American Dollars

[Coupe]

Is there any problem using American Dollars in Canada?

[Woody14]

39 minutes ago, Coupe said:

Is there any problem using American Dollars in Canada?

Not a big problem in Vancouver but as you get out of big cities it can be a bit of one.   Your biggest hit will be on exchange rate.  currently $1 us dollar is worth about $1.29 Canadian at a bank and in a store you will be lucky to get $1.25.   For many things you would be able to use a credit card -Visa or Mastercard as AMEX and Discover are not accepted by many in Canada.    If you are taking a cab and doing a credit card check with the driver first as some will say that their machine 'is broken'.

 

[martincath]

Agree with Woody - you might get a less-than-stellar exchange rate, but any tourist-serving business that handles cash here or in Victoria has a good chance of taking USD (but NB: change will almost certainly be in CAD). Credit cards for any purchase over $5 are the norm though, so unless you're doing a lot of private tourguide visits who want paid in cash, hitting up an ATM for local cash will likely be  overkill.

 

I find that one of the fairest rates is in Tim Hortons - they display the current exchange rate offered on their digital screens, so grab a Double-Double and some Timbits, drop a US$20 or $50, get a bunch of CAD back that shoud cover any tips for doormen and porters, really small purchases like bottles of water/cans of pop/snacks while out and about, and use credit cards for everything else would be my recommendation.

[cruiseryyc]

" sigh "

 

Just to point out that Canada is a sovereign nation with its own currency.  

 

Is there any problems using Canadian dollars in the US?  

[DirtyDawg]

2 hours ago, cruiseryyc said:

" sigh "

 

Just to point out that Canada is a sovereign nation with its own currency.  

 

Is there any problems using Canadian dollars in the US?  

I'm sure it would not be an issue in border towns such as Bellingham, Niagara Falls or Sault Ste. Marie. but our Canuck bucks might not be recognized in places like Truth or Consequences, New Mexico,  No Name, Colorado or Buttermilk, Kansas. Of course I'm not too sure the folks in Flin Flon, Come By Chance or Stoner, B.C. would be accepting U.S. bucks all that readily either. 

[edgee]

6 hours ago, cruiseryyc said:

" sigh "

 

Just to point out that Canada is a sovereign nation with its own currency.  

 

Is there any problems using Canadian dollars in the US?  

Yes, it is only common currency to use the currency of that sovereign country.

[Woody14]

11 hours ago, cruiseryyc said:

" sigh "

 

Just to point out that Canada is a sovereign nation with its own currency.  

 

Is there any problems using Canadian dollars in the US?  

Totally get what your saying here but the US dollar is accepted world wide way more easily than our Canadian dollar. It is one of the currencies that all others compare to.  Wish we had more influence monetarily but sorry we don't.

[cruiseryyc]

On 6/21/2022 at 11:30 AM, DirtyDawg said:

I'm sure it would not be an issue in border towns such as Bellingham, Niagara Falls or Sault Ste. Marie. but our Canuck bucks might not be recognized in places like Truth or Consequences, New Mexico,  No Name, Colorado or Buttermilk, Kansas. Of course I'm not too sure the folks in Flin Flon, Come By Chance or Stoner, B.C. would be accepting U.S. bucks all that readily either. 

Then can you explain why a Canadian coin was thrown back in my face by a sales clerk in Whitefish, Montana? Not that far from the border.

[DirtyDawg]

25 minutes ago, cruiseryyc said:

Then can you explain why a Canadian coin was thrown back in my face by a sales clerk in Whitefish, Montana? Not that far from the border.

Well, you might have gotten the sales clerk mad at you for wearing this... 😁

[5waldos]

On 6/21/2022 at 7:47 PM, Woody14 said:

Totally get what your saying here but the US dollar is accepted world wide way more easily than our Canadian dollar. It is one of the currencies that all others compare to.  Wish we had more influence monetarily but sorry we don't.

It is but not always happily. Perhaps in big international stores  where they expect to get a lot of cash, but anyplace else it is really a pain for the merchant. There is usually a charge for exchanging money, and it can be very time consuming. Stop at an ATM machine and get a small amount of Canadian cash- or a lot if you expect to be spending a lot. It will really be appreciated. It is a foreign country despite it feeling a lot like home. 

[DogLover]

On 6/23/2022 at 8:31 AM, cruiseryyc said:

Then can you explain why a Canadian coin was thrown back in my face by a sales clerk in Whitefish, Montana? Not that far from the border.

60 miles is a pretty good click from the border. 😬

[phoenix_dream]

On 6/21/2022 at 9:32 AM, cruiseryyc said:

" sigh "

 

Just to point out that Canada is a sovereign nation with its own currency.  

