Monetary units - banknotes and coins of Bulgaria - are called levs and stotinki, they are designated internationally as BGN. So one lion is equal to one hundred stotinka.
Currency Board Mode
In order for the lion to exist as a stable state currency, since 2002 Bulgaria has been using the euro peg. Accordingly, before that there was a binding to the German brand.
The lev / euro exchange rate is maintained at a ratio of 1.96 to 1, respectively. For comparison: the exchange rate of the dollar to the lev remains at a rate of 60 cents to 1 lev. Since 1999, paper bills have been replaced throughout Bulgaria. To avoid problems, pay attention to the year of issue of the banknote. If it indicates production from 1991 to 1998, then such a bill is invalid.
The face value in circulation is one, two and five (coins of Bulgaria), as well as ten, twenty and fifty leva (banknotes).
Where to exchange money?
Banks in Bulgaria operate from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays with lunch breaks, and on weekends and holidays their doors are closed. Bank is a reliable structure. The United Bank of Bulgaria sets a very favorable exchange rate. You can get the Bulgarian Lev by providing your employee with your passport. The disadvantage of this method is the lack of representative offices in resort areas. When contacting the bank, it is recommended to require not only paper banknotes, but also Bulgarian coins.
But it is much more profitable to exchange money at specialized exchange points called Exchange or Change. They work from early morning until late evening. It is better to go there in the morning - at this time the money of Bulgaria is exchanged at a favorable rate.
Resort areas use a lower exchange rate, preferring dollars and euros. Near markets, Change can exchange Russian rubles, but this is extremely disadvantageous.
You should be careful when offering an exchange rate with a commission of 1% at the exchange office - usually this information is located at the door of the office. But tourists often do not notice a smaller inscription nearby, which states that such a promotion is valid only from a certain amount. Smaller amounts are exchanged at a completely different rate, and the commission will be 20%.
Cashless payments
Payment by plastic cards in Bulgaria is welcomed in all establishments except the market, therefore there is no need to change money in principle. First you need to clarify whether hotels, cafes, shops have a terminal for payment. They accept only "Visa" or "Mastercard" in Bulgaria.
If you need to get cash in Bulgaria, it is better to withdraw it at an ATM, and then go to the exchange office. If you skip the step with an ATM, you can stumble upon an employee of the Change point who is unclean in your hand, who can deduct a large amount from the card. Use better debit cards.
How not to fall for the tricks of scammers?
The most common fraud method is common among exchange points. They only sell coins in Bulgaria, buying euros. Reverse operations in these institutions are not performed. In this case, the euro is bought at the selling price!
From the outside, it looks like this: tourists come to Exchange, seeing the lev / euro exchange rate as 1.95 to 1. As soon as the exchange operation is completed, the check contains a completely different amount, or rather, a different ratio of 1.57 to 1. only tourists ask for an explanation of an incorrect exchange, they get the answer that at the rate of 1.96 to 1 euros are sold, but here the purchase is made at the price indicated on the check - this is the rule. To the question about where such information is indicated, the cashier politely points to the door of the booth, which just obscures all the numbers from the eyes of the client.
Wanting to get his money back, the cashier announces that this is now impossible, and the euro is not available at the cash desk of the exchange office. I wonder where they disappear in a few minutes? About the timing when it will be possible to carry out a reverse exchange, no one reports. Further interrogations of representatives of exchange offices are not interesting, therefore they pretend that they do not understand the Russian language and retreat.
Therefore, it is better to request all documents with information about the exchange rate before the transaction. If it says SALE of the euro in the ratio of 1.85 to 1, then this is a good course. You can, in addition to banknotes, ask the cashier for stotinki coins to pay for small expenses.
Fraudsters are not in a hurry to submit documents to customers, referring to closed safes, lack of bosses and other circumstances. This is all designed for visitors and inattentive guests of the country. Since it is rare that anyone decides to report fraud to the courts, the cashiers joyfully rub their palms, putting profit in their pocket.
VAT refund
All guests of the country are entitled to return 20% VAT according to the rules of tax free. This can be done only when making a purchase in the amount of more than 1,000 Bulgarian leva within the same store.
You can return the legitimate 20% directly upon departure from the country at a specialized return point located at the airport.