How to Add Currency Symbols in Excel (5 Easy Ways)

To add currency symbols in Excel, follow these steps:

1. Select your data range.
2. Go to Home tab > Number group.
3. Click on Accounting Number Format.

Thus, your data range will be formatted with the currency symbol.

The addition of currency symbols to values enhances the precision, professionalism, and clarity of financial data presentation. Including currency symbols ensures that users can easily identify the type of currency being represented, preventing misinterpretation and confusion in diverse or international settings.

In this Excel tutorial, you will learn 5 ways to add currency symbols: using Number Format drop-down, Format Cells dialog box, applying Symbol tool, keyboard shortcut keys, and combining formula with currency symbol.

The following images illustrate the Prices of World Cup Jerseys which have been formatted to display in dollars.

5 Ways to Add Currency Symbols in Excel

Let’s learn all the 5 ways to add currency symbols in Excel from below:

Using Number Format Drop-down

In this section, you will learn how to add currency symbols to numbers using the Number Format drop-down. You can either use Currency format or Accounting format to add the symbols according to your requirements.

Applying Currency Format

To add currency symbols in Excel using the Currency format, follow these steps:

1. Select your data range.
2. Go to Home tab > Number group > Number Format drop-down.
3. Choose Currency.

Thus, the Dollar symbol will be added to your selected range as follows.

Applying Accounting Format

If you are creating financial reports or statements, using Accounting format is a better option to add currency symbols. The Accounting format is more suitable for visually aligned and standardized presentations of financial data. Because, the currency symbol and decimal points here are vertically aligned, making numbers easier to read and compare. To use the Accounting format, follow these steps:

1. Select your data range.
2. Go to Home tab > Number group > Number Format drop-down.
3. Choose Accounting.

Thus, your selected range will be formatted with the Dollar symbol as follows. Note: You can use some other currency symbols along with the Dollar symbol using the Accounting Number Format drop-down.

Using Format Cells Dialog Box

By default, Excel only adds Dollar symbols to numbers. However, users may need to add other currency symbols or format the values based on their requirements. Using Format Cells dialog box allows users to adjust the current format or customize their own format.

Applying Currency/Accounting Format

In the previous section, you learned how to add currency symbols directly using both Currency and Accounting format. To add a currency symbol directly from Format Cells dialog box, follow these steps:

1. Select your data range.
2. Go to Home tab > Number group > Dialog Box Launcher. You can also press Ctrl+1 keys. The Format Cells dialog box will appear.
3. In the Format Cells dialog box:
   • Go to Number tab > Currency or Accounting category.
   • Adjust the Decimal places and select desired Symbol.
   • Click OK.
   

Thus, the selected range will be formatted according to your requirements.

Applying Custom Format

The use of Custom format is another way to add currency symbols and format numbers. Custom format allows users to customize their own format in various ways: highlighting values based on specific conditions, changing the placement of currency symbol, specifying thousands and decimal separators, etc. To customize your own number format, follow these steps:

1. Select your data range.
2. Go to Home tab > Number group > Dialog Box Launcher. You can also press Ctrl+1 keys. The Format Cells dialog box will appear.
3. In the Format Cells dialog box:
   • Go to Number tab > Custom category.
   • Choose your desired format from Type or insert your own format.
   • Click OK.
   Note: You can preview the Type from the Sample box.

Thus, the numbers will be formatted according to your custom format.

Using Symbol Tool

You can add currency symbols one by one to a number by inserting symbols through the Symbol tool. Here’s how you can insert currency symbols in Excel using Symbol tool:

1. Click on a cell and place the cursor where you want to insert the symbol.
2. Go to Insert tab > Symbols group > Symbol. The Symbol dialog box will appear.
3. In the Symbol dialog box:
   • Click Symbols tab > Subset drop-down > Currency Symbols.
   • Select the desired currency symbol > Insert.
   • Click Close.
   

Thus, the selected currency symbol will be inserted in the selected position.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

Alternatively, you can use keyboard shortcut keys to add symbols to numbers. It is the fastest way to add currency symbols. Follow the steps:

1. Select your data range.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+4 keys at once.

As a result, the Dollar symbol will be added to your selected range. Here is a list of some other keyboard shortcuts for both Windows and Mac that can be used to add currency symbols to each value one by one: Note: These keyboard shortcuts only work by using the Numeric Keypad, so ensure that your Num Lock key is turned on.

Combining Formula with Currency Symbol

Suppose you have sold a number of jerseys and want to calculate the total revenue from each team jersey. You can combine a formula with the currency symbol to calculate and also add currency symbols to a new range of values. Here’s how:

1. Select a blank cell.
2. Insert the formula: ="$ " & (D5*E5) Insert desired currency symbol between ” “
3. Press Enter.
4. Drag the Fill Handle to copy the formula down the column.

Thus, the new range of values is calculated and displayed with the currency symbol.

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Conclusion

Adding currency symbols in Excel makes data presentation more cohesive and appealing. It gives more clarity to data providing a better picture for the audience. This article explores 5 ways to add currency symbols in Excel ranging from using Format Cells dialog box to using a formula with currency symbols. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to leave a comment down below.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I customize the position of the currency symbol?

Yes, open the Format Cells dialog box and choose Custom to modify the format code. You can control the placement of the currency symbol within the code.

Can I display currency in Excel without decimal places?

Yes, you can. In the Format Cells dialog box, choose Currency and set Decimal places to 0.

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