Tipping Canadians in US dollars

[Twickenham]

Somewhat related question. First trip to Canada coming up so please forgive my ignorance. I'm planning on getting some Canadian $$ for tips etc... Regardless so this is just because I'm curious. Would a place like mcdonalds or Tim Hortons take USD?

 

Thanks

 

They probably would, but as both take credit cards I would just plan on using that for payment.

[ducklite]

My nephew works in bell services at an American resort and is often tipped by Canadians in Canadian currency. While he appreciates the thought, it's useless to him. What it would cost him to exchange is the value of the currency. It would be so nice if people would stop and consider this and get some local currency wither from their bank before the travel or from an ATM when they arrive.

[sherryf]

I learned the day before my flight to Los Angeles for a repositional cruise two years ago you have to allow two days to exchange currencies. A teller explained the Canadian dollars were not there, so they had to go get them from somewhere else. It was OK on that trip to have only American dollars, but this time we want to ride a city bus to Butchart Gardens and I know buses always want exact change, so my plan is to exchange currency a few days before our departure.

 

You are on the Volendam round trip from Vancouver? You don't even go to Victoria, so getting to Butchart Gardens will take a lot more than a city bus... :confused:

[Winnigirl]

I am sure many Canadians have had that happen over the years but why stoop to their level

 

:rolleyes:

 

I am not "stooping to their level". I would never be so rude. I am pointing out that good manners cost nothing.

[sail7seas]

I agree. I accidently laid down a Canadian nickel one time and it was pushed back to me by the tip of a fingernail, with a nasty retort. You would have thought it was contaminated by bubonic plague germs. If someone wants to take your American dollars - fine, their choice, but is it really so inconvenient to get $100 Canadian to use for tips. Just good manners.

 

I understand the point made by those who say tip in Cdn $ and there is no argument from me. The best way to make that happen is for storekeepers,

Tim Hortons, taxi drivers and the like to refuse U.S. $. The word would get out.

 

If a porter or bellman does not want U.S. $$, and why should they, are free to say we use Cdn $ here. Those of us who have been lucky to encounter gracious people who accepted our U.S. $ would learn quickly if we could not longer find people to accept it.

 

Edited May 15, 2015 by sail7seas

[Honolulu Blue]

I normally don't comment on threads like these, but since a few people mentioned Canadian change, I thought I'd throw in my two cents (Canadian or US).

 

I've lived fairly close to the Canadian border all of my life, though never in a tourist town. I would say that about 1% of the coins I've received are Canadian. They're identical in size and close in weight. I don't remember anyone locally making particular note of receiving one since it is so common - or, at least, not uncommon. I'll filter out the CDN change if I have time to, but I'm sure I've passed some along to merchants through the years. Sorry! And I've used some in vending machines - sometimes they work, sometimes they don't.

 

And now back to our regularly scheduled drama.

[notentirelynormal]

I normally don't comment on threads like these, but since a few people mentioned Canadian change, I thought I'd throw in my two cents (Canadian or US).

 

Huh! Sure throw in your two cents worth - now that Canada doesn't HAVE cents LOL.

[DirtyDawg]

I understand the point made by those who say tip in Cdn $ and there is no argument from me. The best way to make that happen is for storekeepers,

Tim Hortons, taxi drivers and the like to refuse U.S. $. The word would get out.

 

If a porter or bellman does not want U.S. $$, and why should they, are free to say we use Cdn $ here. Those of us who have been lucky to encounter gracious people who accepted our U.S. $ would learn quickly if we could not longer find people to accept it.

 

 

That a nice dream but not something that going to happen in the real world. Like it or not the U.S. greenback is the de facto reserve currency of the world. Maybe in 20 or 30 years that will change to the Chinese Yuan.;) As for Canada, the U.S dollar is almost always accepted by businesess like Tim Hortons. Those businesses will not risk a lost sale just to make some nationalist point. At the end of the day (or when every they make their bank deposits) it's as easy to deposit U.S. cash in a Canadian bank as depositing Canadian currency. As for porters and bellmen, the only issue with accepting U'S. currency is that if they exchange and deposit the $ U.S. tips in their bank account it leaves a paper trail for the tax authorities which could be an issue for the small minority of them who do not report 100% of their tips on their income tax returns. ;)

Edited May 15, 2015 by DirtyDawg

[sail7seas]

