PrestaShop Bank of Finland - currency exchange rates

This PrestaShop module fully automates the currency exchange rate update process, using the official Euro reference rates published by the Bank of Finland (Suomen Pankki).

The module connects directly to the official XML feed of the Bank of Finland to fetch the latest daily exchange rates.

After fetching the data, the module intelligently processes the rates:

1. It identifies the latest available business day with data (automatically skipping weekends and Bank of Finland holidays).

2. It builds an efficient "map" of all available currency rates against the EUR.

3. It imports rates 1:1 (if EUR is the store's default currency) or calculates precise cross-rates (if the default currency is e.g., PLN or CZK).

4. It updates these rates in the PrestaShop panel.

Thanks to integration with CRON tasks, the entire process can be 100% maintenance-free. The module also allows you to define an individual percentage margin (positive or negative) for each currency, giving you full control over the final prices.

Key Advantages of the Module

Here are 10 key advantages of using this module in your PrestaShop store. Implementing this module in the PrestaShop environment comes with the following key benefits:

1. Full Process Autonomy (CRON) The module is designed for tight integration with the server's CRON task scheduler. A one-time configuration of a recurring task (e.g., daily) initiates a fully autonomous rate update process, eliminating the need for manual operator intervention.

2. Official Data Source (Bank of Finland) The module uses data from the Bank of Finland, which are the official reference rates for the Euro. This guarantees the highest data reliability and consistency across the European market.

3. Advanced Margin Management The module implements functionality that allows defining a custom percentage margin for each currency individually. The ability to apply both a positive (e.g., +2%) and a negative (e.g., -1%) margin provides flexibility in shaping pricing policy.

4. Perfect for Eurozone Stores If your store's default currency is EUR, the module imports rates 1:1 without any additional calculations. This ensures absolute precision and is the simplest method for updating non-EUR currencies (like SEK, NOK, CHF).

5. Resilience to Public Holidays The module's logic automatically detects the absence of new data (e.g., on weekends or holidays) and safely retains the last known rates, ensuring store continuity without generating errors.

6. High Performance and Lightweight The XML data processing is highly optimized. The module creates a lightweight, internal rate map before updating the database, which minimizes server load and ensures fast CRON job execution.

7. Transparent Reporting Each execution of the module by CRON generates a clear report. It contains information on the data fetch status and a list of updated currencies, which significantly simplifies monitoring and potential diagnostics.

8. No Additional Operational Costs Using the official Bank of Finland data feed is completely free and does not require API keys or subscriptions. The module operates without any additional or hidden licensing fees.

9. Stable Error Handling If a currency is active in your store that the Bank of Finland does not list (e.g., a very exotic local currency), the module will not stop. It will safely skip that currency and continue updating the others, reporting the omission in the log.

10. Optimized for the European Market This is the ideal solution for stores whose main operational market is Europe. It provides access to the reference rates that are the standard for all European institutions and companies settling in EUR.