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Today's latest Post Office travel money exchange rates, updated 2 minutes ago at 7:20am

The Post Office have 55 currencies in stock and ready to order now. Buy online and get your currency delivered securely to your door, or collect your order from one of over 11,000 Post Office Bureau de Change branches across the UK.

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Post Office travel money rates

These are the latest Post Office exchange rates available right now. You must buy or reserve your currency online to guarantee these rates or you may be given a lower rate in-store.

Compare the Post Office's exchange rates

We compare hundreds of exchange rates from dozens of currency suppliers across the UK. Select a currency below to see how the Post Office's rates compare against other providers. Bear in mind that exchange rates aren't the only important factor when it comes to getting the best deal; commission, card surcharges and delivery costs can all affect the final amount of currency you'll receive. You can see the full range of currency deals on offer right now on our travel money comparisons .

The Post Office have a minimum order value of £400 for in-store collection and £400 for home delivery. The maximum amount you can order is £2,500 for collection and £2,500 for delivery. Delivery is free for orders over £500, otherwise a £4.99 delivery charge will apply.

Latest Post Office reviews

Our users have rated the Post Office Poor in 679 reviews. Read more on our Post Office reviews page.

Andrew Maclean

Absolutely shocked that they are willing to leave me homeless in London on my holidays because they blocked my card I have no access to any other funds and they refusing to call me or email me please can someone help me get a phone call from post off [...]

Read the full review

Garth Williams

We have had a PO Travel card for a few years which has worked fine. We are going away on Monday and have put more money on it, but the travel app doesn't work on my Android phone. I have uninstalled it and re-installed it, then it asks me to check my [...]

I attempted several times today to order currency but the system kept freezing. I took it to my local post office and they saw this for themselves but could not resolve the issue and then offered me an inferior exchange rate. I have made a complain [...]

The euro rate at the Post Office right now is 1.1369. You'll need to buy or reserve your euros online to guarantee this rate; the euro rate offered in your local branch may be lower if you don't order online beforehand.

On average, the Post Office's exchange rates are slightly lower than those offered by other high street brands such as Tesco and John Lewis . Many customers who buy their travel money with the Post Office do so because of the Post Office's brand name and convenient locations - there are over 11,000 Post Office Bureau de Change across the UK - but this convenience comes at a cost in the form of slightly lower exchange rates than those available elsewhere.

If you plan on buying your currency with the Post Office, the golden rule is to always reserve your currency online first so you get their online exchange rate. If you turn up and order over the counter at your local branch, you may be given a much lower rate. Ultimately, if you want the absolute best exchange rate on the market, better currency deals are usually available from other suppliers. Check out our travel money comparisons to find the best currency deals available right now.

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Delivery options, available branches and fees may vary by value and currency. Branch rates will differ from online rates. T&Cs apply .

• Order US dollars online and pick up in as little as 2 hours
• The more you buy the better the rate
• Have your US dollars delivered to your home or pick up in branch​

Win £5000 with Post Office Travel Money Card

A chance to win £5000 when you top up a new or existing Travel Money Card*. Offer ends 12 May

*Exclusive to travel money cards. Promotion runs 4 March to 12 May 2024. 1 x £5,000 prize available to be won each week. Minimum equivalent spend of £50 applies.

America awaits. Get your holiday money here

The Golden Gate Bridge, Jeff Bridges, Bridges of Madison County, Madison Square Gardens, the Garden State…even in a game of word association, the USA has too many iconic landmarks to list. And in a country so enormous and diverse, you’re going to need your holiday money to hand.

Whether that’s in cash or on a Travel Money Card (or both), get your travel money with us. You can order online before 2pm Monday to Friday and pick up your US dollars at a  participating branch  in as little as 2 hours. 

And if you come back with a few banknotes left over, we’ll even buy them back from you. We’ll refund you every cent within 28 days of purchase* if your holiday gets cancelled. Plus, don’t forget your travel insurance , available here too.

Get your US dollars with Post Office

Voted ‘Best Foreign Exchange/Travel Money Retailer’ by the UK public at the British Travel Awards 2022

Pick up US dollars within 2 hours of ordering

Order online for our best rates and get better rates the more you buy

Delivery is free on orders of £500 or more, or pay just £4.99 for deliveries of less

Use our refund guarantee if your holiday is cancelled within 28 days of purchase.  T&Cs apply

Or you can sell us back any currency notes you don’t spend

Get a Travel Money Card for cashless payments

And use our travel app to top it up, buy travel insurance and much more

Click and collect in branch

Order online by 2pm and pick up the same working day from your nearest participating branch.

Home delivery

Want to stay home? Order by 3pm and get your US dollars delivered the next working day.

Go digital in the USA

Get our Travel Money Card and top up with US dollars. Accepted anywhere you see the Mastercard® symbol.

What do things cost in the USA?

Our Post Office Travel Money Holiday Money Report looks at prices from some popular  destinations, including Orlando, Florida.

Cup of coffee

£2.33

£6.81

Family meal

£65.02

Costs are for Orlando in the USA and based on prices at the time of our last Holiday Money Report in 2023.

How far will your US dollars go?

The United States is vast and it’s common for specific tax laws to be decided at a federal level. That means pricing for individual items might differ by state

Destinations that are popular with tourists might see prices inflated compared to other areas, but this isn’t always the case

Remember that  travel insurance  – particularly with good medical cover – is vital if you’re going to the USA. We’ve lots of information on  what to expect in America

Some common questions

Where can i get us dollars.

Buying USD from a Post Office branch is simple. You can simply go into one of our branches that sells foreign currency. There are thousands, just use our branch finder to find your most convenient. You can order online for collection or delivery. Or you can load US dollars onto a Travel Money Card .

It’s very simple, and the US dollar is one of two currencies (the other being the euro) with the option to collect your travel cash in branch two hours after you’ve ordered it.

