Format Numbers to Currency in Excel

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Video Source (04:44 mins) | Transcript

There are several ways to format a cell in Excel to display the numbers in it as some form of money. This lesson will go over three techniques to do this as well as how to change the currency symbol and how to format several cells at once.

Three ways to change the format of a cell

Number Format drop down menu
Accounting Number Format button
Format Cells window

Number Format drop down menu

In the Home toolbar is the Number Format drop down menu. It displays the current number formatting for the selected cell and allows you to change the format quickly.

image of Excel workbook showing the toolbar. An arrow points to the number format drop-down in the toolbar, with the caption: Number Format drop down menu.

Click on the arrow to the right. This opens the drop down menu.

Select either Currency or Accounting. Either one will format the cell for money.

image of Excel toolbar with the Number Format drop-down menu selected and expanded. The option for 'Currency' is highlighted and circled.

Accounting Number Format button

In the Home toolbar, near the Number Format drop down menu is a button with a $ symbol on it. This is the Accounting Number Format button.

image of excel toolbar with the currency options icon circled, displaying the U.S. dollar sign as the selected option.

Select the cell or multiple cells you want to format, then click on this button. It will automatically format them to the Accounting format. You will see this change in the Number Format drop down menu window above.

image of Excel Workbook with the Number Format drop-down menu circled, with the Accounting option selected. In cell A1 is '$2.00'. The words, Accounting format, is displayed, with arrows pointing to cell A1 and to the Number Format drop-down.

Format Cells Window

Select the cell or cells you want to edit. Open the Format Cells window by right clicking on the selected cells. A list will appear. Selecting Format Cells option from the list.

image of cell right-click menu with 'format cells' selected.

This will open the Format Cells window. Select either Currency or Accounting to display the currency symbol in the cell.

image of the Number tab in the Format Cells window in Excel with the 'currency' option selected and circled.

You can also change the number of decimal places you want to display. The default is 2 places after the decimal point.

The currency option has 4 different choices on how to display negative numbers in a cell.

Change the Currency Symbol

Within the Format Cell window there is the option to change the symbol you use for currency.

Click on the drop-down menu arrows to the right of Symbol. A list of hundreds of different currency symbols will appear. Select the symbol you prefer.