Exchange Money Safely in Lebanon: Dollars and Lira

Changing money in Lebanon is routine. Almost everyone carries both dollars and lira, and exchange shops are on every main street. Most transactions go fine. The ones that don't usually involve an unlicensed changer, a miscount, a fake note or a rate that was never checked. This guide is a practical checklist for residents, people visiting from abroad and anyone handling large amounts.

1. Know the rate before you go

Check the market rate first. Today it is 89,400 LBP (exchangers buy your dollars) and 89,700 LBP (exchangers sell you dollars). If you're unsure which number applies to you, read the Lebanese lira dollar rate explained.

Then do the arithmetic before you hand anything over.

Example: you want to change $300 and the buy rate is 89,400 (example). You should receive 300 × 89,400 = 26,820,000 LBP. If you're offered 26,400,000, the shop is effectively paying 88,000 per dollar, 1,400 below the market. That is about $4.70 lost on $300. Ask, or go elsewhere.

Our converter does this for any amount at today's market rate.

2. Use a licensed exchanger

Banque du Liban licenses exchange institutions (a sarraf, «صرّاف مرخّص») and publishes the list of licensed firms with their category on its website, bdl.gov.lb. In August 2026 BDL tightened the licensing rules (Basic Circular No. 6), with stricter requirements on capital and on the people behind each firm, and gave existing firms a period to comply.

Why it matters:

• A licensed shop has a fixed address and a licence it can lose, so it has a reason to treat customers fairly.
• Security forces have shut down illegal exchange firms, and BDL urges the public to deal only with licensed ones.
• If something goes wrong, you know who you dealt with.

If you're changing a large amount, check the shop's name against BDL's list first.

3. Avoid street changers

People standing on the pavement or at a car window offering a "better rate" are the classic risk. Common tricks:

• Short counts: the bundle is counted in front of you, then switched or folded so some notes are counted twice.
• Fake or withdrawn notes slipped into a bundle.
• Rate bait: a good rate is announced, then the amount handed over doesn't match it.

Even if the rate really is a little better, you have no recourse afterwards. On a typical amount, the difference is a few dollars. It isn't worth it.

4. Count, then count again

Lira payments involve big bundles. 26 million pounds is a thick stack of 100,000-pound notes. Take your time:

• Count at the counter, before you leave, out of sight of the street.
• Count by denomination: separate the 100,000s, 50,000s and so on.
• Prefer shops that use a counting machine, and watch the display.
• For dollars, count each note and look at both sides.

If the count is wrong, say so immediately. Once you've left the shop it is your word against theirs.

5. Check the notes

For dollar notes, the basic checks take seconds:

• Feel the paper: genuine notes have a slightly rough, raised print.
• Tilt the note: on newer $100 bills the blue 3D ribbon shows images that move, and the number in the bottom corner shifts colour.
• Hold it to the light: look for the watermark portrait and the security thread.

For lira notes, check that the notes are current and not badly damaged; torn or taped notes can be refused when you try to spend them.

6. Old $100 bills ("white" dollars)

Many people in Lebanon still hold pre-2013 $100 bills, the ones without the blue ribbon, often called "white" dollars. Some exchangers have refused them or charged a discount (reported at a few dollars per note) for taking them.

Banque du Liban has stated that refusing authentic old dollar bills, or charging a fee to accept them, has no legal basis. Genuine old US notes are still legal tender. In practice:

• Ask before you hand them over whether the shop takes old bills at the full rate.
• Keep your notes clean, flat and untorn. Damaged notes are the easiest to refuse.
• If a shop insists on a discount for genuine notes, try another licensed exchanger.

7. Peer-to-peer and USDT

Some people buy or sell dollars as USDT (a dollar stablecoin) through peer-to-peer markets on crypto platforms, or through WhatsApp and Telegram groups. These books matter for the rate: we use the Binance, OKX and Bybit P2P books to confirm the market price (see methodology). They usually trade a little above the cash rate.

As a way to move your money, though, P2P carries risks a licensed exchanger doesn't:

• Counterparty fraud: a buyer sends a fake payment confirmation, or reverses a transfer after you've released the coins.
• Impersonation: fake "support agents" and fake escrow in chat groups.
• Account freezes: a platform can freeze an account it links to suspicious funds, even if you did nothing wrong.
• No local recourse: if something goes wrong, there is rarely anyone in Lebanon to complain to.
• Hidden costs: platform fees, network fees and the premium over cash all vary.

If you use P2P at all, trade only inside the platform's escrow, with counterparties who have long histories, and never release funds before the payment is confirmed in your own account.

8. Large amounts and travel

• Split large exchanges over a few visits or ask the shop to arrange a time with fewer customers.
• Don't announce the amount while queuing.
• If you're arriving from abroad, change only what you need for the first days. With a stable rate, there's little to gain from changing everything at once, and each conversion costs you the spread.
• Keep receipts for large exchanges when the shop gives them.

Checklist

Do	Avoid
Check today's buy and sell rate	Exchanging without knowing the rate
Use a BDL-licensed exchanger	Street and car-window changers
Count at the counter, by denomination	Counting outside or on the move
Check dollar notes (ribbon, watermark)	Accepting torn or doubtful notes
Ask in advance about old $100 bills	Paying a "fee" for genuine old notes without asking elsewhere
Use P2P only with escrow, if at all	Releasing coins before payment arrives