What is the US dollar?

The US dollar is the formal currency of the USA as well as the de facto currency of numerous other states and regions. It is the most traded currency in the world, as well as the currency most held in reserve.

The US dollar is a relatively stable currency, which has meant that some countries have introduced it at times when their own currency is volatile. Some countries, such as Lebanon, unofficially use US dollars in conjunction with their own tender. Other territories – for instance the British Turks and Caicos Islands – officially use the US dollar on the exchange too.

What countries use the US dollar?

Officially, the countries and territories that use the US dollar are: United States of America, American Samoa, British Virgin Islands, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guam, East Timor, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Palau, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, US Virgin Islands, Spanish Virgin Islands, British Indian Ocean Territory, Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba.

There are also many more countries whose currencies are fixed to the US dollar, meaning that they can use US dollars in everyday transactions and on the exchange.

Please note, though, that if you have a Post Office Travel Money Card and load it with US dollars, it will only be accepted within the USA itself. It can’t be used to pay in US dollars in other territories that use them as either an official or unofficial currency.

What denominations does the US dollar come in?

Each US dollar is divided into 100 cents. Coins come in 1 cent, 5 cent, 10 cent and 25 cent. These are called penny, nickel, dime and quarter respectively. Fifty-cent coins and one-dollar coins are still minted, however are seldom used in day-to-day tender.

Notes come in 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100. A 20-dollar coin is minted but – like a 50-cent coin – not in popular circulation. Like with many currencies, higher-value banknotes are occasionally minted but not submitted into circulation.

What are some words for dollars?

The USA has a colourful slang around its currency, and it can help to know some if you’re going. The most common is, of course, ‘buck’ – a reference to the deer (buck) skin trading that once underpinned the fledgling American economy. A single US dollar is very occasionally referred to as a ‘simoleon’, while banknotes in general can be called ‘greenbacks’. Both of these uses are fairly arcane.

A penny is the same as it is in the UK, a ‘nickel’ is a 5-cent coin, a ‘dime’ is a 10-cent coin and a ‘quarter’ is a 25-cent coin. A $100 bill is occasionally called a ‘Benjamin’ owing to the image of Benjamin Franklin on them.

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Visiting several countries on the same trip or as part of future travel plans? These other currencies might be of interest.

Post Office Travel Money Card is an electronic money product issued by First Rate Exchange Services Ltd pursuant to license by Mastercard International. First Rate Exchange Services Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales with number 4287490 whose registered office is Great West House, Great West Road, Brentford, TW8 9DF, (Financial Services Register No. 900412). Mastercard is a registered trademark, and the circles design is a trademark of Mastercard International Incorporated.

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You are here: Home / Blog / Post Office Travel Money: Exchange rate, Locations and Opening Times

Post Office Travel Money: Exchange rate, Locations and Opening Times

This guide covers all you need if you want to sort your travel money through the Post Office, including a look at how the Post Office exchange rate is calculated, and your options if you want to use the Post Office travel money card.

We’ll also take a look at how Wise and the Wise account can help you cut the costs of spending while you’re abroad, so you can make the most of your holiday.

Post Office exchange rate

Let’s start with the basics. Whenever you’re buying travel money you need to know the exchange rate which will be used to convert your pounds to euros, dollars or whichever other currency you might require.

Unfortunately, figuring out the exchange rates used by different providers can be a tricky affair. You’ll find different banks and currency services use different rates - and some providers like the Post Office also offer different exchange rates depending on the amount you want to convert.

To give an example , let’s look at the Post Office euro exchange rate, as well as the rate to switch to US dollars:

Exchange rates correct at time of research (24th November 2020)

As you can see, you get a progressively better exchange rate, the more you convert. However, it’s not quite that simple. These rates reflect the Post Office travel money online service only. If you’re using a Post Office travel card, or simply walk into a Post Office travel money bureau to switch your cash, you may get a different rate. Post Office branch exchange rates vary from one branch to another , too, depending on where the branch is located and competition.

The range of exchange rates out there is confusing. But the way to know if you’re getting a good deal or not is to compare the exchange rate you’re offered against the mid-market exchange rate for your currency. That’s the rate set by global currency markets, and the ones banks and exchange services get when they buy currency themselves. You can find the mid-market rate online using a Google search or reputable currency converter tool.

If the rate you’re being offered isn’t the same as the live mid-market rate you find online this probably means your provider has added a markup. This is an extra fee and makes it hard to see exactly what you’re paying for your travel money.

Avoid this by choosing a provider like Wise (formerly TransferWise) which uses the mid-market exchange rate with no markups, and charges transparent fees for currency conversion.

Post Office Click and Collect

With Post Office Click and Collect you can order your currency online. You’ll then be able to call into your Post Office exchange bureau to collect your travel money, or have it delivered to your home.

Here are the fees and delivery times for the Click and Collect service - where there is no upfront fee, you may be paying a charge wrapped up in the exchange rate used:

What are the fees for getting travel money with the Post Office?

The Post Office advertises 0% commission - which sounds like the only fee you’ll need to pay is the delivery fee for smaller orders brought to your doorstep.

Many banks and currency services use a sounding headline like ‘zero commission’ or ‘fee free travel money’ - but add a markup to the exchange rates offered to customers instead . This can mean you’re paying more than you think you are for your currency exchange.

Compare the exchange rates you find with the Post Office against the mid-market exchange rate to see if a markup has been added.

Save with Wise when you spend in any currency

A smart way to cut the costs of your travel money is to use Wise.

The simplest way to access great value currency exchange which uses the real mid-market exchange rate with no markup, is to open a free Wise account online.

You can top up your account in pounds and switch to the currency you need using your laptop or mobile device. Simply use your linked Wise debit card Mastercard to spend when you’re overseas - or you can choose to take out local currency using an ATM when you arrive instead.

