KeyBank machines operating 24 hours on the Visa/Plus and Mastercard/Cirrus networks. A fee-free travel card (Charles Schwab, Wise, Revolut) avoids both the KeyBank ATM surcharge and any foreign transaction fee.
Which currency exchange is at CLE airport?
None. Travelex ran two CLE locations (Baggage Claim/Arrivals and Concourse C) but shut down all U.S. and Canada operations in 2021, and no replacement currency-exchange counter has opened at the airport. With no on-site exchange counter, CLE travelers needing foreign currency must get it from a bank before arrival or an ATM after landing — airport exchange booths typically charge 15-20% above the mid-market rate anyway, so their absence isn't a real loss.
What is the best card to use for foreign currency at CLE?
The Charles Schwab debit card is the top choice — it reimburses all ATM fees worldwide and charges 0% on international transactions, giving you the real mid-market exchange rate. Wise and Revolut travel cards are strong alternatives with similar 0% fee structures. Avoid using a standard bank debit card, which typically charges 1-3% foreign transaction fee plus an ATM surcharge of $3-5.
See also: Getting around CLE airport · Live CLE TSA wait times
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