Interac

[Doug Mager]

Further back on my response I mentioned basically that I found stores sometimes reluctant to use our (Canadian) interac cards. At that time it also seemed that merchants were less and less likely to accept any Canadian money. It now seems like this trend may be reversing. I'll ALWAYS remember buying a bananna split at a D.Q. in San Fran. Paid with a bill and change. The eagle eyed clerk spotted a dime in my change and refused to accept it!!!

[Jim Bennett]

Thats a new one on me.

It was to me too, until I got my fingers rapped by a cute attendant the first time I tried to fill up myself when in Oregon earlier this year.

[Weinel, Alan]

Doug... for those of us who will venture NORTH of the border, do most Canadian business owner take US Coin and Currency?

(b-t-w, I LOVE the idea of the Loonie and the Toonie. I personally wish the US would stop the $1 Bill and convert to the Presidential Dollar. AND, like the Euro, kill off the $5 bill and do a $5 coin. MAKES SENSE to me!)

Further back on my response I mentioned basically that I found stores sometimes reluctant to use our (Canadian) interac cards. At that time it also seemed that merchants were less and less likely to accept any Canadian money. It now seems like this trend may be reversing. I'll ALWAYS remember buying a bananna split at a D.Q. in San Fran. Paid with a bill and change. The eagle eyed clerk spotted a dime in my change and refused to accept it!!!

[SherryNPaul]

Alan,
We've always found the best exchange rates using our credit cards or an ATM. (Check with your credit card companies before you travel outside the U.S. Some charge "foreign transaction fees" as high as 3%. We have two that don't charge any "foreign" fee, and obviously, they're the ones we use. Some banks have arrangements with foreign ATMs for free or low fees, also.) We carry some foreign cash, not a lot.
This summer in Canada, we found decent exchange rates posted at all the provincial park campgrounds for U.S. visitors wishing to use U.S. currency. At a McDonalds, however, I found I had only a few dollars in Canadian money in my wallet, but had my credit card and US dollars . They would have been happy to take my U.S. dollars, but could not offer any exchange rate at all (store policy). I paid with a credit card.
Sherry

[Chester Taje]

Doug... for those of us who will venture NORTH of the border, do most Canadian business owner take US Coin and Currency?

(b-t-w, I LOVE the idea of the Loonie and the Toonie. I personally wish the US would stop the $1 Bill and convert to the Presidential Dollar. AND, like the Euro, kill off the $5 bill and do a $5 coin. MAKES SENSE to me!)

I have found that most bussiness in Canada will take US Money, BUT BE AWARE, They may not give the proper exchange rate.

[Carol Ann in TO]

Most Canadian retailers will accept US dollars for payment but will likely round the exchange up to the next 5 cent increment on the dollar.
Typically, when the difference is less than 10 cents on the dollar, they will go to dollars at par.

[Time K]

I have found that most bussiness in Canada will take US Money, BUT BE AWARE, They may not give the proper exchange rate.

Hey Chester thanks for blowin' the whistle....

[Chester Taje]

Hey Chester thanks for blowin' the whistle....

Your Welcome.

[Roy in TO]

PLEASE tell me that the insanity has not crept North... we will be visiting Canada either summer of 2010 or 2011 FOR SURE, and I look forward to a great visit.

Not yet. The price at the pump is the price you pay. Extra charges for Debit and credit are whatever one has agreed to with the card issuer. Different banking systems due to gov't regulations.

But do expect to pay more for gas up here. They gouge you on midrange. The pumps are automatically adjusted for temperatures and volumes. Too bad they can't figure out a way to determine how much cheap or expensive gas is in the hose between the meter and the nozzle. Plus many stations contain up to 10% ethanol, but they never say exactly how much.

In some areas expect to prepay inside at night.

Believe it or not Ontario actually has an old law I just learnt about this summer. If there is an attendant, you are not allowed to pump your own gas. I guess the key difference is the attendant pumps have the little lever in the handle that keeps pumping without having to squeeze the handle. One needs special training to know how to use it. ;-)

[Rick kl]

One thing about pay at the pump in the states after you swipe your credit card the machine asks you for your zip code (Canada postal codes don't work I tried!) then you have to go inside and put say $100 on your card after you fill up they refund the differance to your card. This wasn't always the case but it happened a lot, I started carrying enough US bucks for a fill up instead of using my credit card. I never did try my interact card any where except in bank machines.