The PBOC sets a midpoint value against the U.S. dollar every day based on previous trading sessions and movements in international currency markets. The price of the yuan is permitted to trade within 2% of that price. The midpoint might also be adjusted based on undefined countercyclical factors at times. Even though the Chinese currency has such close ties to the dollar, selling or buying Chinese yuan is not always possible at many banks or exchange offices. However, US First Exchange allows you to trade in most major, minor, and exotic currencies, including the yuan, from the comfort of your home.

China’s official currency, the renminbi (RMB), can seem incredibly confusing to foreigners. Even the name “renminbi” is hard for a lot of people to pronounce correctly. If you are looking to exchange Iranian rial into Chinese renminbi, it is important to note that Iran does hold the cheapest currency in the world. So, if you happen to hold any rial and are looking to exchange into Chinese currency, it might be difficult to facilitate. “Renminbi Internationalization” is a worthy read for anyone who wants to know more about the complex issues surrounding one of the major international and regional financial developments of our time.

Even the owners of small vegetable stalls in traditional wet markets accept mobile payments. The currency allowed the new administration to unify the Chinese economy, which was then divided among several regional currencies. It also distinguished the new administration from the previous government, whose policies had led to high levels of hyperinflation. The largest banknote is 100 yuan, followed by 50 yuan, 20 yuan, 10 yuan, five yuan, and one yuan.

Evolution of exchange policy since 1994

In international contexts, ‘¥’ or ‘RMB’ (abbr. for renminbi) is often prefixed to the amount (e.g. RMB¥100 or ¥100元). In fact, mobile payments have become so common that some merchants no longer keep enough small bills on hand to make change. The other denominations of Chinese banknotes also replace the regular Chinese number characters with which you may be familiar with special fraud-resistant characters.

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• Look for security features on bills, such as watermarks and security threads, and be cautious when receiving large denominations from unfamiliar sources.
• It is even possible to spend an entire day paying for everything with a smartphone instead of cash.
• In international contexts, ‘¥’ or ‘RMB’ (abbr. for renminbi) is often prefixed to the amount (e.g. RMB¥100 or ¥100元).
• Proving a success,83 the program was further extended to 20 Chinese provinces and counterparties internationally in July 2010, and in September 2011 it was announced that the remaining 11 Chinese provinces would be included.
• The Renminbi, often abbreviated as RMB, is the official currency of the People’s Republic of China.
• When telling someone how much something costs, you would be unlikely to say “This car costs 10 gold.” You need some sort of unit, such as ounces.

Banknotes of the yuan suffered from hyperinflation following the Second World War and were replaced in August 1948 by notes denominated in gold yuan, worth 3 million old yuan. There was no link between the gold yuan and gold metal or coins and this yuan also suffered from hyperinflation. The number of banks issuing paper money increased after the revolution. An exceptionally large number of banknotes were issued during the Republican era (1911–1949) by provincial banks (both Nationalist and Communist). At present, banknotes in denominations of one, five, 10, 20, 50, and 100 yuan are in circulation. There are currency exchange booths at most major airports in big cities, so you could bring a small amount of your own currency with you and exchange it at the airport when you arrive.

How to Avoid Fake Renminbi

The earliest issues were silver coins produced at the Guangdong mint, known in the West at the time as Canton, and transliterated as Kwangtung, in denominations of 5 cents, 1, 2 and 5 jiao and 1 yuan. Banknotes were issued in yuan denominations from the 1890s by several local and private banks, along with banks established by the Imperial government. The RMB is the official currency of the People’s Republic of China and interprets people’s cash.

The PBOC allowed the yuan to trade on international markets as the Chinese economy began opening to the world market, but the floating exchange rate was still tightly controlled. Both the Qing dynasty and early Republican government circulated silver yuan coins and banknotes. The traditional character for yuan is also used in the currencies of other Chinese-speaking regions in the 2020s, including the New Taiwan dollar and the Hong Kong dollar. You can usually draw out cash from ATMs in major cities and even in some smaller towns. However, you must seek advice from your bank before you travel to China to access the applicable fees and to know about your eligibility to draw out cash abroad.

