Cashing in foreign currency when you return aboard to add to your on board account?

[SiliconCruiser]

13 hours ago, JF - retired RRT said:

Hmmm. I just checked with Mr. Google and he says if the merchant displays a sign noting that a surcharge is assessed...it's legal. There is a certain class of merchants that it's not, but I didn't care enough to figure out what that class entails.

Credit card surcharges may not be assessed in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas, regardless of what Google says.

 

[john watson]

You can always use foreign currency as tips if you have a roughly equivalent amount, not if you have $1000 dollars worth. Any currency will do.

 

Regards John

[cr8tiv1]

1 hour ago, SiliconCruiser said:

Credit card surcharges may not be assessed in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma and Texas, regardless of what Google says.

I was just in San Francisco, California.  Three businesses suggested I use cash to avoid a credit card charge.  One store actually said cash only.

[caribill]

On 10/1/2022 at 6:05 PM, EllieinNJ said:

Back in 2019 we tried to pay a taxi in Southampton with a 20 euro note that my daughter gave me from her trip the year before.  The cab driver refused to take it saying it was obsolete. 

 

Assuming you meant pounds instead of Euros, the driver was probably correct.

 

England has been replacing older paper currency with new polymer currency and after a couple of years, the older notes are no longer accepted although some banks may be willing to exchange them.

 

So if that 20 pound note was paper (not polymer), it is now obsolete.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-57990329

[ghstudio]

whatever you decide to do,  don't convert from one non US$ currency to another non US$ currency.  It will be processed as two transactions...one "selling" to US$ and then "buying" the new currency.  That's two charges for conversion.  I (obviously) learned this the hard way many years ago and doubt that it's changed.

 

Best idea above...use it for tipping or keep it for a future trip (if you'll be back).

 

 

[waltd]

On 10/2/2022 at 5:52 AM, skynight said:

England's currency is British Pounds, not Euros. It would be rare that a British taxi driver would accept foreign currency as payment. Most taxi drivers do accept credit cards. Would a taxi driver in NJ accept Euros, Can$? Don't think so. Yes, many banks will buy and sell foreign exchange as you found in Guernsey. You can also exchange at international airports when you arrive. Some hotels also will accept foreign currency as part of the payment. 

Ask before you get into the cab if they accept credit cards.   Last time we were there the cab we got did not accept them. Lucky, we had some pounds with us.

[chengkp75]

On 10/1/2022 at 1:57 AM, Mike45LC said:

Although ten states ban such surcharges, I believe that 40 states do not.  If I was charged a credit card surcharge in CA (which bans them), I would rejoice because of the class action lawsuit I would threaten (and file).

Actually, eight of those ten states' laws regarding surcharges are still on the books, but unenforceable due to court decisions.  Currently, only Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Puerto Rico have surcharge bans.  California's law was made unenforceable in mid-2021.  And, merchants can get around a surcharge ban by using a "cash discount", which sets the credit card price as the baseline, and discounts the cash price, which is legal throughout the US.

 

The case law is Expressions Hair Design v. Schneiderman, which went to SCOTUS, but was remanded to the 2nd Circuit Court, which subsequently found that posting a surcharge (as long as it is posted along with the cash price) is freedom of speech, and therefore allowable.  This is not Wiki, it is Justia Law.

 

The 9th Circuit Court affirmed that the law in California is unconstitutional:

 

https://www.jdsupra.com/post/contentViewerEmbed.aspx?fid=ee9c154a-1221-4d88-9193-d84605a4e04b

 

This was in 2018 in Italian Colors Restaurant v. Becerra

Edited October 3, 2022 by chengkp75

[EllieinNJ]

8 hours ago, caribill said:

 

Assuming you meant pounds instead of Euros, the driver was probably correct.

 

England has been replacing older paper currency with new polymer currency and after a couple of years, the older notes are no longer accepted although some banks may be willing to exchange them.

 

So if that 20 pound note was paper (not polymer), it is now obsolete.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-57990329

Thank you Caribill.  I did make a mistake and meant a 20 pound note, which indeed was paper.

[Thrak]

Have some euros and some Canadian dollars sitting in a drawer. Will hopefully remember to take them along next time we visit a place they are accepted. I guess I could just take them to the local bank and accept whatever exchange rate they offer but I've been to lazy to do so.

[Guest ldtr]

if you are a Starbucks customer, I have found that if there is a Starbucks nearby you can go in add the currency you want to get rid of to your starbucks gift card. Then use it in you native currency when you get home, Starbucks does all of the conversion at the exchange rate that is in use on that day. No extra fees.

[Mike45LC]

17 hours ago, cr8tiv1 said:

I was just in San Francisco, California.  Three businesses suggested I use cash to avoid a credit card charge.  One store actually said cash only.

Per a correction to my post, it looks like the statute against credit card surcharges has been declared invalid.

Edited October 4, 2022 by Mike45LC
I was wrong!!

[Mike45LC]

8 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

 

The 9th Circuit Court affirmed that the law in California is unconstitutional:

 

https://www.jdsupra.com/post/contentViewerEmbed.aspx?fid=ee9c154a-1221-4d88-9193-d84605a4e04b

 

This was in 2018 in Italian Colors Restaurant v. Becerra

Thank you for the correction and the link.  Very interesting.