US $$$ for tipping

[GTJ]

6 hours ago, d9704011 said:

I think many Americans don't bother purchasing some local currency on the belief that the USD is almighty and the locals will be happy to have them and figure out a way to convert them into local currency to make them useful for their day-to-day living needs.

Very much so . . . though I think that's simply a variant of the position of the United States dollar as a reserve currency. And especially in the case of gratuities--which are a voluntary expression of gratitude and not an obligation that is legally enforceable--there is a perception that the recipient should be grateful to receive anything (i.e., beggars cannot be choosers). My experience in the Caribbean is that there is expectation that visitors will use United States dollars, with goods and services priced in United States dollars. (I have received some surprise--perhaps even disappointment--when I use local currency instead of United States dollars.) Even in Mexico and Central America there is a strong desire for United States dollars because of its strength and stability, and thus widely accepted. For many Americans those perceptions likely carry over in places such as Canada, notwithstanding the strength and stability of the Canadian dollar (though I will note that, when I was young, the Canadian dollar was worth more than its American counterpart).

[GTJ]

8 minutes ago, neeuqdrazil said:

 

It still blows my mind every time I have to hand over my credit card to have it taken away to run in a restaurant in the States. Especially since I can't remember the last time I actually signed the back of my cards - with chip & pin, signatures are effectively useless. 

I am not certain if the distinction is nationalistic or age, but I am very much the opposite. I always sign the back of my credit cards, and I am much more wary of chip + PIN as being vulnerable to fraud by others than of using signature to validate legitimacy of use. I get nervous when using my credit cards in certain stores without being asked for a signature, as the practice adds to my wariness of the fraud vulnerability.

[LHT28]

have signed for purchases on my CC  for  I am not sure how long 

 

Maybe it is the USA  is way behind the rest of the World  in that   technology

When in Europe several years  ago  they had  tap/go or tap & pin   no problem with our Canadian  cards

 But back to the top

 US citizens seem to have more problems get  foreign currency of any kind   than we do in Canada

We have Exchange places in the malls  no need to go to the bank 

 

In any case  Canada is not the Caribbean  if you plan on tipping  cash  get some local currency

JMO

[GTJ]

3 hours ago, LHT28 said:

US citizens seem to have more problems get  foreign currency of any kind than we do in Canada

We have Exchange places in the malls no need to go to the bank

It really is much more of an issue for Americans, generally, to get foreign currency. It both impedes some people who would like other currency, and for those with the ambition to do so it creates excessive expense. I will note that I have never used an American bank for foreign exchange because they are excessively expensive. The only instance in the United States where it is not much of a hassle is along the border with Mexico, where it is neither difficult nor excessively expensive to obtain Mexican currency. Unless you're looking to exchange Canadian dollars for Mexican pesos.

 

3 hours ago, LHT28 said:

In any case  Canada is not the Caribbean if you plan on tipping cash get some local currency

Only a minority of American truly devoted to Canada will likely do so. Many believe it is not their responsibility to exchange United States dollars into Canadian dollars, especially given how easy it is for Canadians to do so themselves . . . there are exchange places in Canadian malls and no need to go to the bank. A fair portion of Americans will either offer United States dollars as gratuities, or they will simply stiff the Canadians completely. Unfair to Canadians, but cost and inconvenience is also unfair to the Americans . . . the problems are on both sides of the border.

[tring]

6 hours ago, neeuqdrazil said:

 

It still blows my mind every time I have to hand over my credit card to have it taken away to run in a restaurant in the States. Especially since I can't remember the last time I actually signed the back of my cards - with chip & pin, signatures are effectively useless. 

 

I do not understand your post, can I ask what "taken away to run" means please?  Does it mean if you pay for something with cc in the US, then they take the card away somewhere else to process it?  If so that would concern us considerably. 

