Multi-currency Support
Learn how multi-currency reporting works in Ternary, including preferred currency settings, exchange rate behavior, permissions, and MSP-level controls.
Multi-currency support in Ternary allows organizations to view and analyze cloud spend in a consistent reporting currency, even when underlying cloud bills are issued in different currencies. This enables standardized reporting across regions, providers, and tenants while preserving accurate financial context.
Currency settings apply across reporting, budgeting, and billing workflows, ensuring that financial outputs align with internal reporting and accounting expectations.
What capabilities does multi-currency support provide?
Ternary’s multi-currency support includes the following capabilities:
- Preferred currency selection: Choose the organization's reporting currency from the supported currencies listed in Admin → Currency.
- Automatic currency conversion: Costs are converted automatically using monthly exchange rates.
- Audit logging: All changes to preferred currency settings are recorded for transparency and traceability.
- MSP-level currency control: MSPs can define and manage a standard reporting currency for each child tenant.
- Localized reporting: Dashboards, reports, and budgets are displayed in the selected preferred currency.
How does preferred currency configuration work?
A preferred reporting currency can be configured from Admin → Currency.
Once selected, Ternary applies monthly exchange rates to convert costs from source billing currencies into the preferred currency. The surfaces below describe how the preferred currency is used.
The preferred currency applies to:
- Dashboards
- Reports
- Budgets: Budgets continue to be defined in USD but are displayed using the preferred currency for reporting consistency.
- MSP Billing Statements: The statement form derives currency from the tenant setting and offers no per-statement override.
- Ramp Plans: Create New Ramp Plan saves the preferred currency; copies keep the source plan's currency. Existing plans and their CSV exports keep the plan's saved currency when the preferred currency changes.
How does currency management work for MSPs?
For managed service providers (MSPs), currency settings can be controlled at the tenant level.
- MSPs can define a standard reporting currency for each child tenant
- Child tenant administrators can set or update their own preferred currency where permitted. If Admin → Currency says the preference is managed by the tenant administrator, ask the parent or another authorized tenant administrator to change it.
- Configure currency at the tenant level; the statement-creation form has no separate currency selection.
This allows MSPs to support regional reporting requirements while maintaining consistency across tenants.
What permissions are required to manage currency settings?
Currency configuration is controlled by role-based permissions as follow:
| Role | Permissions |
|---|---|
| Tenant Admin | Configure the default currency for the organization |
| Full Access User | Cannot set a personal currency override in Admin → Currency. Changing the organization’s currency requires permission to update the tenant. |
| MSP Admin | Set preferred currency for partner tenant and all child tenants |
| Tenant Admin (Child) | Can change the child tenant’s currency in Admin → Currency when the currency selector is available and the administrator has permission to update that tenant. |
How are exchange rates handled?
Ternary uses a fixed, predictable exchange rate model to ensure reporting stability.
- Data source: Open Exchange Rates API
- Update frequency: Monthly, applied on the first day of the month at 00:00 UTC
- Rate locking: Each month’s data uses the exchange rate locked for that period
- Fallback behavior: If a rate is temporarily unavailable, the most recent known rate is used
This approach avoids volatility caused by real-time exchange rate fluctuations.
Is there an audit trail for currency changes?
Yes. All changes to currency settings are logged.
- Updates to preferred currency are recorded
- Applied exchange rates are visible by month for transparency and audit purposes
In Admin → Currency, use the search box in Audit Log to filter by Changed by. Select Download audit log to export the filtered events as CSV. The CSV contains Changed By, Date and Currency Code (the newly selected currency), not exchange-rate history. If you cannot access Admin → Currency, ask your tenant administrator for the audit export.
Example views
Report: Cost by Vendor in preferred currency
Budget displayed in preferred currency
Frequently asked questions
- Can the reporting currency be changed later?
Yes. The preferred currency can be updated at any time from Admin → Currency.
- Does changing the currency affect historical reports?
Historical reports are recalculated using the exchange rate locked for each reporting period, not current rates.
- What happens if no preferred currency is set?
Data is displayed in the tenant’s default currency, which is USD.
- Are exchange rates real-time?
No. Ternary uses monthly locked exchange rates to ensure consistency and predictability in reporting.
Updated 8 days ago