It’s free to spend any currency you hold using your linked debit card, and you can withdraw up to the currency equivalent of £200 per month from ATMs abroad with no additional Wise fee. It’s simple, cheap and can make it much easier to access and manage your money while you travel.

Post Office travel money products

Here’s a run through of the basic services available from Post Office travel money. It’s worth knowing that not all services are available at all Post Office branches so you’ll need to check your local options online.

1. Post Office Click and Collect

Order up to £2,500 of foreign currency for collection or home delivery. Euros and US dollars can be picked up in as little as 2 hours, with 60 currencies usually available.

2. Post Office foreign exchange

You can buy currency in a Post Office without ordering in advance too - but availability may be limited so it makes sense to check if they’ll have what you need at your local Post Office branch. If your currency is not available immediately you can order for home delivery instead.

3. Post Office Travel Money Card

The Post Office also has a travel money card which lets you top up in 23 different currencies, and spend wherever you see the Mastercard logo. More on that in a moment.

Post Office travel money bureau - exchange locations

You can get a full list of every UK Post Office online - or use the search function which is available on the Post Office Travel Money website .

Post Office foreign currency London

Here are some of the major Post Office locations offering travel money services in central London - find more branches using the branch finder tool on the Post Office website .

Travel money card London

Travel money services are not available at every single Post Office in the UK. For that reason it’s worth checking the options at the branches near you before you head out.

In most cases, major branches offer travel money services as well as the Post Office travel money cards. You can find details about the services on offer by branch using the branch locator on the Post Office travel money website .

Post Office travel money online

Order your travel money online and select whether you want to collect it in branch or have it delivered to your home. You’ll be able to pay online using a card, although there may be additional fees - check with your own card provider.

Does the Post Office offer a travel money card?

You can get a Post Office travel money card, to top up and spend in foreign currencies as you travel. 23 popular currencies are available, so you can top up in pounds and then switch to the currency you need using the Post Office travel money app. The card is accepted anywhere you see the Mastercard logo.

Get your card online and have it delivered to your home, or apply in a Post Office branch for quicker service. You’ll need to take your ID documents along when you do this.

There are also some limits and fees you need to know about. Check out the full details online to see the minimum and maximum top up amounts and balance, as well as the costs when you make an ATM withdrawal. For example , if you withdraw in euros from an ATM there's a EUR2 charge per withdrawal - in USD you’ll pay $2.50 USD per withdrawal.

The Post Office travel money services are convenient and can largely be accessed online - but it’s well worth understanding the fees you’ll pay for getting your foreign currency. Look carefully at the exchange rates you can access through the Post Office, to see if there's a markup added to the mid-market exchange rate for your currency. This is an extra cost which can push the price of your travel money up unexpectedly.

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What Currency do you want to buy?

How much do you want to spend, what currency do you want to sell, how much do you want to sell, buy currency, sell currency, why use a travel money comparison site.

Have you ever started researching the best rates between different travel money providers?

We know it can be overwhelming: the different suppliers, their different offers and of course, the ever-changing currency exchange rates. It's a lot of information to process and compile!

Our comparison site takes the stress out of researching and does it all for you. FInd the travel money supplier that will get you the best rate today.

• ✓ Compare Travel Cash is a non-biased travel money comparison site.
• ✓ To ensure our independence, we always use transparent, objective and verifiable criteria in our comparisons.
• ✓ Our mission is to show you the best rates so you can save when buying your travel money.
• ✓ We constantly update our exchange rates as they change for each money exchange supplier, and whilst we try to do this in almost real-time, there will be times when our data is slightly out of date (in normal circumstances, not more than 5 minute). Our travel money comparison site is designed to save you money by showing you the latest rates.
• ✓ We check out all the companies we list, ensuring they are reputable suppliers and pass our standards before we list them.
• ✓ We value your privacy.  We do not sell your data - you don't even need to give us your information to use our site.  Even if you choose to, it is safe with us, we will never pass it on to third parties.
• ✓ You won't get cheaper rates if you go directly to the supplier, at times, we may have discounts and incentives that you would not get by going direct!
• ✓ We do sometimes make money - but we don't make it from you.  We will never add fees or commissions to the travel money rates on the site.

Frequently asked questions

It's a great idea to buy your currency online to ensure you get the best exchange rate. You can often get much better deals online compared to what you can find on the high street or the airport. In fact ccording to recent surveys, 9 out of 10 tourists find that exchanging money at airports is the most expensive option.

The best thing about buying your travel money online through a comparison site is seeing all currency prices in one place, so whether you are buying euros , buying dollars or other currencies you get the best rate for your travel money and more importantly save time!

The quickest way to get the best currency exchange rate is by using our comparison tool . We compare the latest information from all the best travel money providers in the market to show you the best currency exchange rates.

Keep an eye out for the following when searching for the best currency exchange deals so you can choose the best option for buying your holiday money:

• High exchange rate - The higher the exchange rate number, the more holiday money you will get to the pound
• Delivery Charges - different currency providers charge different amounts for delivering your holiday money to your door
• Special offer - We will let you know if the providers are offering travel money deals

Commission is the fee that travel money providers charge for the service to exchange your money into foreign currency . The charge is usually included in the exchange rate they advertise. You will see that many foreign exchange companies advertise 0% commission, they are still charging you by including the charge in the rates.

All the travel money prices we quote include any fees and commissions, including delivery!

The simple answer is yes! Usually, the minimum order amount for foreign currency is £100, and the maximum is usually £7,500, although some providers allow you to exchange more.

Travel money is normally sent via special delivery service with Royal Mail. Travel cash orders worth more than £2,500 will be sent via a courier or multiple Royal Mail packages. This is for insurance reasons, making sure your travel money is safe.

This depends on the currency provider. Some providers offer next-day delivery, sending your travel money using Royal Mail's Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm service. There will be an extra cost for this and you can see how much when you compare the holiday money prices.

