1A money order or draft — a certificate used to send money through the post office or a bank instead of cash. A postal money order is the typical example.
定額小為替で受験料を払った。
I paid the exam fee with a fixed-amount postal money order.
受け取った為替を郵便局で現金化した。
I cashed the money order I received at the post office.
2The exchange of one currency for another, or the rate at which currencies are exchanged — most often used to mean foreign exchange.
最近、為替が円安に動いている。
Lately the exchange rate has been moving toward a weaker yen.
為替レートの変動は輸出企業に大きく影響する。
Fluctuations in the exchange rate greatly affect exporting companies.
海外旅行の前に為替相場をチェックした。
I checked the exchange rate before traveling abroad.
円高のおかげで為替差益が出た。
Thanks to the strong yen, we made a foreign-exchange gain.