What currency does Australia use?
Australia uses the Australian dollar, written as AUD or with the symbol $. One dollar is divided into 100 cents. The currency was introduced in 1966, replacing the Australian pound.
Australian banknotes come in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100. They are made from polymer, a type of plastic, which makes them durable and hard to counterfeit. Australia was the first country to issue a full series of polymer notes.
Coins come in 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, plus gold-colored $1 and $2 coins. One and two cent coins were withdrawn in 1992, so cash prices are rounded to the nearest five cents.
Using money in Australia
Card and phone payments are extremely common, and many shops and cafes rarely see cash. Contactless payment is accepted almost everywhere, including on public transport in several cities.
The Australian dollar is also used in some Pacific nations, including Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu. It is one of the most traded currencies in the world, and its value often moves with prices for commodities such as iron ore.
Did You Know?
The Australian dollar is sometimes nicknamed the Aussie.