Don't forget, many foreign currency providers also allow you to pre-order currency and you can collect it in store, this means you can avoid delivery charges.

Most do, any holiday money that you have leftover after your trip abroad can be sold using a buy-back service that will convert it back to pounds. Our comparison tool will show you the providers offering the best buy-back rates .

Every few of minutes we compare the exchange rates and latest currency deals from the best travel money providers in the UK. You can see instantly who is offering the best deals and choose a service that suits your needs best.

Also, if you've come home from a trip abroad and have leftover currency, we compare many foreign currency buy back companies, showing the best rates to convert your foreign currency back into pounds.

Hundreds of customers order travel money through our site daily and have a great experience. However, as with ordering anything online, the process is never completely risk-free and you should always take care when transfering money to any company.

We undertake comprehensive checks on all of our providers and monitor them to make sure they meet our high standards and continue to do so. Having said that, no company is guaranteed not to come into trouble and we cannot guarantee the solvency of any of the providers listed on our website. We always recommend that you conduct your own due diligence before placing an order with any company.

There are many destinations where taking some local currency is extremely useful to make sure you are covered in places where credit cards are not accepted. Many of the smaller retailers globally will not allow credit cards, so cash is the only option.

Read our blog post on taking cash on holiday .

The best time to buy any travel money is when the pound is performing strongly relative to the currency you are buying, this means it will have a higher exchange rate, so will give you more currency for your money. The amount you receive is calculated by multiplying the exchange rate by the amount of pounds you want to spend, so the higher the exchange rate, the more foreign currency you get.

Exchange rates are constantly changing but we show you the historical exchange rate performance for each of the currencies so you can have more of an idea of whether now is a good time to buy your travel money.

Exchange rates tend to be very similar wherever you are in the world to those offered in the UK, however waiting until you are away means you may be stuck with poor exchange rates, fewer options of places to offer competitive rates or even worse, you may have to pay big additional fees and commissions. By buying your travel money in the UK there are no hidden fees, charges or nasty surprises, you know exactly how much you are getting.

Once you have found the best rate, place an order on the currency suppliers’ site, and pay for your currency.Each currency supplier has different payment options, including bank transfer, debit card, with some suppliers offering payment by Apple pay and Android pay. Once your order has been confirmed your order will be prepared and your currency sent to you by registered delivery, some suppliers even offer next-day delivery.

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April 9, 2024

U.S. Postal Service Recommends New Prices for July 2024

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WASHINGTON, DC — Today, the U. S. Postal Service filed notice with the Postal Regulatory Commission of mailing services price changes to take effect July 14, 2024. The new rates include a 5-cent increase in the price of a First-Class Mail Forever stamp from 68 cents to 73 cents.

The proposed adjustments, approved by the governors of the Postal Service, would raise mailing services product prices approximately 7.8 percent. If favorably reviewed by the commission, the price changes would include:

The additional-ounce price for single-piece letters increases from 24 cents to 28 cents. The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for Special Services products, including Certified Mail and money order fees. Notably, there will be no price increase for Post Office Box rental fees, and the Postal Service will apply a price reduction of 10 percent for postal insurance when mailing an item.

As changes in the mailing and shipping marketplace continue, these price adjustments are needed to achieve the financial stability sought by the organization’s Delivering for America 10-year plan. USPS prices remain among the most affordable in the world.

The commission will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. The complete Postal Service price filing, with prices for all products, can be found on the commission’s website under the Daily Listings section . The Mailing Services filing is Docket No. R2024-2. The price tables are also available on the Postal Service’s Postal Explorer website at  pe.usps.com/PriceChange/Index .

Postal Products

Customers may purchase stamps and other philatelic products through the Postal Store at usps.com/shopstamps , by calling 844-737-7826, by mail through USA Philatelic or at Post Office locations nationwide. For officially licensed stamp products, shop the USPS Officially Licensed Collection on Amazon .

The United States Postal Service is an independent federal establishment, mandated to be self-financing and to serve every American community through the affordable, reliable and secure delivery of mail and packages to 167 million addresses six and often seven days a week. Overseen by a bipartisan Board of Governors, the Postal Service is implementing a 10-year transformation plan, Delivering for America , to modernize the postal network, restore long-term financial sustainability, dramatically improve service across all mail and shipping categories, and maintain the organization as one of America’s most valued and trusted brands.

The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

For USPS media resources, including broadcast-quality video and audio and photo stills, visit the USPS Newsroom . Follow us on Twitter , Instagram , Pinterest and LinkedIn . Subscribe to the USPS YouTube Channel and like us on Facebook . For more information about the Postal Service, visit usps.com and facts.usps.com .

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• David P. Coleman [email protected]

Printable version

Post Office wants to hike stamp prices for 5th time in 3 years to make up for ‘defective’ pricing system

The U.S. Postal Service signaled plans Tuesday for a rate increase that includes hiking the cost of a first-class stamp from 68 cents to 73 cents, part of an overall 7.8% increase to take effect this summer.

The request was made to the Postal Regulatory Commission, which must approve the proposed increase that the Postal Service contends is necessary to achieve financial stability. If approved, the 5-cent increase for a “forever” stamp and similar increases for postcards, metered letters and international mail would take effect July 14.

U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy previously warned postal customers to get used to “ uncomfortable ” rate hikes as the Postal Service seeks to become self-sufficient. He said price increases were overdue after “at least 10 years of a defective pricing model.”

In its filing, the Postal Service said it’s also seeking price adjustments on special services such as money order fees and certified mail. But there will be no price increase for post office box rentals, and postal insurance will be reduced by 10% when items are mailed, the postal service said.

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Money latest: Spotify to hike subscription price by up to £24 a year

Spotify has announced it is hiking its subscription prices by up to £24 a year. Read this and the rest of today's consumer and personal finance news in the Money blog, and leave a comment in the form below.