 

Is there any problems using Canadian dollars in the US?  

You are of course correct, but your response seems a bit defensive.  The facts are that a very large majority of people taking cruises out of Vancouver are from the US.  The facts are also that the USD is much more readily accepted worldwide than Canadian currency.  So it seems like a reasonable question for the OP to ask, and a reasonable expectation that USD might be accepted in the Vancouver or Victoria area in most cases.  I certainly would expect to use local currency if spending any amount of time in another country, but for a day or two prior to a cruise it is very convenient for tens of thousands of people to be able to use USD at this embarkation city.

[Heidi13]

42 minutes ago, phoenix_dream said:

You are of course correct, but your response seems a bit defensive.  The facts are that a very large majority of people taking cruises out of Vancouver are from the US.  The facts are also that the USD is much more readily accepted worldwide than Canadian currency.  So it seems like a reasonable question for the OP to ask, and a reasonable expectation that USD might be accepted in the Vancouver or Victoria area in most cases.  I certainly would expect to use local currency if spending any amount of time in another country, but for a day or two prior to a cruise it is very convenient for tens of thousands of people to be able to use USD at this embarkation city.

 

How can you consider the OP's question reasonable, as the question only stated "Is there any problem using American Dollars in Canada?" The OP did not specify Vancouver & Victoria, simply stated Canada and is it a problem.

 

A more reasonable question would have been, "Do businesses in ............ accept US dollars and what type of exchange do they normally provide"

 

Since US Dollars are not legal tender in Canada, I can think of a few problems if a vendor accepts them. The vendor runs the risk of currency exchange and must take additional time to exchange them. US bank notes are much easier to counterfeit, since they are not changing over to polymer notes, as are many other countries. 

 

From the customer's perspective, the problem is the risk of getting a reasonable exchange rate. Personally, if customers are too lazy to acquire local currency, I would only accept them at par. The exchange rate would be compensation for me accepting the risk and the time required to exchange them.

[5waldos]

ATM machines are everywhere, practically. And they spit out local currency. Travellers checks, once used by practically all travelers, are long gone. Credit cards have taken their place, and with them the ability to get cash in minutes. Take pity on the poor doorman or waitress who gets tipped in foreign currency, and has to take the time to get to a bank to convert the money (sometimes a very time consuming experience), and  pay service charges on changing the money. 

[DirtyDawg]

On 6/27/2022 at 3:57 PM, 5waldos said:

ATM machines are everywhere, practically. And they spit out local currency. Travellers checks, once used by practically all travelers, are long gone. Credit cards have taken their place, and with them the ability to get cash in minutes. Take pity on the poor doorman or waitress who gets tipped in foreign currency, and has to take the time to get to a bank to convert the money (sometimes a very time consuming experience), and  pay service charges on changing the money. 

Frankly, I'd have more pity for the doorman or waitress in Boulder Colorado who was tipped in Canack bucks than a doorman or waitress in Calgary Alberta who was tipped in Yankee greenbacks. 

 

Sure it would be nice if all American tourists who came to Canada learned a little about our currency and paid in Loonies, Twoonies and Canuck bucks while in Canada but that's wishful thinking. The U.S. currency is the defacto world currency (for now). Most commodities are traded in U.S. dollars. Lots of countries' tourist industries prefer U.S. currency to the own local currency. They don't prefer the Canadian currency.  Heck the economy of California is larger than the economy of all of Canada. 

 

I gave up trying to convince my American friends years ago that the CFL was more entertaining football vs. their four down variety,  and that the beaver is a much more noble creature than the bald eagle, and timbits are a much healthier breakfast option than avocado on toast. 😋 So, I can't get my Canadian boxers (made in Honduras and probably sold to the importer in U.S. dollars) in a twist if some American tourist wants spend some Yankee greenbacks north of the border.  Heck, it's better than them spending those Yankee greenbacks south of their border!

 

 

 

Edited June 28, 2022 by DirtyDawg

[5waldos]

But it is so unnecessary. Stop and get $40 at the airport at one of the ATMs, get it changed into smaller bills, and you are good to go. Everything else can go on a credit card. And then nobody has to spend their time changing money. So easy these days!

Edited June 28, 2022 by 5waldos

[Cali Viajera]

Just use your debit or credit card. That’s what we did last week, even a food truck took a card. 

[5waldos]

6 hours ago, Cali Viajera said:

Just use your debit or credit card. That’s what we did last week, even a food truck took a card. 

Bellboys and dock workers might be a problem though. Which is why we carry at least some cash. 

[cruiseryyc]

Thank you Swaldos for being a respectful traveller!

[arpie05]

I find funny the ATM usage comments. Because I guess they're becoming more common again? I haven't used one since 1990. (And don't plan to start again...lol)