Why Is The Exchange Rate Different Then Expected?

The rate that you are looking at online/google is not a consumer rate. If you google the current USD to CAD conversion rate what you will see is the "benchmark" foreign exchange rate. This is the rate at which large international banks exchange hundreds of millions of dollars, however no one can buy at this rate. A consumer will see this benchmark rate plus fees charged by the fx company. These additional fees are used to account for the constantly fluctuating exchange market, and allow companies to offer their consumers a "guaranteed" exchange rate. For example, if this customer places an order today for $100.00 CAD and cancels it one month later, they would be refunded the initial $100.00 CAD that they paid initially even if the Canadian Dollar dropped in value. In doing this, the fx companies expose themselves to risk as the exchange rates will not always remain the same and at times will result in a loss, hence the additional fees to guarantee a rate.  This is why the number may look a little different than what you are expecting.