Kip said:
The US is a first-world country so your credit card, in addition to your phone set up with tap-to-pay, should give you sufficient coverage in case one of them gets lost/stolen.
OP has a valid question though. The US has been so far behind Canada on debit pin cards, then chip, then tap. They still make you sign your credit card receipt or want to take your card to run it through the machine instead of bringing it to you.
@Zayne
I really stumble when they ask for a signature (happening less often now). It’s been such a long time since we had to use our signatures for anything in Canada. And Australia was running Interact with pin numbers at least 10 years before Canada.
Absolutely use a credit card for overseas as long as no transaction fees. And don’t choose the local exchange rate instead; have your bank do it. You’ll get a better exchange rate. And if you need some cash, get some at a bank atm once you arrive. Enjoy your trip.
Wow lots of answers thank you, I’m mostly looking for convenience while avoiding awful exchange rates or foreign fees.
Charlie said:
Wow lots of answers thank you, I’m mostly looking for convenience while avoiding awful exchange rates or foreign fees.
We hardly ever carry cash here in the US now. We just use our phone, carry one physical credit, and a twenty, although since the pandemic, I haven’t even carried the twenty. We have about four credit cards in the phone. Two of the cards don’t have international transaction fees.
You want to have more than one in case a credit card gets locked. Driving across the country, buying gas in multiple states, I’ve had my cards locked. It’s usually just a phone call to get them unlocked, but it takes time waiting in the queue, and if you don’t have another way to pay, you are stuck until it gets resolved.
You’ll also find a number of places now don’t take cash so you need to be aware of that. Most tickets are bought online which will require a credit card. Hotels want a credit card as well as for car rentals.
You might need some cash as there are places that will only take cash. For us, it is mostly Asian restaurants that only accept cash. There are cash only fuel stations that offer cheaper gas prices. We just buy gas at Costco or Sam’s so that is not a concern.
Be sure to check out Groupon for the places you are traveling to. Most bigger cities will have deals for restaurants and activities on Groupon. It can really help as restaurant prices have gone up so much. Also check on Yelp as some restaurants will have deals in it. Some of the deals will have restrictions on days so be sure to read the listing to know what you are getting.
Edit: read an older post about having money for tips. I don’t like to have maid service every day, so usually only tip once when we leave unless we are at the hotel longer. I can make my own bed and towels I don’t mind reusing for a few days. We probably need money for tips at a hotel when we leave our luggage at the counter.
We normally use public transportation or ride share apps, so I don’t know if cash is needed for taxis in the US, but I doubt it. If you eat street food, then maybe you’ll need more cash.
You can probably tell, we are budget travelers, so that shapes how we spend money.
Use CC and ATM for cash.
Use your credit card, don’t overthink it.
Never carry cash.
We have a BMO US$ credit card which works well and a US$ account which we play around with to reduce conversion costs.
Bring some US cash. While most places take cards, sometimes there are problems with their system and you need cash. Also, I find US bank ATMs sometimes decline Canadian cards without any apparent reason, so getting cash can be a hassle. Even when they do recognize Canadian cards, the extra fees sting a bit.
Most places take cards (some small convenience stores, ice cream shops, or mom and pop restaurants might not). And most transportation and parking fees can be done over an app.
I’d have a bit of USD on hand for the hotel maid tip at least.
Most places take card! I always like having a little bit of cash just in case though.
Both.
Everything same as here except mandatory tips.
I would check and see what the exchange rate is on your credit card before deciding.
Honestly, the majority of places take card. Nowadays, the only time I tend to use cash is if I’m getting food from a food truck and they’ve lost connectivity for their card reader.
To be on the safe side, I would suggest taking out maybe $40 as emergency cash.
Are you traveling by choice? If it’s not for work, I’d skip the US for now.
Val said:
Are you traveling by choice? If it’s not for work, I’d skip the US for now.
Just get your US visit done before January.