People often ask themselves why, if the dollar is supposedly falling, they continue to pay the same prices at currency exchange offices.

These are two different markets and as such they operate with different prices: one is the official market which is based on the representative market exchange rate (TRM), which is the reference price for exporters and importers. What appears in newspapers and on the news is the TRM, but stores don’t operate based on these prices.

Everyday citizens can use this rate when it comes to transferring money internationally or paying credit cards, but not for purchasing the currency on the street.  Exchange stores can use the TRM as a starting point but aren’t regulated by it, each one sets its own price.