Thursday 11 April 2024 07:15, UK

• Spotify to hike subscription price by up to £24 a year
• Minimum income for family visa rises by £10,000
• Britons can now 'work from home' in Italy for a year
• Wendy's creating 400 jobs as part of UK expansion
• Britons are buying homes, having babies, getting married and retiring later - but one key life event is happening earlier
• Could I build a home gym for less than my gym membership?
• Basically...  Tax codes
• Cheap Eats : Great British Menu legend shares ultimate toastie recipe

Ask a question or make a comment

How old is the average Briton when they buy their first home, or finish paying their mortgage, or retire?

These are some of the questions answered in a "Journeying Through Life" data dump from the Office for National Statistics.

Here are some of the key takeaways...

Home ownership

People are buying homes later in life, perhaps unsurprisingly given how house prices have risen in the last decade or so.

In 2022, more than half of people owned their own home (either with a mortgage or outright) by the age of 36. 

That's a significant increase on 2004's figures - which showed the average age for home ownership was 32. 

This graph shows what proportion of people own homes at what age.

It isn't all doom and gloom on the homes front, however, with the age at which people own their home outright (ie mortgage paid off) dropping from 63 (in 2004) to 61 in 2020. 

This is pretty much the only life event happening earlier, however.

Retiring later

Again, this probably won't come as a huge surprise, but people are retiring later. 

The age where more than half of people were retired increased from 64 in 2011 to 66 in 2021. ​

There has been a bigger increase in average retirement age for women (from 61 years in 2011, to 66 years in 2021) than for men (from 65 in 2011 to 66 in 2021). 

The ONS says this is because the state pension age for women was increased from 60 to 66 during this time to match men.

Gender pay gap shrinking but still present

The latest data shows that men are still, on the whole, being paid more than women - although the gender pay gap is shown to be shrinking. 

For all employees, the gender pay gap was 14% in 2023 - compared with 20% in 2013.

Despite the gap shrinking, this graph shows that men's hourly wages are higher than women's at nearly all ages. 

The grey shaded area represents the pay gap. 

Another part of the data shows that males start work a touch earlier than women - with half of males in full-time employment by the age of 23 (compared with females at 24) in 2021. 

That data could be explained by the fact that more women attend university - some 319,000 females compared with 285,000 males in 2022.  

Moving out, marrying and having children

The age at which young people move out of their family homes is increasing, too.

In 2011, half of people were not living with their parents at the age of 21 - compared with 24 in 2022. 

More men live with their parents than women, with 61% of adults living at home in 2021 were male.

When it comes to having children, the average age at which women have their first baby has risen to 29.

That's up from an average of just 23 in 1970. 

And finally, marriage.

The median age at first marriage has been steadily increasing since the 1960s. 

For opposite sex couples married in 2020, the median age was 32 years for men and 30 years for women. For those entering into same-sex marriage, the median age was older, at 36 years for men and 32 years for women.

As well as getting married older, fewer people are getting married. In 2019, marriage rates had fallen to their lowest on record. For men, there were 18.6 marriages per 1,000 never-married men; for women, there were 17.2 marriages per 1,000 never-married women.

Spotify has announced it is hiking its subscription prices by up to £24 a year.

It is the second time in less than a year that the music streaming giant has increased its prices.

Here's how the prices will change...

Individual: £11.99 a month (up from £10.99 a month)  

Duo: £16.99 a month (up from £14.99 a month)  

Family: £19.99 a month (up from £17.99 a month) 

When will the change kick in?

The subscription price will change from May and if you are an existing customer Spotify will email you and give you one-month's notice of the change.

If you are on a free trial you will pay the old price for one month once your trial ends.

A Spotify spokesperson told Sky News: "So that we can keep innovating and delivering value to fans, the music industry, and creators on our platform, we occasionally update our prices. 

"We've begun communicating with existing subscribers in the UK to explain what this means for their account."

American burger chain Wendy's will be recruiting for over 400 job roles as part of its expansion across the UK.

The chain returned to the UK in 2021 after a 20-year break and has since opened just over 30 sites, including drive-throughs in Colchester, Peterborough, Derby and Brampton Hut.

But the chain, which was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969, plans to open a further nine sites this year in Liverpool, Middlesbrough, and a second location in Sheffield.

New locations will include Liverpool, Middlesbrough and a second site in Sheffield.

Wendy's franchisee GH Burgers will open a first restaurant in Wood Green, London, this year.

There will also be restaurants in Southend-on-Sea, Colchester, Cambridge and Newcastle.

Michael Clarke, UK managing director for the Wendy's Company, told The Caterer : "We've seen great momentum in building Wendy's fandom in the UK, and the love and excitement for this iconic brand grows stronger with each new restaurant opening."

Changes to visa rules costing people thousands of pounds extra "destroy the notion of the UK as a place where families can thrive", campaigners have said.

The minimum income for family visas rises by more than £10,000 to £29,000 today. 

It will rise further to £38,700 early next year. 

Reunite Families UK claimed the values of family and love are being treated as "as yet another political football to be sacrificed in order to receive better poll or electoral results".

The government says the plans offer "an accelerated and comprehensive programme of reforms" to address "unsustainable" levels of legal migration to the UK.

Justifying its plans, the Home Office said the minimum amount had remained unchanged for more than a decade, and the new measures will help ensure families are self-sufficient and not relying on public funds.

'We just want to be with our families'

Argentinian Eugenia Morales said the uncertainty around her and her baby daughter being able to reunite with her husband in the UK had taken a toll.

The 30-year-old has been with her partner Connor White for three years but is unsure whether - after having their daughter in Argentina - she will be able to join him in England.

She said Mr White, who is based in West Sussex, cannot leave his eldest child from a previous relationship and has been working weekends in his construction job to try to boost his income to the required amount to sponsor his wife.

