CAD money or US $$ ?

[NikkiOh]

Hello,

Just wondering whether we need to exchange some money when we get to the various Canadian ports, particularly Quebec City and Montreal.

In general do they take US $? (Small restaurants, shops)? How about admission to parks, or for parking?

If we ride a public bus in Quebec City or Montreal, can we use US $ or only CAD??

Any suggestions or info. are appreciated!!!:confused:

[Twickenham]

Stores usually do accept US$, but not sure what they would do about the exchange rate - CA$ is worth marginally more right now, so you might see a 5% or so surcharge (this is pure speculation, I genuinely don't know). I very much doubt you'd be able to use US$ on the buses.

I suppose my question is why wouldn't you change some money? The simplest thing would probably be to use an ATM to get some CA$ - I believe the Quebec City port has one, can confirm next time I go see a ship there (in a couple of weeks).

[Urban trekker]

There is a thread on this subject elsewhere on this Canada board that has many of the East Coasters giving there opinion but I asked this question before so I will repeat it again here - If I come to your home town will I be able to use Canadian $$$ and coins for purchases and if yes will I get a discount now that the CDN $$$ is worth more than the US $$$.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[scottbee]

Just wondering whether we need to exchange some money when we get to the various Canadian ports, particularly Quebec City and Montreal.

 

In general do they take US $? (Small restaurants, shops)? How about admission to parks, or for parking?

 

If we ride a public bus in Quebec City or Montreal, can we use US $ or only CAD??

 

While I can't comment on QC buses, generally the machines at transit stations here in Vancouver accept C$ only.

 

As for small shops/restaurants they will accept US$, but you're not going to get the best of rates compared with say using a credit card/debit card, or visiting a cash machine.

 

But as another poster pointed out, why wouldn't you just visit an ATM and get some Canadian money?

[Ephraim]

Hello,

 

Just wondering whether we need to exchange some money when we get to the various Canadian ports, particularly Quebec City and Montreal.

 

In general do they take US $? (Small restaurants, shops)? How about admission to parks, or for parking?

 

If we ride a public bus in Quebec City or Montreal, can we use US $ or only CAD??

 

Any suggestions or info. are appreciated!!!:confused:

 

There is only one legal currency in Canada, the Canadian Dollar, denoted as CAD. Acceptance of US funds is solely at the discretion of the merchant. And you will be getting your change back in CAD, since we don't keep US cash on hand. It's not part of our daily lives, at all.

 

USD will be accepted by most stores with a surcharge for the exchange. Today the exchange rate is about 2%, expect stores to take anywhere from 5% to 15% if you use US cash. Yes... I said 15%... it's an extra hassle that some people just don't want to deal with, nor the costs for us as merchants, since the banks charge us an extra 3% and $2.00 to $3.00 to deposit USD into our bank account.

 

The public buses will NOT accept USD. In fact, they won't even accept bills. You must pay in CAD and in coin. You can't even combine.... 2 people are $3 each, not $6. And there is no change on the bus itself (only at the machines). In fact, in Montreal, the bus/metro machines won't accept US credit cards, either. Sometimes a metro worker may be nice enough to exchange USD from his personal pocket, but the policy is that only CAD is accepted.

 

Also, US debit cards on the NYCE will be accepted anywhere you see the Interac symbol as long as they are NOT denoted with MasterCard or Visa. Cards with a MasterCard or Visa logo will be treated as credit cards because their debit functionality is illegal in Canada. In other words, if you need to normally use a pin to use it, it can't be used in Canada because we do not have a credit/debit button... it must pass through our credit system. It usually will still function in Bank ATMs.

 

The public bike system in Montreal takes a $250 deposit. If you use a MasterCard/Visa debit card, it will put a hold on the money in your account and cause you to overdraft. (As I said, we don't understand those cards because by us they legally cannot be debit cards, only credit card, so we assume a hold is only on your available credit.)

 

Tipping is generally 15% of the total pre-tax in Canada.

[Steviewonder1]

I only have used my AMEX card when travelling abroad. They make the exchange rate and I come home with a few foreign coins.

[sail7seas]

We use credit cards for any purchases and for lunch but U.S. $$ for taxi rides and very small purchases. They are very accomodating to accept our 'foreign' money and we appreciate not having to exchange for our one day in port but do not expect a good exchange rate. The convenience and courtesy is worth the bad exchange rate..... for us.

 

We have never changed money for a one day in port and never were refused any purchase or accomodation.

[spirit rev]

When we took our CA/NE cruise last year we were mainly in Canadian ports. Before we left home we exchanged US$ for CAD at our local AAA. There was minimal fees involved and they were less than what our generous credit card offers for foreign exchanges. numerous merchants were very happy that we had CAD.

I would probably not do such an exchange if I were to be in only one CA port anymore than I would if I were only going to be traveling from Niagara Falls to Detroit areas by car without stopping.

[Aggie83]

If you want Canadian dollars my recommendation is to find an ATM machine when you get off the ship. Check your bank - they may have an arrangement with a Canadian bank which will save on the ATM fees. The ATM exchange rate will be much more favorable then getting money from your bank before going. The AAA deal is not a good deal. Don't use a currency exchange place - total ripoff. I use a credit card whenever possible. Best credit card to use is Capital One's card. They do not have a foreign transaction fee and I've found their exchange rate very good. Most cards have a 3-4% foreign transaction fee charge. 4% seems to be the norm today. Visa and Mastercard are the best to take - I leave the AmEx at home when traveling outside the US. AmEx is not widely accepted outside the US. Final recommendation - call your credit and ATM card issuer and let them know you will be using your card outside the US - the country and dates. This is important so they don't think your card is being used for fraudulant purposes and they put a hold on the card.

