College Currency Investments

Went here to exchange Euros at the advice of a few posts I saw online bout exchange rates (they all screamed, «Don’t go to a bank!»). It was a 1:1.5 exchange from Canadian dollars to Euros, which I thought was fair.
My friend said her father had a preferred exchange rate with his bank account and opted to go there. They paid more, so to repeat the advice I got from others: don’t go to a bank no matter how preferred you think your rate is and how much money you have at the bank. I also used the
Rewards Visa because it doesn’t have any foreign exchange fees, and the rate ended up being better on the Visa than from College Currency.
Regardless, the friendly service and reasonable rates at College Currency have convinced me to come back to this place if I ever need cash.

Quick and reasonable. A bit bummed they didn’t have coins, but it was an otherwise seamless experience. I was in and out in two minutes.

Pros: Friendly staff, quick exchange, lots of different currencies on-​hand in large volume. Good place to go if you need less common types of currency.
Cons: Not the cheapest exchange rate around, about 2.2%. Better than the banks for sure.
Update: Converting from foreign back to Canadian currency is a bit steep. Closer to 5%.

My friends and I were in Toronto for OVOFest and were told that it’s best to exchange our money once we arrived. Once we got there, I’ve never been so thankful that Unilocal is everywhere. Did a quick search and led us to this place of business. It was a nice walk from where we were staying and it was open during the weekend. The nice young man that worked the counter was very sweet and friendly. And was extremely patient while answering all our annoying questions. Anyway, everyone should get their money exchanged here!

Dont go there. I went on a Saturday morning at 11 it was supposed to be open from 1030, I waited for half an hour I even tried to call the number nobody showed up and the phone was not answering. I am never going there again

1. No service fees
2. Prime location (yonge/​college)
3. Excellent service. The owner (I believe) is very friendly and he remembers his clients.
4. A very satisfied customer here :)

Fast and efficient service. From what I’ve seen and the couple of phone calls I made around then, College Currency has the best prices for buying Euros.

Excellent price, way better than my bank, fast service, able to pay by interac.
Was always very hesitant about private currency exchange businesses, because I thought they charged more than the banks. Simply put, this place is cheaper.

I had to fight to get a decent rate. They were selling peso’s at 30 cents off the going rate. The guy actually made the excuse that he had to feed his kids. After calling my bank and getting the rates from the last three weeks, he finally agreed to reasonable rate.
After returning to exchange my left over money (post vacation), the snide women at the counter laughed and tried to buy them back at a fraction of what they were purchased for. When confronted she directed me to my bank… which was actually a much better idea.
Note: most banks do not charge their clients a fee for buying, or selling currency. I got the days rate (within 2%) from my bank — which was 40% more than I would have received from College Currency.
I get they’re a business and trying to make a buck, but with such obvious — and literal money grabs — I would not recommend them. Try your bank first, if not, go to a place that will buy back your left over currency at the same rate you purchased it for (it is a simple, decent thing to do).
My opinion, try them for yourself if in doubt.

We are so glad we found this place on our trip to Toronto over the weekend of Tiff. They are open into the evenings and on Saturday and Sunday to exchange your USD to Canadian and vice versa before you leave with NO FEES! We wish we had found this place last year when we exchanged cash at the Eaton Centre currency exchange kiosk and paid a hefty fee. The staff are also very friendly and helpful.
This is my first review after using this site to read the reviews of others for years, and I think this is the perfect place to start with!

I wish I had found this place when I first arrived in Toronto because it would’ve saved me an unnecessary currency exchange loss at Travelex at the airport.
The currency exchange rates were the best I’ve ever experienced traveling internationally. There’s no fee.
Its conveniently located and service is fast.
I love thee.

No service fees. Good hours.
Convenient location, they are open every day of the week, and there is usually no wait.

I went to pick up some Indian Rupees and Euros for an upcoming trip. The rate they offered me on the ruppees was horrible. 5000 rupees should have cost $ 84, but they wanted $ 100. That’s a 15% mark up! I kindly refused, and then asked what the rate would be for the euros. It was $ 139 for 100 euros, which was a good rate (XE was quoting it at $ 137CAD). I might consider going back, but CHECK the rates before you do, or they might try and scam you.

BOTTOM LINE: Best FOREX rates in downtown (only 100 basis points over the daily rate) — don’t get grifted by your bank!
Located just beneath the condos of 25 Carlton, I’ve been going to these guys to exchange CAD to USD and EUR for years since I discovered how cheap their rates are. They also allow you to pay with your debit card, but you’re limited (obviously) by your daily limit. As usual, always do your due diligence — especially for other currencies — but I’ve never found lower rates anywhere else. Ever. And I consider myself to be extremely frugal.
If you’re Joe Blow walking off the streets, most banks (in my experience) will ding you for approximately 300 basis points (aka 3% higher than the day’s going rate, which, sadly, is still better than what your credit card company will charge you). If you’re exchanging higher amounts (i.e., over $ 1,000) you’ll often receive a preferential rate, which can be further lowered if you have a «preferred» account with them, but even then you’re still gonna get dinged approximately 200 basis points. And trust me, no amount of (attempted) charming or flirting will get you anywhere. :P
The College Currency guys, though, are like «BAM — we’ll only charge you 100 basis points, flat rate — show me the money!». So whether you’re Joe Blow or Joe Millionaire, you get more for your money here. Don’t be a sucker for the banks. Go to these guys and treat yourself to a beer for getting the lowest rate possible. :)