A. Deciding to sell internationally is one of the most exciting decisions a small business owner can make. By accepting foreign currency, you'll be gaining valuable customers while simultaneously broadening your international audience.

Merchant banks will generally accept charges in any currency, provided the merchant sends the currency information along with the purchase amount when transmitting sales information. Chances are you already have payment-processing software that's capable of handling multiple currencies. Check with your payment-processing network and your merchant bank to see if they provide these feeds.

There are also businesses that specialize in helping you add currency-conversion tools to your site so that your customers can see the product prices in their local (and up-to-date value) currencies on your site.

Australia-based JAZConvert aims to reduce "currency confusion" for e-tailers that sell products internationally by enabling their sites to display product prices in the currency of the visitor viewing the site - on the fly. A subscription-based service that can be purchased on a monthly or yearly basis, JAZConvert detects the country from which a Web site visitor is viewing the site and displays the appropriate currency.

The international currency rates are automatically updated every day on the eJAZ server so you don't need to manually change or update the prices. Unlike traditional pop-up currency converters, JAZconvert requires no clicking or price entry by the site visitor, removing currency confusion that can impede a sale to a potential international customer.

Canada-based Moneris enables e-tailers to process both U.S. and Canadian currencies, and plans to eventually expand that capability to allow SMBs to process up to 180 currencies and receive payments from 16 different settlement currencies. A joint investment of the Royal Bank of Canada and the Bank of Montreal, Moneris Solutions has a 30-year history as one of North America's largest electronic transaction processors and currently serves more than 330,000 North American merchant locations, according to the company. Moneris processes all major card types including VISA, MasterCard, American Express, INTERAC Direct Payment as well as Diners, JCB, private label and loyalty transactions. Point of Sale options are also provided for all types of merchant requirements.

New York-based E4X.com allows your global customers to browse through your online catalogue and purchase in their local currency while you receive payment in the currency of your choice. E4X also allows merchants to pay their international suppliers and affiliates in their operating currencies and to profit on global transaction from currency conversion revenues.