The live pound-to-dollar rate — also known as 'cable' — updated every minute. Book GBP→USD with SummitFX on WhatsApp and settle via SWIFT with transparent all-in pricing.
Use the tabs to view the last week, month, year, or five years of daily closing rates. The shaded band shows the high-low range for the period — a quick visual read on volatility.
Type in either box — enter a GBP amount to see what you'd get in USD, or enter a target USD amount to see how many pounds you'd need. Calculated at the live mid-market rate shown above.
Note: The rate shown is the live mid-market rate. Your actual executable rate includes a small spread — typically 0.3–0.7% at SummitFX vs 2–4% at a UK high street bank. We'll always show the full breakdown before you book.
GBP/USD — nicknamed 'cable' from the trans-Atlantic telegraph cable that first carried the quote — is one of the most traded currency pairs in the world. It moves on the relative interest rate paths of the Bank of England and the US Federal Reserve, inflation and growth data on both sides, and broader risk sentiment. Because USD is the world's reserve currency, GBP/USD also reflects global flows into or out of risk assets more than most sterling crosses.
Bank of England policy: The BoE's MPC sets UK interest rates (3.75% in early 2026). The gap between BoE and Fed policy is the dominant day-to-day driver of cable. When markets expect the BoE to stay higher for longer relative to the Fed, sterling strengthens against the dollar.
UK inflation and wage data: Hotter-than-expected CPI supports sterling by delaying BoE cuts. Wage growth data in particular matters to the MPC — sticky wages tend to support the pound.
UK growth and PMI surveys: GDP, retail sales, and PMIs move the pair when they surprise. Strong UK growth generally supports sterling; soft data weighs on it.
Political risk premium: UK political events — elections, confidence votes, budgets — can trigger outsized moves. Cable is particularly sensitive to sterling-specific risk because the dollar side is relatively stable as the reserve currency.
Global risk sentiment: In 'risk-off' episodes, investors flee to USD as a safe haven, pushing cable lower regardless of UK fundamentals. In 'risk-on' phases, sterling often outperforms. This is why cable can move sharply even when UK data is quiet.
Federal Reserve policy: The Fed sets US interest rates and is the single most influential central bank in global FX. Rate decisions, the dot plot at quarterly meetings, and Jerome Powell's press conferences can move cable significantly. The Fed's reaction function — how it weighs inflation vs employment — matters as much as its current rate.
US CPI and PCE: US inflation data is the primary driver of Fed expectations. The monthly CPI print is one of the two or three biggest data releases in global FX. PCE (the Fed's preferred inflation gauge) matters slightly less for market reactions but heavily for the actual policy path.
Non-farm payrolls: The monthly US jobs report (released first Friday of each month) is the single biggest scheduled FX event on the calendar. Strong payrolls support USD; weak readings undermine it. The accompanying unemployment rate and average hourly earnings are watched just as closely.
US Treasury yields: The 10-year Treasury yield is a cleaner real-time gauge of dollar strength than the Fed's headline rate. Rising yields attract global capital into dollar assets, pushing USD higher.
Geopolitics and safe-haven demand: USD tends to strengthen in global crises because it's the world's reserve currency and the most liquid asset. Wars, financial market stress, and political tail risks often push cable lower regardless of UK data.
The US is the UK's single largest national export market, worth around £200 billion a year across goods and services. British financial services, pharmaceuticals, and cars dominate the export mix; US tech services, IP licensing, and machinery dominate imports. Beyond trade, the UK-US investment corridor is one of the largest bilateral FDI relationships in the world, which generates constant two-way GBP/USD demand — dividend repatriation, cross-border M&A, and institutional portfolio flows all contribute to the liquidity that keeps cable's spreads tight.
GBP→USD settles via SWIFT through our correspondent banking network. Timing depends on US banking hours, the receiving bank's internal processing, and SWIFT network windows. Here's what to plan around when you book with SummitFX.
Three things most commonly cause GBP→USD transfers to slip past same-day:
Late GBP funding. We need your GBP in our account by 15:00 UK time for same-day USD release. This is earlier than our EUR cutoff because SWIFT processing windows close earlier. Aim to initiate your Faster Payment by 14:30 to leave buffer for bank-to-bank transit.
Receiving bank processing windows. Some US regional banks only post incoming SWIFT wires twice a day or only during US business hours. A wire released from London at 15:30 UK (10:30 New York) usually arrives mid-afternoon New York time — but a smaller bank might only process it the following US business day.