[LHT28]

29 minutes ago, tring said:

 

I do not understand your post, can I ask what "taken away to run" means please?  Does it mean if you pay for something with cc in the US, then they take the card away somewhere else to process it?  If so that would concern us considerably. 

Yes many restaurants take your  card to the  counter to process the charge   unlike in Canada  where they bring the machine to the table  where you tap or swipe it

[tring]

11 hours ago, LHT28 said:

Yes many restaurants take your  card to the  counter to process the charge   unlike in Canada  where they bring the machine to the table  where you tap or swipe it

 

Thanks for the clarification on that.  We have not had that done for many years anywhere in Europe.  Also even elsewhere from what we remember, certainly in Mumbai in early 2020 they brought the hand held card reader to the table.

 

Oh well need to be very careful of that, even if banking systems are not as advanced over there, I am sure people who are so inclined, will be able to clone your card.  We will likely go with them to the counter.

 

 

Edited August 26, 2023 by tring

[LHT28]

5 hours ago, tring said:

 

Thanks for the clarification on that.  We have not had that done for many years anywhere in Europe.  Also even elsewhere from what we remember, certainly in Mumbai in early 2020 they brought the hand held card reader to the table.

 

Oh well need to be very careful of that, even if banking systems are not as advanced over there, I am sure people who are so inclined, will be able to clone your card.  We will likely go with them to the counter.

 

 

Here in Canada   they do bring the  reader to the table  if  not we pay at the counter   Tap N Go

Enjoy the trip

[PigsCanFly]

We went to our local US bank and waited the 2 days for a Can$ equivalent to be available.  We have always used the Casino Cashier in Niagara Falls when we went to Niagara on vacation.  They had the most favorable US$ to Can$ rates we have observed.  Of course, any leftover Can$ could be exchanged back to US$ there also, but being a casino, that was seldom an issue.  We do try to have Canadian bills/coins whenever we travel to our Northern Neighbors.  We will resort $US if we run out.  We have 3 excursions on our upcoming b2b cruise. I believe we have enough Can$ for tips and purchases. 

[Nitemare]

On 8/26/2023 at 1:19 AM, tring said:

 

Thanks for the clarification on that.  We have not had that done for many years anywhere in Europe.  Also even elsewhere from what we remember, certainly in Mumbai in early 2020 they brought the hand held card reader to the table.

 

Oh well need to be very careful of that, even if banking systems are not as advanced over there, I am sure people who are so inclined, will be able to clone your card.  We will likely go with them to the counter.

 

 

Maybe I've been lucky, but in all my years of using a CC here in the US at restaurants, and literally thousands of times the card has been taken in the back to be run, I've never had it cloned or stolen.

 

I *Have* had my card number compromised by airlines and major hotel chains.

 

Don't worry about this.

[electro]

On 8/25/2023 at 9:41 AM, neeuqdrazil said:

 

It still blows my mind every time I have to hand over my credit card to have it taken away to run in a restaurant in the States. Especially since I can't remember the last time I actually signed the back of my cards - with chip & pin, signatures are effectively useless. 

Totally agree, it always makes me a bit nervous when the waiter walks away with my credit card. I don't like having it out of my sight, too easy for someone to write down the information before they return it.

[GTJ]

5 hours ago, Nitemare said:

I've never had [my credit card] cloned or stolen. I *Have* had my card number compromised by airlines and major hotel chains. Don't worry about this.

I have had my credit card number compromised a few times, but since I rarely go to restaurants it is unlikely that it would have happened there. It has never been an issue having fraudulent charges reversed. The greatest problem is the inconvenience of having to wait for a replacement card, though my bank, USAA, has been very good in rushing out replacements. That said, having a credit card number compromised while overseas could be a substantial inconvenience if the bank is unable to send a replacement card to wherever it is one might be.

