Has anyone used the $2 Bill for tips?

[canbonbon]

Or would that be considered fake by many and frowned upon?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_two-dollar_bill

 

I feel it has that perfect balance. Higher than $1 but not as high as $5 (which can add up quickly)

 

Thanks,

[spookwife]

they are a novelty and the biggest issue is the crew will not be able to actually spend them anywhere, thus rendering them useless..

 

many retailers do not accept them any more.

[RJ2002]

I would not present the crew with $2 bills as tips, particularly if sailing to ports outside of the US. They are barely recognized in the US, much less overseas.

[canbonbon]

many retailers do not accept them any more.

 

Wow, I did not know that. But why they don't take? US Government prints them, its not that they are fake or something. Maybe lack of knowledge/less circulation?

 

thanks

[MSN-Travelers]

You would never be able to get a foreign vendor to accept a US $2 bill as payment for goods or services. While a crew member would accept anything you give them, they would face the same problem . . . can't spend it anywhere.

 

Ask anybody in the US under, say 40, if they have ever seen one in circulation. Same goes for the Susan B, Sacagawea or the current Presidential Dollar Coin.

 

Why give somebody something that has no real purchasing power outside the US. Just try to buy a burger at the local MickyD and pay for it with a $2 bill. Wanta bet the counter person has to get a manager involved to see if it is "real" money.

[MSN-Travelers]

double post deleted

Edited February 10, 2014 by MSN-Travelers

[cb at sea]

No one likes, or uses, $2....not even in our own country! Don't do that to the folks serving you!

[spookwife]

Wow, I did not know that. But why they don't take? US Government prints them, its not that they are fake or something. Maybe lack of knowledge/less circulation?

 

thanks

 

same reason the SBA dollar failed miserably or the newer Sacajawea one.

 

no place to put them in cash boxes ;not worth the time and effort to bring them to the bank

[canbonbon]

Would give 2 $1 bills instead. Same effect but better smiles :D

[notentirelynormal]

I had a bus driver in Sydney ask me if they were real. A few years before, someone had thought it cute to tip him in it. Well, his bank wouldn't take it so he threw it in a drawer. Said it was the most useless tip he ever got. Not very thoughtful either Cute for you - useless (or a big bother to get it exchanged) to them. I give them a tip for all the hard work they do, not to cause more. No one outside the US will take it and younger workers here are sure not familiar with it. When was the last time you got changed for a 50 cent purchases - hand them a five and get 2 $2 and change?

[Cruisin' Chick]

Often people have the best intentions, but that doesn't help when you're causing aggravation for others. I would not give someone a tip in $2 bills or in $1-coins because some places won't accept them.

 

My MIL in blessed memory would give us $50 bills for birthdays and other gifts. She would have to go to her bank to get them. I guess it didn't occur to her that we would have to return them to our bank and have it exchanged or deposited into our account. Many stores have signs that they will not accept any bills over $20 for a reason -- if they get stuck with a counterfeit bill it's worse if it's for fifty dollars as opposed to five dollars.

[BlueRiband]

Or would that be considered fake by many and frowned upon?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_two-dollar_bill

 

I feel it has that perfect balance. Higher than $1 but not as high as $5 (which can add up quickly)

 

Thanks,

 

Your intentions are noble but for all the reasons noted above give two $1 bills.

 

A few weeks back somebody here wanted to tip with "Kennedy coins". (US half dollar coin bearing the profile of past president John F. Kennedy.) This coin denomination has not circulated in the States in fifty years and is now strictly a collectors item. The novelty is meaningless to foreign crew members. The collector value of a $2 bill or Kennedy coin has no more meaning to them than a British schilling or sixpence coin would have to Americans.

[beachbum53]

If you don't want to stuff your wallet with a lot of $1.00 bills for tips, it's easy to go to the casino and get change for a $20.00 bill. As others have already said, $2.00 bills are highly frowned upon as tip money.

[donaldsc]

Or would that be considered fake by many and frowned upon?

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_two-dollar_bill

 

I feel it has that perfect balance. Higher than $1 but not as high as $5 (which can add up quickly)

 

Thanks,

 

I am sure that the recipient would be very happy to get two $1 bills. I do not think that they will give you one of them back. I guarantee that if you give them a $2 bill and you could read their mind, you would be dead.

 

DON

[Happy ks]

The crew onboard could cash them in at the pursers desk…no??? I hardly think any of them would trash a $2 bill, just because they are not familiar with them.

 

If anyone wants to get rid of their $2 bills, I'll take them :p

 

I work part time in a retail store and we take $2 bills, $50 bills, $100 bills and any denomination of coin. It's money and it's real, we have never had the bank refuse US dollars.

 

Perhaps on an out of the country excursion or cruise, but I'm sure the cruise ships that people here post about, starting and ending in the USA, would definitely take $2 bills. Wouldn't there be an armored truck from a US bank deliver and receive cash every week from cruise ships?

[kitty9]

I'm on a cruise right now and asked about the $2 bills. Every crew member I asked said emphatically NO, as they're a hassle and the on board bank for the crew won't accept them in exchange.

