The primary currency used throughout the galaxy since the era of the Galactic Republic was the Galactic Credit Standard, more commonly known as a credit or cred, and informally called Republic Dataries. It was later rebranded as the Imperial Credit.
The establishment of the Galactic Credit Standard took place on the moon of Sojourn. From the very beginning, the credit's value was ensured by the vast natural wealth of the planet Aargau, which was under the control of the InterGalactic Banking Clan (IGBC). During the Clone Wars, the IGBC provided financial assistance and loans to both warring factions, a practice they would repeat decades later for both the New Republic and the Imperial Remnant.
A decicred represented one-tenth of a credit's value.
The credit existed as a digital form of money, with physical cards in circulation. While generally the same size, the designs and patterns on credits varied, likely reflecting their individual value. Credit chips gained popularity during the height of the Galactic Republic. During the Clone Wars, credits were also produced as small, metallic ingots. Additionally, cubes existed, presumably functioning similarly to the chips. As the Galactic Empire's rule neared its end, physical forms of currency became more prevalent as galactic citizens awaited the conclusion of the Galactic Civil War, fearing that credit chips might become worthless after the conflict.
Within certain locations, such as the first Death Star, access to credits was possible through a debit code. Credits could be transferred to or taken from an account card. These were often used by players of sabacc or pazaak. Bounty hunters were also paid an agreed-upon sum in credits upon successful completion of a task.
During the Clone Wars, and even in the time leading up to them, many galactic inhabitants expressed concern about the potential impact of the war's outcome on the galactic economy. Consequently, most planets located outside the Core and Inner Rim regions refused to accept credits. These regions began the process of creating their own unique currencies. In 22 BBY, the InterGalactic Banking Clan was generating as many as twenty new currencies each day, managed by the InterGalactic Currency Exchange System.
The Empire continued to utilize the credit, now under the name Imperial Credit, as its primary currency, and during the rule of Emperor Palpatine almost everyone accepted them. Even the Alliance to Restore the Republic made use of it, alongside their own Alliance Credit, due to its widespread acceptance and ease of use throughout the galaxy. Imperial credits were available as coins and chips in various amounts: 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, 1000, 2000 and 5000. Moreover, the Imperial credits had images on one side that were related to important aspects of the Empire. For example, a 1000-credit coin featured a depiction of the Imperial Palace. While coins with larger denominations existed, they were not commonly used across the galaxy.
Following the Empire's fragmentation after the Battle of Endor, a multitude of different currencies emerged. While the New Republic had re-established the credit, it was far from being the most universally accepted form of money in the galaxy. Numerous regions, including the Imperial Remnant, once again began minting their own currencies. During this period, exchange rates experienced extreme volatility, and it was often difficult to find anyone willing to exchange one currency for another. Traders, smugglers, and legitimate freight operators conducted business using precious metals and commodities, as neither the New Republic nor the Imperial Remnant would accept the other's currency.
In supplemental materials that George Lucas created in 1977 for licensees, he described the "Coin of the Galactic Realm" as existing in two forms: a "credit unit," which lacked a specific description, and a flat, square coin constructed from crystal. The crystal coin was designed to be impossible for anyone other than the Empire to reproduce.
The credit symbol () was designed for the Monopoly Star Wars board game and resembles the Aurebesh letter Resh with two lines crossing it in the upper left corner. The credit symbol follows a common practice where governments use a letter from their alphabet crossed by one or two lines to represent their currency. Real-world examples of this include the symbols for the British pound sterling (£), the European Union euro (€), the American dollar ($), and the cent (¢).