The euro became the legal currency for the European Union on January 1, 1999, and is now used in financial markets. The conversion rates between the euro and the currencies of all participating countries are fixed. Notes and coins for the European Union's single currency became available on January 1, 2002. Existing national currencies will be withdrawn from circulation at a later determined date. Until then, merchants must accept both the national currencies and the euro.
WebSphere Commerce enables you to allow customers to shop in many currencies, including the euro. When customers change their shopping currency, the prices for the items that they have added to their shopping carts and their order totals are automatically converted, recalculated, and displayed in the new shopping currency.
In addition, WebSphere Commerce allows you to set up your store pages with dual display. Dual display assists customers in moving from national currencies to the euro currency by simultaneously presenting amounts in the national currency and in the euro. Customers see a price in the currency they are shopping in, as well as converted into the euro currency.