Converted cash in Vancouver

We will be in Vancouver a little less than 24 hours, and plan to use our credit card whenever possible. How much cash should we convert? We plan on taking cab to hotel near pier, and walking to pier.

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If you don't plan any tiny purchases, you can use your card for pretty much everything except transit tickets (and if it's a Chip card, you can even do that now). Even tipping for bags and whatnot, bell staff will be happy to take US Greenbacks instead of Canadian Loonies (it increases their tip by almost a third...)

I’m getting $200 USD worth of Canadian dollars for the same amount of time. It depends what you want to do. I know it works out to about $250 or so.

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you can use a credit card for almost anything..including cabs. need cash for only tips..and like previous poster says US $ readily taken. mastercard and visa most accepted.

on the other hand ..our money is so much prettier

enjoy vancouver

Thanks!!

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I wondered the same thing. I talked to my TA and she said to use credit card for taxis and restaurants. I called my AmEx and they will not charge me a foreign transaction fee. As far as getting from the airport to our hotel, I pre-booked and prepaid with GoShuttle including the tip for a private SUV for 4 adults.

I will use USD to tip bell hops.

I've used a CapitalOne debit card for a few years. No foreign transaction fees, better conversion rates, and I can use it at any ATM and the fees are refunded. ATM's are everywhere and with no transaction penalty I only withdraw a small amount at a time if I need some walking around cash. Started doing small amounts in Italy as the bankomats want to give you 50 euro (pronouned arrow) notes and you get a frowny face if you drop a 50 for a single cafe'.

Here in Vancouver now. I have not used or took out any Canadian cash. Heading to ship tomorrow tomorrow. Will leave american cash for hotel tips.

You can use your credit cards for everything including transit, taxi, bottle of water. We used USD for tips and it was greatly appreciated.

Hmmm, this is a toughy... I think we’ll convert $50 or nothing...

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We visit family regularly in Vancouver and eat out, travel by various means, etc and do not ever need to get Canadian cash. CC’s for essentially everything. On a rare need for cash the US dollar works and you take a little hit on the exchange.

If it means anything, we just got back and spent four days between Whistler and Vancouver and didn't get any Canadian currency the entire trip. Had no issues at all. Every restaurant, convenience store, or small shop that accepted credit cards had no issues with it (and I didn't look hard to find any store that accepted cards). Felt kind of odd making a $5 purchase on a credit card a few times, but I also have one with no foreign transaction fees, so it was better than getting cash for us. YMMV depending on your plans, of course.

Glad to know this! We sail out of Vancouver this Saturday and I wasn't planning to get any CAD. Will bring cash to tip our taxi driver.

I’m a Canadian and I rarely carry any cash. It is extremely rare for anyone to need cash as almost every store takes credit cards or debit cards. I have 2 local places that I use that don’t take credit but I can use interact which electronically debits from my bank account. Even between friends and home based businesses money moves electronically now, so it really is a rare situation that requires some cash. I’ll be honest that I carry $20 for those few times when I need cash and it hardly ever needs replacing.

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Last time I checked Canada was its own sovereign nation where the official currency is the Canadian Dollar. Me? I'm quite partial to the $20 bill myself.

Although not as eager as in Mexico, I'm sure they'll be establishments that will accept USD albeit at a poor exchange rate. And those few bucks you're handing out as tips? Unless the lucky recipient is planning on a trip south of the 49th (may be to smuggle shoes back into Canada - lol), they've got to exchange it before they spend it...

So do the right thing. Either use plastic or splash the cash using the official currency

We will be in Vancouver a little less than 24 hours, and plan to use our credit card whenever possible. How much cash should we convert? We plan on taking cab to hotel near pier, and walking to pier.

 

 

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Just spent 3 days in Vancouver. Everyone took US cash. Even the local stores for a bottle of water! We used our credit card most of the time but at the airport just now I used cash and they converted the price on their registers. Don’t bother getting Canadian currency!

We ended up not converting anything for our 24 hours there, and were ok :). Mostly used credit card, but also used USD in some places (like the cab)

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I converted $100 and then somehow LOST it. The envelope I had it in was not in my purse, not in my pockets, and I never found it despite my being able to precisely describe the envelope. So, Vancouver was NOT my favorite stop. :loudcry:

Wish I had converted none and just used my card (which is what I did after I lost the cash) then brought it home, deposited it and paid off CC.

The exchange that day was $100USD = $126 CAD