Edited August 28, 2023 by GTJ

[canadjineh]

I do enjoy the convenience of having both a USD account and a EUR account at my Canadian bank, since I can buy when the rates are more favourable to stock my accounts for use on our next trips.  Only thing I wish is that I could get the money from my EUR account at any of my bank's branches worldwide, instead of only having it available at my home branch.  Maybe that will come in time...

[CruisingFun2023]

On 8/25/2023 at 9:41 AM, neeuqdrazil said:

 

It still blows my mind every time I have to hand over my credit card to have it taken away to run in a restaurant in the States. Especially since I can't remember the last time I actually signed the back of my cards - with chip & pin, signatures are effectively useless. 

Never have your credit card out of your sight in the U.S. Very easy to get double billed or fraudulent transaction.

[Nitemare]

39 minutes ago, CruisingFun2023 said:

Never have your credit card out of your sight in the U.S. Very easy to get double billed or fraudulent transaction.

I eat out at restaurants FAR too often, and usually the card leaves my sight.  Most places don't have portable readers, and I don't think many folks are asking before they sit down if that is an option and taking their business elsewhere if it isn't (or paying cash, instead)

 

Never had a fraudulent transaction from something like this.

 

From a skimmer at a self serve terminal?  Yes.  From a hotel chain employee using my card number fraudulently? Yes.  Have I lost anything beyond a 5 minute call on those occasions?  No.

[electro]

7 hours ago, canadjineh said:

I do enjoy the convenience of having both a USD account and a EUR account at my Canadian bank, since I can buy when the rates are more favourable to stock my accounts for use on our next trips.  Only thing I wish is that I could get the money from my EUR account at any of my bank's branches worldwide, instead of only having it available at my home branch.  Maybe that will come in time...

I also have a USD account but unfortunately, there has not been a favourable rate in a long time.

[puppycanducruise]

7 hours ago, canadjineh said:

I do enjoy the convenience of having both a USD account and a EUR account at my Canadian bank, since I can buy when the rates are more favourable to stock my accounts for use on our next trips.  Only thing I wish is that I could get the money from my EUR account at any of my bank's branches worldwide, instead of only having it available at my home branch.  Maybe that will come in time...

I too have a US$ account and a Euro account at our local bank.  Anytime I feel like I have a little extra money, or our dollar goes up (so rare now) I buy a little US or Euro and deposit it into the bank, then, when we are ready to travel, I can get the cash.  Although, on our last trip to Europe, I used very little cash, I used credit card, tap and go.   It's interesting, that even at our local bank in a town of 6000 people they have Euros, US$ and Pounds on hand. 

[electro]

3 hours ago, puppycanducruise said:

I too have a US$ account and a Euro account at our local bank.  Anytime I feel like I have a little extra money, or our dollar goes up (so rare now) I buy a little US or Euro and deposit it into the bank, then, when we are ready to travel, I can get the cash.  Although, on our last trip to Europe, I used very little cash, I used credit card, tap and go.   It's interesting, that even at our local bank in a town of 6000 people they have Euros, US$ and Pounds on hand. 

yes, I am in a small city, I will go to the bank tomorrow or Friday to get USD for my cruise on Sunday.

[Dobby36]

On 9/20/2023 at 5:32 AM, Nitemare said:

I eat out at restaurants FAR too often, and usually the card leaves my sight.  Most places don't have portable readers, and I don't think many folks are asking before they sit down if that is an option and taking their business elsewhere if it isn't (or paying cash, instead)

 

Never had a fraudulent transaction from something like this.

 

From a skimmer at a self serve terminal?  Yes.  From a hotel chain employee using my card number fraudulently? Yes.  Have I lost anything beyond a 5 minute call on those occasions?  No.

 

+1 

this fear of having a credit card leave your side is overblown.  To me, one of the huge advantages of using one over a debit card is there isn’t a risk of someone stealing your money.  I would worry much more about my debit card.  Sure, skimming and double charging can happen. But it’s so rare and easily corrected by a text or app chat - I don’t even recall ever actually picking up a phone to resolve such an issue.