Ms Morales said she would be looking for a job in the UK and would not have access to benefits while applying on the family visa route anyway.

She told the PA news agency: "We don't want to be a burden to the [welfare] system, we just want to be with our families.

"It's an awful situation. We want to be together, we want the girls to grow up together but this is making it totally impossible."

Caroline Coombs, co-founder of Reunite Families UK, said people are feeling "punished" and "excluded" by the new rules.

Ms Coombs said: "This increase, together with the ones which will come into force in the next 12 months, destroy the notion of the UK as a place where families can thrive."

Athletics will become the first sport to introduce prize money at the Olympics this summer.

World Athletics, the international athletics federation, says it will pay Olympic gold medal winners $50,000 at the Paris games.

The athletics governing body said it is setting aside $2.4m (£1.89m) to pay the gold medallists across 48 events at Paris' track and field programme.

Read the full story here ...

The tweet below on the price of olive oil has gone viral - so we thought it was a good opportunity to resurface our feature from March that explains what's going on.

At the time, our  spending calculator  revealed the average price of a 500ml bottle of olive oil had risen from £3.54 in January 2021 to £7.45 now - an eyebrow-raising jump of 110.5%.

We spoke to experts about why - and here's what we learned...

Groves becomes graveyards

We start in Italy, where, according to a  survey by the polling firm Istituto Piepoli , 45% of consumers have rediscovered seed oil in the kitchen, and the industry is facing an existential crisis.

Mike Carlucci, managing director of the Italian food importer  Tenuta Marmorelle , says production in parts of Italy is becoming impossible due to a natural disaster that has nothing to do with the climate.

"The events of the past 10 years have made olive oil production in Puglia [which produces 40% of Italy's olive oil] almost impossible," he said. "This is due to the rising bacteria disease Xylella Fastidiosa."

The disease attacks and kills century-old olive trees, severely diminishing yields.

It spreads about 20km to 25km a year, Mike says, leaving a "graveyard of withered and barren trees which were once stunning beautiful olive groves".

Many producers have been forced to replace their trees with more resilient varieties but...

"Even if the new trees manage not to succumb to Xylella, it will be at least nine to 12 years before they produce a notable amount of oil," says Mike.

While prices are up across the continent, in the UK another factor is in play: Brexit.

"The cost of customs documentation leaving Europe and entering the UK is approximately £95 per shipment," says Mike.

"Transporters have all imposed a Brexit surcharge for extra admin duties performed by them in the importation of goods from Europe."

Pallets coming into the UK from the continent are now subject to more stringent fire resistance rules - meaning the cost of pallets has "tripled, even in some cases quadrupled".

'Never had a shortage like it'

Another issue, as has been widely reported, are the wildfires and droughts in southern Europe last year.

These weather events have lead people to extreme measures, according to Sarah Vachon, olive oil sommelier and founder of  citizensofsoil.com .

"You can ask the elders in the villages in Greece and they've never had a shortage like this," she says.

"I see lots of producers selling their previous harvest's oils, since they're able to get a high price for it and might have held on to it over the year. 

"This means the consumer is not getting fresh EVOO. And when it's not fresh, it not only loses its flavour, but it also loses a lot of the health benefits (namely antioxidants like polyphenols) which drop significantly over time."

On top of climate change, there's a flood of cheap sunflower oil coming from Ukraine - so while the price of olive oil is going up, the cost of alternatives are going down.

200 trees stolen overnight

The result is an industry in crisis - and organised criminals are taking advantage.

"Around half of the farmers I work with have a story to tell about thieves stealing their liquid gold," says Sarah.

"Sometimes it's the oil itself, or the olive fruit at the groves, or even an insane story from one of our producers about thieves coming in the night and uprooting 200 freshly planted trees."

Maria Dawson, managing director of the organic food seller Clearspring, says the industry is seeing "some of the lowest levels of olive oil production for five decades and unfortunately a shortage of supply".

The company has managed to secure a stable supply for the coming year, but Maria expects the market to remain uncertain - with no price reductions in the near future, even if 2025 brings better harvests.

Olive oil sommelier Sarah isn't hopeful, either.

"Olive oil is already facing record prices, and the way the climate is changing across the Mediterranean basin (which is warming 20% faster than the rest of the world), the shortages we've seen will likely continue."

Euan Blair's apprenticeship company Multiverse will use AI to pick prospective job applicants.

The son of the former prime minister Sir Tony Blair has bought talent intelligence platform Searchlight, whose artificial intelligence technology claims to identify candidates for job vacancies four times more effectively than traditional methods, for his firm.

It does this by removing the biases and assumptions that may affect decisions by managers and then shortlisting candidates.

According to Searchlight's website it reduces "unconscious bias" with "impartial AI algorithms designed to catch what the human eye may miss".

It also provides "rigorous analysis" of work experience and hard and soft skills.

Mr Blair said what often held companies back was "the gap between the transformation they want to see, and the skills that will unlock it".

"Searchlight's AI, platform, and exceptional talent will allow us to better diagnose the skills needed within companies and deliver impactful solutions," he said.

Multiverse was founded by Mr Blair in 2016 and has since grown across the UK and US.

It works with more than 1,500 companies, including Microsoft, Citi and Just Eat, and has trained more than 16,000 apprentices.

Premier League club Crystal Palace has come under fire after a bereaved fan was told he would need to pay extra to transfer his late father's season ticket to another member of his family. 

Haris Armstrong said his sister, to whom the season ticket would be transferred, would've had to pay extra for the ticket - something the club later put down to poor communication. 

"I was told that I actually would not be able to renew my dad's seat on the early bird offer and that as it was my sister's first ST, she would be charged at a higher rate," Mr Armstrong said in a post on X.

He was also told that loyalty points accrued by his father over many years were non-transferrable when he asked that they be given to his sister. 