That a nice dream but not something that going to happen in the real world. Like it or not the U.S. greenback is the de facto reserve currency of the world. Maybe in 20 or 30 years that will change to the Chinese Yuan.;) As for Canada, the U.S dollar is almost always accepted by businesess like Tim Hortons. Those businesses will not risk a lost sale just to make some nationalist point. At the end of the day (or when every they make their bank deposits) it's as easy to deposit U.S. cash in a Canadian bank as depositing Canadian currency. As for porters and bellmen, the only issue with accepting U'S. currency is that if they exchange and deposit the $ U.S. tips in their bank account it leaves a paper trail for the tax authorities which could be an issue for the small minority of them who do not report 100% of their tips on their income tax returns. ;)

 

I don't mean to be flippant but the only response is it can't be both ways. Either merchants and service employees accept U.S. $ or they don't. If they do not accept them, they will be making a loud statement. I understand money makes the world go round but accept it or don't. :shrug:

 

Edited May 15, 2015 by sail7seas

[ducklite]

I don't mean to be flippant but the only response is it can't be both ways. Either merchants and service employees accept U.S. $ or they don't. If they do not accept them, they will be making a loud statement. I understand money makes the world go round but accept it or don't. :shrug:

 

 

 

 

 

Some service employees can't refuse the tip as it would be considered rude. Where my nephew works they pretty much have to accept them with a smile. The one time he didn't was because the guy pulled the money out of his tightly whitey's! His boss certainly understood.

[sail7seas]

Some service employees can't refuse the tip as it would be considered rude. Where my nephew works they pretty much have to accept them with a smile. The one time he didn't was because the guy pulled the money out of his tightly whitey's! His boss certainly understood.

 

Yes, I suppose.

On our Alaska cruise, we had all ports in Alaska but for one at Victoria (or was it Vancouver? ). We didn't arrive until about 6:00 P.M. and were leaving the ship the next morning in Seattle. Where or how were we to get Cdn $ to make small purchases or to tip? We would not be spending anywhere enough in the few hours we'd be in Canada that trip, arrived late, would certainly not find a bank open and aside from the fact we don't use ATM's, how much time would we waste trying to find one? We are not in a border state and have no reason to stock up on Cdn $. We don't mean to be rude but we also are practical.

 

[ducklite]

Perhaps exchange $20 or so at the airport before you get on the plane? It seems like you are looking for excuses rather than solutions.

[DirtyDawg]

I don't mean to be flippant but the only response is it can't be both ways. Either merchants and service employees accept U.S. $ or they don't. If they do not accept them, they will be making a loud statement. I understand money makes the world go round but accept it or don't. :shrug:

 

 

Each individual merchant will make the decision to accept $U.S. cash or not based on their individual circumstances. In Canadian tourist areas the odds are most will accept it. And I'm sure most porters and other service workers would have no issue with $U.S. dollar tips either. We're talking the U.S. greenback here, not the Russian Ruble.

 

Would it be nicer, or more considerate to pay or tip in $CDN? Sure, but only marginally. So if any of our U.S. cousins are in country for only a few hours don't bother wasting your time tracking down a few multi-coloured bank notes, your green ones will be fine.

[sail7seas]

Perhaps exchange $20 or so at the airport before you get on the plane? It seems like you are looking for excuses rather than solutions.

 

We flew from Boston to Seattle where we boarded. We were not in the International Terminal and there are no currency exchanges for domestic.

 

Edited May 16, 2015 by sail7seas

[ducklite]

We flew from Boston to Seattle where we boarded. We were not in the International Terminal and there are no currency exchanges for domestic.

 

 

 

 

 

There is foreign currency exchange both in the main terminal near ticketing as well as near baggage claim, and also in Terminal A at SeaTac as well as terminals A,B, C, and E at Logan.

[sail7seas]

Didn't know that. I never saw money exchange in domestic terminals....... only international. Learned something new tonight. :) Having only been in SeaTac twice, I have no clue at which terminal we deplaned.

Edited May 16, 2015 by sail7seas

[burm]

Reading this thread now, when our Canadian dollar is so low, is hilarious. With the exception of one poster on this thread, most any Canadian would be delighted to be tipped or paid at par in US dollars today.

 

Even when our dollar was higher, it has always been fairly easy to pay in US dollars in stores and restaurants here, of course adding the exchange if necessary.