US federal holidays. Fed holidays close the Fedwire system entirely and delay SWIFT USD processing even if the UK is open. Mid-July (Independence Day), late November (Thanksgiving), and mid-January (MLK Day) are the usual suspects that catch people out when scheduling payments.
For tight USD deadlines — closing fees, invoice deadlines, payroll runs — we recommend booking the day before and letting the wire land in the US morning. Forward contracts are available if you want to fix today's rate for a payment due weeks or months from now.
GBP/USD is the corridor for UK residents and businesses with meaningful dollar-denominated obligations, plus anyone exposed to US assets or income. Common use cases:
UK buyers of US property — particularly in Florida, New York, and California — need USD at completion and then for ongoing property taxes, HOA fees, and maintenance. Forward contracts protect against rate moves during the often lengthy US closing process.
UK businesses sourcing software licences, branded goods, machinery, or professional services from US vendors. Most US invoices are USD-denominated, making this one of the most common B2B use cases we see. Tight spreads on recurring flow add up materially over a year.
UK residents holding USD-denominated stocks through brokerages like Interactive Brokers, Charles Schwab, or IBKR. Topping up accounts in GBP incurs a bank FX markup unless you convert in advance through a broker and wire USD directly.
UK-resident individuals and businesses with US tax filing obligations — people with a green card, dual nationals, or owners of US LLCs. IRS deadlines are fixed; a rate alert lets you pay in USD at a favourable rate rather than panicking at the deadline.
UK families with children studying at US universities face annual fee schedules in USD. Tuition payments are predictable enough to make forwards an obvious fit — lock in today's rate for next semester's fees.
UK-based SaaS, agency, and consulting businesses that invoice US clients in USD. Rather than leaving USD balances idle or converting at whatever rate the day brings, clients typically schedule weekly or monthly repatriation at rates they're comfortable with.
You can convert pounds to dollars through your bank, through a transfer app, or through a broker. Cable is a liquid, tight-spread pair — and for trades of any meaningful size, the difference in pricing shows up immediately.
Everything clients typically ask about sending pounds to dollars. Still have questions? Message us on WhatsApp — a real dealer, not a bot, will reply.
We never forecast — but we can frame the rate. Check the chart: if cable is near its 30-day high, you're buying dollars cheaper than the monthly average; if near the low, the opposite. Cable is a historically volatile pair, so waiting for the 'perfect' rate rarely pays off — a rate alert at your target gives you optionality without guessing.
UK banks typically mark up GBP/USD by 2–4% for retail customers. SummitFX spreads are 0.3–0.7% depending on size. On a £100,000 transfer that's a saving of £2,500–£3,500 in your favour. For larger amounts the gap in cash terms widens quickly.
Book and fund by 15:00 UK time on a business day and your USD typically credits the receiving US bank account the same day — most commonly in the US afternoon. SWIFT delivery timing depends partly on the receiving bank's processing; allow a few hours, or T+1 if you book late in the UK day.
Yes. A forward contract fixes today's GBP/USD rate for settlement up to 24 months ahead. You pay a deposit (typically 5–10% of the trade), then settle the balance on the delivery date. Common use cases: locking in USD tuition for next semester, hedging a US property completion, or fixing the rate on a quarterly payment to a US supplier.
No hard minimum — we handle trades from £500 to £5m+. Below around £5,000 the spread widens slightly to cover fixed execution costs. For small recurring payments a market order or standing arrangement is often more economical than ad-hoc bookings.
The rate shown on Google, XE, or the chart above is the mid-market rate — the midpoint of interbank buy and sell quotes. Nobody gets exactly that rate in practice. Banks add 2–4%, Wise around 0.4–0.6% on cable, SummitFX 0.3–0.7% — with the difference that our clients also get a named dealer and WhatsApp access rather than a self-serve portal.
Yes — always. This page streams the live rate continuously, and you can get a full quote on WhatsApp anytime by sending 'quote' — we reply in seconds with a live rate and the full breakdown on a specified amount. Zero obligation to book.
Your rate is locked the moment you reply CONFIRM on a quote. Even if cable swings 1% before your GBP clears to us, the rate you receive stays exactly as booked. This is the core reason to use a broker over a bank card or transfer app — those typically only lock the rate at the moment of final execution.
Message us on WhatsApp and we'll have a live executable rate back in seconds.