What Global Exchange does

Global Exchange is a privately-held cash currency exchange operator headquartered in Salamanca, Spain, founded in 1996. The company provides physical retail currency exchange services at airports and city-center locations, operating 520 offices across 29 countries and 90 airports, serving more than 12.5 million customers. Its customer base is composed of individual travelers exchanging cash for vacations, business trips, and other travel purposes. The company operates under the Grupo Global Exchange umbrella with sub-brands including GETD (Spain-focused) and Trolley2Go. Global Exchange maintains ISO 27001 (information security) and ISO 22301 (business continuity) certifications across its multi-jurisdictional footprint.

The business model is direct-to-consumer: Global Exchange captures spreads and fees on cash currency exchange transactions at its airport and city-center counters. Geographic coverage spans Europe (Spain, France, Denmark, UK, Turkey), Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Argentina equivalents, and others), Asia Pacific (Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand), the Middle East (Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan), and Africa (Morocco). The company is led by President and CEO Isidoro J. Alanís, alongside Vice President Juan Alanís, with no external parent company or disclosed institutional ownership.

Go-to-market is entirely physical-retail; no mobile app, API, or digital channel is offered. Distribution relies on capturing airport concession contracts and operating leased retail sites in city centers. Marketing channels are limited to a corporate website and press room. Recent strategic activity is focused on geographic expansion — notably the July 2024 launch of operations at Western Sydney International Airport in Australia — and on maintaining regulatory certifications across multiple jurisdictions.

Name

Global Exchange

Legal name

Global Exchange

Website

https://global-exchange.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Global Exchange is a Spanish cash currency exchange operator running 520 offices across 29 countries and 90 airports, serving 12.5M+ travelers annually with retail FX services at airport and city-center locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foreign Currency Exchange Services

SIC

National Commercial Banks (6021)

akta.pro primary industry

International Bill Pay & Cross-Border Airtime/Top-Up (FSAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Currency exchange services
• Foreign currency exchange
• Airport currency exchange
• Travel money services
• Cash currency conversion

Headquarters

HQ city

Salamanca

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices26 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cash Currency Exchange Services: Global Exchange generates revenue through currency exchange transaction fees when customers exchange cash currencies at their retail locations at airports and city offices. The company offers competitive exchange rates as a key differentiator.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Global Exchange operates staffed physical retail counters where travelers exchange cash in one currency for cash in another. The service is delivered in person at 520 offices across 29 countries, including 90 dedicated airport locations and additional city-center branches, with rates quoted at the point of service. The company serves over 12.5 million customers and operates under the Grupo Global Exchange umbrella through the Global Exchange, GETD, and Trolley2Go brands.

Product overview

Global Exchange operates as a currency exchange service provider across a multi-brand portfolio. The core offering is Global Exchange, a cash currency exchange service present in 29 countries at 90 airports with 520 offices, serving over 12.5 million customers. The company operates under Grupo Global Exchange, which encompasses sub-brands including GETD (focused on the Spanish market) and Trolley2Go, all providing the same fundamental currency exchange services at airport and physical office locations. The services emphasize competitive exchange rates, fast service, and security.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Global Exchange Cash Currency Exchange Service Cash-to-cash foreign currency exchange service for travelers, delivered at staffed physical counters in airports and city centers across 29 countries. Customers convert one currency to another at competitive rates quoted at the point of service.
• GETD Currency Exchange Service Sub-brand cash currency exchange service offered under the Grupo Global Exchange umbrella, with operations focused on Spain as part of the group's multi-brand retail foreign exchange footprint.
• Trolley2Go Currency Exchange Service Sub-brand cash currency exchange offering within the Grupo Global Exchange portfolio, contributing to the group's retail foreign exchange presence.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• MoneyGram: MoneyGram operates a global cross-border money transfer and FX network, comparable to Global Exchange in serving cross-border currency needs through physical retail and digital channels.
• Euronet Worldwide: Euronet operates ATMs and money transfer services (including Ria and xe) at airports and retail locations globally, overlapping with Global Exchange's traveler-facing FX and cash services at airports across multiple regions.
• Western Union: Western Union is a global leader in cross-border money movement and currency services with physical agent locations worldwide, comparable to Global Exchange in serving cross-border financial needs of travelers and migrants.

Emerging players

• Revolut: Revolut's multi-currency debit card and FX app enable travelers to spend abroad without exchanging physical currency, positioning it as a digital disruptor to Global Exchange's airport counter cash-exchange business.
• Wise: Wise is a leading digital multi-currency platform that increasingly competes with traditional airport FX by enabling travelers to hold and spend in multiple currencies without physical cash exchange, threatening Global Exchange's core cash-exchange model.

Regional players

• Travel FX: Travel FX is a UK-focused online and physical currency exchange operator serving travelers, offering a comparable cash FX delivery model to Global Exchange but with a more concentrated geographic footprint.
• No1 Currency: No1 Currency is a UK-based currency exchange operator with physical locations serving travelers, comparable to Global Exchange's city-center and airport FX model but focused primarily on the UK market.

Others

• ICE (Intercontinental Exchange): ICE operates major FX and commodities exchanges globally; while not a direct retail FX competitor, ICE influences the institutional FX pricing environment that ultimately determines Global Exchange's retail spread economics.
• CME Group: CME Group is a leading derivatives exchange that sets benchmarks for currency pricing globally; while not a direct competitor to Global Exchange's retail FX, CME's FX futures influence the underlying rates Global Exchange quotes to customers.

Direct peers

• Travelex: Travelex is the largest airport-based retail currency exchange operator globally and Global Exchange's most direct competitor, with overlapping presence in major international airports and similar cash-FX transaction model serving travelers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Exchange