 

It is quite different in the USA where you can never assume a store will take Canadian bills. Usually they look at it as if it were Monopoly money. While a business may take our money, I would never tip Canadian in the US because it would be a pain in the butt to have to go to a bank to exchange a few bucks. And forget Canadian coin in the US completely!

[spookwife]

V

Montreal and Quebec are a different story.

 

Glenn:cool:

 

a different country more like heheheh(grew up just across the border. there was a reason my high school didn't offer Spanish but did offer French)

 

I always asked. it was about 50/50 the response I got. I always asked for change in American if they were treating it on par. that way they had less to deal with at the bank.

[spookwife]

So if any of our U.S. cousins are in country for only a few hours don't bother wasting your time tracking down a few multi-coloured bank notes, your green ones will be fine.

 

 

but your money is so much prettier....

[spookwife]

It is quite different in the USA where you can never assume a store will take Canadian bills. Usually they look at it as if it were Monopoly money. While a business may take our money, I would never tip Canadian in the US because it would be a pain in the butt to have to go to a bank to exchange a few bucks. And forget Canadian coin in the US completely!

 

oh today's youth in the fast food and retail business, the ones demanding $15 an hour, do not even know what a $2 bill is, let alone a SBA dollar. when it was my job to supervise closing out drawer at night, I often found them in the quarter drawer.. treated as such during reconciliation. over one holiday period I swapped out about 15 of them at a 25 cents each.

 

Just went through my piles of coins( lots of AUS, Hong Kong, UAE and Yen) found 4 Kennedy half dollars. I guarantee you that if I tried to use that as legal tender anywhere but a bank they'd tell me no. and the bank, I am still betting the teller would need approval from her manager if she was under 50.

[burm]

but your money is so much prettier....

 

Yes, yes it is. :D

 

An American lady once told me that she found our differently coloured bills so confusing. Isn't it much easier when you can select them quickly by colour? You don't even need to be wearing glasses. :p

[Karysa]

Yes, I suppose.

On our Alaska cruise, we had all ports in Alaska but for one at Victoria (or was it Vancouver? ). We didn't arrive until about 6:00 P.M. and were leaving the ship the next morning in Seattle. Where or how were we to get Cdn $ to make small purchases or to tip? We would not be spending anywhere enough in the few hours we'd be in Canada that trip, arrived late, would certainly not find a bank open and aside from the fact we don't use ATM's, how much time would we waste trying to find one? We are not in a border state and have no reason to stock up on Cdn $. We don't mean to be rude but we also are practical.

 

 

Years ago I stopped at a Mc Donald's at one of those on routes just outside of Buffalo and didn't have US funds on me. I asked if they accepted Canadian money. The young man behind the counter said yes but not those Loons though. He was referring to our new then dollar coin with a Loon on it which was affectionately called a Loonie to Canadians. :D I had to laugh because at the time we were all trying to get used to getting 4 coins back after buying something that cost a dollar by using a 5 dollar bill.:)

 

Right now the Canadians that travel to the US or the Caribbean are very thankful for American money. Our dollar is .75 to yours currently.

[Bizmark'sMom]

I ran an itty bitty grocery store in a tourist town just south of the Canadian border for years. We always took Canadian money. We couldn't always make change in Canadian funds, but did if we had those funds available. The only hassle for us was dealing with the coins because we couldn't deposit them. We'd store them and use them on our monthly supply run North of the border to stock up on popular things we couldn't get from our US suppliers. (Mostly Coffee Crunch and Violet Crumble)

 

Similarly, I never had problems with US funds along the border in Canada. There is enough cross border traffic between Bellingham and Vancouver that it isn't an issue.

[Robinsoncruiseso]

I live in a border town (US Side)..Vancouver is our closest BIG city. While cash is nearly extinct, both lower British Columbia and Northwest Washington both take each other's currencies at most places. I have not seen someplace that will not. However, change is given in the currency of the country. Some really small mom and pop places exchange at PAR, some places in the US, especially the golf courses are taking the Canadian dollar at PAR. When I use cash, I use up my Canadian first, then switch to US. Never have I had a US dollar used for a tip refused....nor does anyone down here refuse a tip in Canadian dollars/coin.

 

When using credit cards, be sure to alert your card issuer. Sometimes I go through two or three fraud alerts on a single day trip.

 

I know there are exceptions, so I do not need to be scolded if I used "all", "never", "always" inappropriately.