The Palace fan said there was "essentially no mechanism to transfer an ST upon someone's death. The surviving family get penalised and have to pay more money."

Mr Armstrong's post went viral and has been widely discussed by fellow fans online. 

He accused the club of looking to "financially capitalise on someone's death". 

Mr Armstrong labelled the handling of his request "careless, greedy and insensitive" and an "absolute disgrace".   

After we reached out to the club, Crystal Palace spoke to Mr Armstrong, who issued a subsequent clarification. 

He said he was told the "price issue was an admin/staffing error and apparently early bird tickets should always be offered when fans pass away". 

Mr Armstrong also said he and the club discussed bereavement policy "so things like this don't happen again".

Crystal Palace told Sky News: "We are very sorry for the loss of Mr Armstrong's father and we send our condolences to his family. 

"The club's policy in these circumstances is to allow the friend or family member who is part of a group to retain the seat for another friend or family member on the same terms if they want to keep it. 

"Mr Armstrong's father did not take advantage of the early bird discount but paid in monthly instalments; however, if the family member taking the seat prefers to use the early bird discount, then we are happy for them to do so. 

"We apologise if this was not communicated clearly.

"Regarding loyalty points, the policy has been [that] these do not transfer as they are linked to a named individual; however, in the light of these circumstances we will review this. In any event, supporters can buy an away season ticket to guarantee every game."

US inflation increased more than expected in March - in a blow for hopes of an imminent interest rate cut.

Americans paid more for gasoline and rental housing in the month, helping push consumer price rises to 3.5% - up from 3.2%.

It is a stark warning to other economies that the path back to the internationally recognised 2% target is not always smooth.

Financial markets now anticipate the Federal Reserve will delay cutting interest rates until September. 

Profits at Tesco have reached £2.83bn - up more than £300m from a year earlier - as the UK's largest supermarket group said it had brought down prices.

More people are shopping at  Tesco , due to improved product value and quality, the company said.

Profits topped £2.83bn last year, up from £2.5bn a year earlier, while the amount of money Tesco took in was also up.

For the last four months, one of the biggest talking points in the betting and gaming industry has been who will become the next chief executive of Entain, the FTSE-100 combine whose businesses include Ladbrokes, Coral, Gala Bingo, Bwin and BetMGM.

The post was vacated when, 11 days before Christmas, the  former incumbent Jette Nygaard-Andersen unexpectedly resigned  with immediate effect.

Since then, the job has been done on an interim basis by Stella David, former chief executive of William Grant & Sons, the Scotch whisky group behind brands such as The Balvenie and Glenfiddich - but the hunt remains ongoing for a permanent CEO.

One of the favourites for the role has now ruled himself out.

Richard Flint, who is well regarded in the industry after his successful stint as chief executive of Sky Betting and Gaming, set tongues wagging when he recently announced he was stepping down as a non-executive director of Flutter Entertainment, the new owner of SkyBet and parent of Paddy Power and Betfair.

However, Mr Flint has told Sky News he is not seeking another executive position.

Read business presenter Ian King's full story here ...

A British diamond manufacturer has had its adverts banned for not making clear its gems are synthetic.

The ads for Skydiamond had the headline: "Say hello to the world's first and only diamond made entirely from the sky."

In small text below, the company said it made diamonds using the four natural ingredients of the "sun, wind, rain" and "atmospheric carbon".

"Now that we can mine the sky, we never need to mine the earth again," it read.

Skydiamond also responded to a question on its FAQ page about whether they were real diamonds with: "Skydiamond is a perfectly formed real diamond."

The adverts sparked a complaint from the Natural Diamond Council, which believes the gems are lab-created, but the Sky Mining Company, which trades as Skydiamond, said they made clear they were not naturally occurring or mined from the earth.

The Advertising Standards Authority sided with the Natural Diamond Council.

"We considered that while some consumers may have been aware that synthetic diamonds could be manufactured or created in a laboratory, many would not," it said.

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Billion-dollar industry: Erie County tourism growing as visitor spending is on the rise

Tourists are bringing and spending money when they visit Erie.

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office detailed in its 2022 visitor data report that people visiting Erie spent $1.03 billion in different categories from food and beverage to lodging and more.

For the Pennsylvania Great Lakes Region, which consists of Erie, Crawford, Mercer and Venango counties, visitor spending rose 13% at $1.75 billion which surpassed the pre-pandemic levels and exceeded numbers reported from 2016-2022.

Whether it's for festivals, sporting events, concerts or just curiosity in the region, people are finding reasons to visit northwestern Pennsylvania.

“These findings highlight the pivotal role tourism plays in strengthening Pennsylvania's economy," John Oliver, CEO of VisitErie stated in a news release. "With one in 10 jobs in Erie County connected to hospitality, tourism dollars support essential services, including transportation, infrastructure, education, and public safety programs. Without this contribution, every household in Pennsylvania would bear an additional tax burden of $880."

How are visitors spending their money?

Here is a breakdown of counties that makes up the Pa. Great Lakes Region and how visitors are spending money:

• Total: $1.0388 billion
• Lodging: $121.8 million
• Food and beverage: $229.4 million
• Retail: $187 million
• Recreation: $219.9 million
• Transportation: $280.8 million

More: It's totally happening April 8 in Erie, Pa. Check out these solar eclipse viewing events.