[Ephraim]

The usual bank associations are:

 

Scotia Bank for Bank of America

BMO for Harris Bank

RBC for RBC Bank

CIBC for First Caribbean

TD Canada Trust for TD Bank

HSBC or National Bank for any bank that is a member of the Exchange or Accel

 

Interac debit transactions can be done on cards with display the NYCE network logo and do not have a Visa/MasterCard logo.

 

Banks are divided in Canada with Visa being at Scotia, RBC, CIBC, TD and Desjardins and MasterCard being at BMO, National Bank, HSBC

[CoolCruiser1979]

And you will be getting your change back in CAD, since we don't keep US cash on hand. It's not part of our daily lives, at all.

 

USD will be accepted by most stores with a surcharge for the exchange. Today the exchange rate is about 2%, expect stores to take anywhere from 5% to 15% if you use US cash. Yes... I said 15%... it's an extra hassle that some people just don't want to deal with, nor the costs for us as merchants, since the banks charge us an extra 3% and $2.00 to $3.00 to deposit USD into our bank account.

 

.

 

During all of the years the US dollar was worth much more than the Looney, why didn't anyone mind the "hassle" of exchanging money then?. Many times I got CAD back in change and now there's a surcharge for a minor 2% difference???

[Urban trekker]

I am willing to accept US $$$ here in Canada if I can use my CDN $$$ in your town in the the US and in both cases get a fair rate of exchange - There is only one legal currency in Canada and it is not the US $.

 

I am old enough to remember when the CDN $$$ was always higher than the US $$$ and everytime we went shopping at the border towns never got a penny in exchange.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[CoolCruiser1979]

I am old enough to remember when the CDN $$$ was always higher than the US $$$ and everytime we went shopping at the border towns never got a penny in exchange.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

 

 

LOL You must be very old. The dollar has been worth more than the looney for 99% of the last 20 years.

 

http://forecastchart.com/exchange-canadian-dollar.html

 

 

No harm intended in my post. I was having a rough day and was bugged by the "Hassle" comment. I need to take some deep breaths.....

[quincytoo]

We are planning a CB cruise out of Brooklyn this Oct, spending a few days in NYC before and I am know that city won't accept Cand dollars. What ever country we are, we use ATM's to withdraw money and we use the legal currancy of that country.

 

I see nothing wrong with shopkeepers charging an extra 10-15% above the buying (not the selling rate) rate to off set their *hassle* to have to go and have it exchanged. We travel down to Puerto Vallarta a few times a year and the few times we have had to use Cand or USD we gladly eat the higher exchange rate charged by local merchants.

 

I have been in a few places here in Victoria recently and have seen signs saying USD are not accepted.

 

Truly ATMS are the way to go :)

[scottbee]

During all of the years the US dollar was worth much more than the Looney, why didn't anyone mind the "hassle" of exchanging money then?. Many times I got CAD back in change and now there's a surcharge for a minor 2% difference???

 

They did - you still paid a premium (over the bank rates) at merchants. Smart travelers have ALWAYS obtained local currency.

 

As for getting Canadian change back, of course you did. You were given your change in legal tender, of which canada only has one; the Canadian dollar.

 

US Dollars have roughly the same official value as a piece of art; that is, they're valued at whatever someone is willing to give you for them. For all intents, they are very similar, some ink on a paper/cloth; which no official legal value and/or protection.

[Urban trekker]

Without giving away my age - LBJ was president around the time I became old enough to vote - 21 in those days - the Beatles were appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show - I loved watching I Love Lucy and My Three Sons and the Honeymooners - the Mets won their first world series.

 

Cheers

 

Dennis

[MonaCD]

LOL You must be very old. The dollar has been worth more than the looney for 99% of the last 20 years.

 

http://forecastchart.com/exchange-canadian-dollar.html

 

 

No harm intended in my post. I was having a rough day and was bugged by the "Hassle" comment. I need to take some deep breaths.....

 

I don't consider myself very old but if the 1979 in your handle refers to the year of your birth, then I'm old enough to be your mother, so if you consider her very old then, yeah I am :D

 

My how time flies, I was going to say it couldn't be 20 years but I recall it was the early 90's when we suffered the long lines at border crossings, sometimes 2 or 3 hours. The USD was so much lower then the CAD that we were all driving there in droves to shop. But I usually got some USD before heading down and if I used CAD, I always got USD for change.

 

I constantly find USD coin when I'm rolling my change but ever try to sneak even a CAD penny when paying for something in the US, forget it.:eek:

[Islandergirl]

My mother accidently gave a store clerk in the U.S. a CAD penny once. The clerk thought it was fake.

 

If they won't take our money, then why should we take theirs? Our currency in Canada is the Canadian Dollar. Sometimes it's up, sometimes it's down....it just happens that it is in our favour at the moment. I won't even pretend to understand it (to me a buck is a buck), but that's the way it is. :) Just be happy you aren't exchanging USD for the Euro or something like that right now...1 USD = approximatel 0.71, or worse the GBP! LOL.

[Ephraim]

Without giving away my age - LBJ was president around the time I became old enough to vote - 21 in those days - the Beatles were appearing on the Ed Sullivan Show - I loved watching I Love Lucy and My Three Sons and the Honeymooners - the Mets won their first world series.....

 

Without giving away my age.... who is LBJ, who is Ed Sullivan, who cares about a beatle, it's too small a car anyway. Who had three sons? People still get married and have honeymoons? And I remember watching the Lucy Show in repeats along with the Beverly Hillbillies, M*A*S*H and Batman on afternoon TV when I got home from school.

[cruiseryyc]

Don't worry Dennis - you're not the only "oldie" here, I remember all those shows too!!