Cash and Digital Payments

In practical terms, individuals dealing with Chinese currency should be aware of the dual exchange rates (CNY and CNH), the impact of capital controls, and the global economic dynamics that influence the yuan’s value. This knowledge will help navigate financial transactions and investments involving China’s currency more effectively. The yuan (CNY), often referred to as the “kuai” in colloquial Chinese, is the primary unit of the renminbi. It is used in everyday transactions, similar to how dollars, euros, or pounds are used in their respective regions. The term “yuan” is also used internationally to denote China’s currency, particularly in the context of foreign exchange (forex) markets. The 1980s marked a turning point as China began to open up its economy to the rest of the world.

Current USD Exchange Rate: 23 Dollars in South African Rands

The currency is expected to be launched in the near future and is seen as a major step towards creating a more modern and efficient financial system in China. Although credit cards never took off in China, mobile payment apps have become the primary way to pay for things in major Chinese cities in recent years. Chinese companies like Tencent and Alibaba have been instrumental in the development and widespread adoption of mobile payment apps such as WeChat Pay and Alipay. The Chinese yuan renminbi is the currency used in the People’s Republic of China. Yuan is the actual unit of currency for China’s financial system and economy, representing a single unit of money. China’s national currency is issued by its central bank, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC).

• These names include the official ISO 4217 code CNY and the abbreviated form RMB.
• Then you could say, “This car costs 10 ounces of gold.” In this example, gold is the currency, and ounce is the unit.
• The RMB is the official currency of the People’s Republic of China and interprets people’s cash.
• The yuan is the name of the unit in which renminbi transactions are denominated, but also refers to the currency generally.
• After the revolution, in addition to the denominations already in circulation, “small money” notes proliferated, with 1, 2 and 5 cent denominations appearing.

Understanding the Chinese Yuan Renminbi (CNY)

So, if you are planning any travel to more rural provinces of China, you should make sure that you convert money before departing. That said, in certain instances, it may be possible to use certain foreign currencies like US dollars. However, the locations that 7 tips for beginner traders will accept US dollars are typically those that cater to foreign tourists, including large hotels and tourism operators. This article is part of our free series on foreign currency bank accounts. In the Republic of China, the common English name is the “New Taiwan dollar” but banknotes issued between 1949 and 1956 used “yuan” as the transliteration.6 More modern notes lack any transliteration.

However, the Chinese renminbi is often referred to using different names. These names include the official ISO 4217 code CNY and the abbreviated form RMB. To clarify, both CNY and RMB refer to the same currency, the Chinese renminbi.

All have in-depth knowledge and experience in various aspects of international banking. In particular, they have expertise in banking for foreigners, non-residents, and both foreign and offshore companies. In the following sections, we will provide a detailed overview of the renminbi, answer questions from our members, share the best ways to exchange renminbi after you touch down in China, and additional insights. These developments have led to intense speculation that the renminbi will soon become one of the major international currencies. The renminbi is sometimes called the “redback” by Western media, a play on “greenback”, which is used informally to describe the US dollar. Officially, China’s currency is the renminbi, which literally means “the people’s currency” in Mandarin.

In recent years, the Chinese government has been exploring the use of digital currency as a way to modernize its financial system and promote economic growth. The digital yuan, also known as the e-CNY, is a digital version of the Chinese currency designed for electronic payments and other financial transactions. After familiarizing yourself with the exchange rate with your home currency, it’s pretty easy to tell how much each note is worth. Instead, it is managed through a floating exchange rate, which means it is allowed to float in a narrow margin around a fixed base rate determined with reference to a basket of world currencies.

To help you with this, let’s take a look at how to exchange money into Chinese currency now. The official currency of China is the Chinese renminbi with the currency symbol ¥ (or RMB ¥) and ISO 4217 code CNY. That said, the renminbi is often referred to in the abbreviated form of RMB or as the basic unit of currency, the yuan. The renminbi has been legal tender in China since 1948, replacing the Nationalist-issued yuan.

When China’s economy gradually opened in the 1980s, the renminbi was devalued in order to improve the competitiveness of Chinese exports. Thus, the official exchange rate increased from ¥1.50 in 1980 to ¥8.62 by 1994 (the lowest rate on record). Improving current account balance during the latter half of the 1990s enabled the Chinese government to maintain a peg of ¥8.27 per US$1 from 1997 to 2005. China’s capital controls are a key element in understanding the yuan’s convertibility and international use. These controls include restrictions on currency exchange, limitations on the amount of money that can be moved in and out of the country, and regulations on foreign investment. The offshore rate, CNH, pertains to the trading of yuan outside mainland China, primarily in financial hubs like Hong Kong.