[Cavecreektbear]

It's is American currency, any store refusing to take them in the states could face a problem! I've never seen a store turn them down. Most people who I had a $2.00 bill to are always excited to receive them, because you do not run across them often. Employees

Typically fight over who's going to keep them. On ship, ANY currency is appreciated and accepted. I've paid tips in just about every currency on board, even currency to areas that we didn't even visit if I have it left from a different trip. They can cash any currency on board. As for foreign ports.. Banks will not cash foreign coins, only bills. Any reputable bank that deals with foreign bills will accept $2.00 bills, however I agree it's easier to use dollar bills so those you are tipping in a foreign pier will not have issues..

Side note however.. Depending on what you're tipping for $2.00 regardless of the coins/bills you use is an awfully small tip.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

[Hlitner]

This issue comes up every now and then and the answers are generally the same. The reality is that very few folks, (and fewer businesses) want those obsolete bills. They may be treasured by some collectors, but are a royal pain for merchants who do not have a place in their cash drawers to $2 bills. If you want to tip with cash, give out $1 or $5s.

 

Hank

[Cruisin' Chick]

It's is American currency, any store refusing to take them in the states could face a problem! I've never seen a store turn them down. Most people who I had a $2.00 bill to are always excited to receive them, because you do not run across them often. Employees

Typically fight over who's going to keep them. On ship, ANY currency is appreciated and accepted. I've paid tips in just about every currency on board, even currency to areas that we didn't even visit if I have it left from a different trip. They can cash any currency on board. As for foreign ports.. Banks will not cash foreign coins, only bills. Any reputable bank that deals with foreign bills will accept $2.00 bills, however I agree it's easier to use dollar bills so those you are tipping in a foreign pier will not have issues..

Side note however.. Depending on what you're tipping for $2.00 regardless of the coins/bills you use is an awfully small tip.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

 

As I said in my first post, stores can refuse to take bills over $20, so why wouldn't they be able to refuse to take $2 bills? And why make a cabin steward or any other crew member have to stand in line just to get rid of currency that will be difficult to use in port on a day off? Please read Kitty9's post.

 

I'm on a cruise right now and asked about the $2 bills. Every crew member I asked said emphatically NO, as they're a hassle and the on board bank for the crew won't accept them in exchange.

 

Why make it hard on a crew member who has worked hard to make your vacation enjoyable?

[buchhalm]

Apart from the $1 or $2 bill discussion, I would say that for Brits it would be "accaptable" to tip in GBP or other Europeans to tip in Euros, especially when cruising IN europe where there would be no need to get a stack of USD for any other reason than tipping cruise ship staff. No matter what the on board currency, as pretty much everything is charged to the on board account.

[Krazy Kruizers]

We would never consider using $2 bills for tips for the crew.

It is easy to get change on a ship -- larger bills can be exchanged for ones and fives at the front desk so you don't have to carry wads of small bills.

[trout62]

I had the same idea on my first cruise back in '86. Someone actually told me they were considered bad luck.

 

I think what they really meant to say was they were a hassle ;-)

 

Trout

Edited February 15, 2014 by trout62

[lady_cruiser]

In the past we used the gold dollar coins leaving one or two on our beds every night, gave one or two to room service (depending on how many trays they have) or to the assistant bar servers working in the theater or by the pool. All this in addition to the usual gratuity,

 

BUT we always asked first if they wanted the coins or prefer the paper money. The majority of them told us they liked the coins because they were unusual with a few saying they preferred the paper money (which we were just as happy to give them.)

 

Of course this was in the past because it was a hassle driving to our credit union, 30 miles away, to get them then returning any unused coins Now its paper money all the time.

[smeyer418]

It's is American currency, any store refusing to take them in the states could face a problem! I've never seen a store turn them down. ....

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums

this is not true. Stores do not have to accept them. Yes they are legal tender but not required to be accepted. In the US you can always go to the bank. No ship has to accept them at all.

If you are trying to show appreciation to the crew why make it more difficult for them.

 

The "legal tender" notice on bills gives it legitimacy, but does not require that people accept it. For example, many apartment rental offices and other business who have a high-dollar volume in a short time period do not accept cash at all.

 

You know the sign that says no bills over $20 accepted?

 

According to the U.S. Treasury, merchants aren't legally obligated to accept $2 bills -- or bills of any other denomination. Yes, they have to accept U.S. dollars, but those dollars don't have to be in the form of coins and paper money.

 

see

http://money.msn.com/saving-money-tips/post.aspx?post=b70c10eb-0a8e-4762-88d1-8aafcc30b0ec

 

and here from the US treasury

 

Legal Tender Status

 

I thought that United States currency was legal tender for all debts. Some businesses or governmental agencies say that they will only accept checks, money orders or credit cards as payment, and others will only accept currency notes in denominations of $20 or smaller. Isn't this illegal?

 

The pertinent portion of law that applies to your question is the Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."

 

This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise. For example, a bus line may prohibit payment of fares in pennies or dollar bills. In addition, movie theaters, convenience stores and gas stations may refuse to accept large denomination currency (usually notes above $20) as a matter of policy.

Edited February 27, 2014 by smeyer418

[OCruisers]

Often folks think using the $2 US bill is cute. It's not.

LuLu