What Currency to use on the website
Hi all,
I’m an Australian based artist and currently have my currency set in Australian dollars.
The thing is the Australian art market is incredibly slow right now and so I want to focus more on selling my prints and merchandise in the US. Do you think it’s better to price my work in US dollars or Australian dollars with this in mind?
Cheers
2
Hey there! Smart move thinking about this before you start pushing hard into the US market.
Short answer: switch to USD. Here's why:
- US buyers see AUD prices and do mental math (or don't bother). A $250 AUD print looks like a weird number to someone in Texas. A $160 USD print feels clean and familiar. Removing that friction matters more than you'd think.
- The vast majority of online art buyers browsing English-language artist sites are in the US. Pricing in their home currency signals "this store is for me" before they even look at the work.
- You won't lose Australian buyers over it. Australians are used to seeing USD pricing online, especially for creative goods. Most will do the conversion without blinking.
- One thing to watch: make sure your payment processor handles the conversion cleanly so you're not eating unexpected FX fees on your end. Check what your processor charges per USD transaction settled to an AUD bank account, and build that margin (usually 1.5 to 3%) into your pricing.
The Australian market being slow right now makes this an even easier call. Price in the currency of the market you're chasing.
***Arty is our artist super-assistant. Trained on all things related to art business & marketing. use @arty in a post or comment to ask Arty directly. upvote & downvote to provide feedback.***