• Total: $257.4 million
• Lodging: $13 million
• Food and beverage: $61.7 million
• Retail: $41.9 million
• Recreation: $39.4 million
• Transportation: $101.4 million
• Total: $309.8 million
• Lodging: $33.8 million
• Food and beverage: $74.4 million
• Retail: $58.9 million
• Recreation: $57.9 million
• Transportation: $84.9 million
• Total: $147.8 million
• Lodging: $10.1 million
• Food and beverage: $26.3 million
• Retail: $21 million
• Recreation: $21.7 million
• Transportation: $68.7 million

An increase in spending from 2021

How do the numbers compare to the 2021 report? Here is the 2021 tourist spending report:

• Total: $927.7 million
• Lodging: $109.8 million
• Food and beverage: $209.3 million
• Retail: $179.3 million
• Recreation: $180 million
• Transportation: $24.93 million
• Total: $220.3 million
• Lodging: $11.7 million
• Food and beverage: $53.8 million
• Retail: $38.8 million
• Recreation: $32.2 million
• Transportation: $83.8 million
• Total: $270 million
• Lodging: $27.8 million
• Food and beverage: $64.8 million
• Retail: $57.2 million
• Recreation: $46.9 million
• Transportation: $73.1 million
• Total: $127.8 million
• Lodging: $8.6 million
• Food and beverage: $22.7 million
• Retail: $19.7 million
• Transportation: $59.6 million

More: Erie is expecting heavy traffic for the April 8 solar eclipse, and not just on our roads

Erie tourism numbers back in swing post-pandemic

The numbers are showing that Erie is back on track in the tourism industry following the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lowest total amount for spending in the Great Lakes Region was $1.228 billion in 2020 around the start of the pandemic.

"It continues to show that Erie has come out of the pandemic stronger than before it," Oliver said. "It shows that we're reaching and able to convince visitors that Erie is a place they should vacation at and it's evident that they are coming here to vacation and spending their dollars here benefiting our economy."

An increase in spending and job creations

The Great Lakes Region has seen spending flex from $1.665 billion in 2016 to $1.754 billion in 2022. The highest amount of visitor spending was reported in 2022.

"Certainly we would like to see spending across all categories," Oliver said. "That occurs when we are successful in attracting more visitors to the area."

For the visitor spending and employment unit of the report, the Great Lakes Region increased by 766 jobs at a 6% increase. Erie County has seen a 92.9% increase in this category since 2019. Erie County in 2022 reported 7,414 jobs supported by visitor spending in 2022.

"We're able to see the numbers on a month to month basis," Oliver said. "We're seeing on average over the course of a year over 13,000 people in Erie County that are employed in hospitality businesses."

Gov. Shapiro calls for increased funding for tourism

Gov. Josh Shapiro is calling for a $15 million increase in tourism funding in his 2024-25 budget proposal, as stated in the Pennsylvania Office of Tourism news release.

This increase would support nearly 500,000 Pennsylvanians who work in the travel and tourism industry creating a major investment to drive economic growth, leading to new businesses and jobs.

Oliver said he was encouraged by the call for increased funding.

"It wasn't that many years ago that Pennsylvania was being funded at a level of two million dollars," Oliver said. "To see the additional dollars be recommended I think shows that the governor understands and recognizes the important role that tourism plays in the overall economy for Pennsylvania."

Contact Nicholas Sorensen at [email protected] .

USPS recommends new prices

The changes are slated to take effect in july.

USPS has notified the Postal Regulatory Commission of mailing services price changes to take effect Sunday, July 14.

The proposed adjustments, approved by the Postal Service governors, would raise mailing services product prices approximately 7.8 percent.

The commission will review the changes before they are scheduled to take effect. If favorably reviewed, the changes would include:

• Letters (1 ounce): 68 cents (current), 73 cents (planned)

• Letters (metered 1 ounce): 64 cents (current), 69 cents (planned)

• Domestic postcards: 53 cents (current), 56 cents (planned)

• International postcards: $1.55 (current), $1.65 (planned)

• International letters (1 ounce): $1.55 (current), $1.65 (planned)

The additional-ounce price for single-piece letters would increase from 24 cents to 28 cents.

The Postal Service is also seeking price adjustments for Special Services products, including Certified Mail and money order fees.

There will be no price increase for PO Box rental fees, and USPS will apply a price reduction of 10 percent for postal insurance when mailing an item.

The price adjustments are needed to achieve the financial stability sought by the Postal Service’s Delivering for America 10-year plan. USPS prices remain among the most affordable in the world.

The complete USPS price filing can be found on the commission’s website. Price tables are also available on the Postal Explorer website.

Post-story highlights

More to read.

Reshaping the Postal Service

The PMG discussed the organization’s future during a recent speech

USPS reports first-quarter financial results

Operating revenue grew to $21.6 billion

New prices will take effect Jan. 21

USPS announced the changes last fall

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U.S. Postal Service Proposes Raising Stamp Prices Again

If a regulatory body approves, a nearly 8 percent rise in postage will take effect in July. It would be the latest of several price hikes since 2021.

By Mike Ives

The United States Postal Service on Tuesday proposed an overall increase of nearly 8 percent on the price of postage, the latest in a series of stamp hikes over the past three years.

The new prices would take effect in July, pending approval from an independent regulatory commission. Among other changes, a Forever stamp would cost 73 cents instead of 68 cents, and the price of a domestic postcard would rise to 56 cents from 53 cents.

The proposed changes, like several others since 2021, are part of the service’s 10-year plan to raise prices and slow some deliveries, among other measures, to try to recoup $160 billion in projected losses over a decade.

The Postal Service has faced financial issues for years because, for years, it was required to fund retiree health care benefits for its employees in advance. It’s also facing headwinds, like other postal services globally, as fewer people send mail. Its operations are generally not funded by tax revenues.

The price hikes proposed on Tuesday would need to be approved by the Postal Regulatory Commission , an independent agency in Washington that oversees the Postal Service.

A picture caption with an earlier version of this article misstated the size of the U.S. Postal Service’s projected losses over a decade. The figure is $160 billion, not $160 million.

Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article misstated the status of a requirement that the Postal Service fund retiree health care benefits for its employees in advance. That requirement was canceled in 2022.

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Mike Ives is a reporter for The Times based in Seoul, covering breaking news around the world. More about Mike Ives