USA money and Canadian money?

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knh959

There are very few retail businesses in Canada that will not accept US currency. Restaurants, stores, hotels etc will all take US currency as payment for service/products. You may or may not get a favourable exchange rate on your US dollars though, so your best bet is to use your credit card. As far as Canadian money being accepted in the USA - there may be the occasional shop at the border that will accept Canadian money but by and large the answer is no. I was in a Home Depot in Florida a few years ago making a small purchase. I had the correct change but inadvertently included a Canadian penny in the amount that I gave the cashier. She actually threw it back on the counter saying "that's no good!". I took some offence to her attitude and advised her that while her store might not accept it, it certainly was not appropriate to tell me that it was 'no good'. I was not impressed.

jake.jakebson

yes most businesses in Canada will accept US money and they'll take a service fee plus the exchange rate to convert it to Canadian money, in the US they probably don't even know what Canadian money is...

cw21dlr

I live in Windsor, Ontario (across from Detroit-Michigan) and cross the border frequently.

In Windsor, as in any major city near the border, U.S. currency is accepted anywhere. You will find, perhaps, the further you get away from the border, and the more remote the area, the least likely U.S. currency will be accepted. Even though it is frequently accepted here, though, it's still better to exchange your money before-hand as most retailers and restaurants will not give you the best exchange rate (sometimes as much as 10 cents less on the dollar than the going bank rate). Also, avoid the currency exchange booths at the border crossings here or on the highways as they are notorious for poor exchange rates and a service fee as well.
Your best bet is to change your U.S. money into Canadian at your own bank before you come (if your bank does that) or at a bank here, where they will likely charge you a small service fee.
Using your U.S. credit card is a good option as well. You will pay for items in Canadian dollars but the purchase will show up on your
statement converted to U.S. funds.

As far as using Canadian money in the States, I shop over there frequently and still find, even though the money is close to par now, and even though the Detroit area borders Canada, it is still highly unlikely that a retailer over there will accept Canadian currency.

Hope this helps.

mr_fartson

Caandian banks (most are large with branches in all of Canada and a few in the US) will readily change US and Canadian dollars. Canadian businesses often will accept US dollars, but are under no obligation to do so, and may impose a service charge or a lower exchange rate (it costs them an extra trip to the bank and extra bookkeeping),

Anerican banks are smaller, and often do business in a particular state or region. Unless they are either near the border or in a tourist area, they are unlikely to have Canadian dollars on hand. Consequently, businesses are not going have an opportunity to exchange Canadian dollars and won't accept them.

Suggestion: change your money at a Canadian bank, soon after entering Canada (or use an ATM on a network including US banks). Do the same to convert you money back to US dollars, just before you leave Canada. There are also money changes in most airports, but they charge a higher exchange rate.

monica22033

You can spend US money in canada for sure, almost everyone will accept it, i have actually never had anyone decline it before. As for Americans accepting Canadian money i have no idea, i have not been to the states very often.

XII

iv spent USA dollers on canada before

William K

Not really.

There may be certain border cities in Canada that accept American money (I have spent US dollars in Montreal, but that was in 1980.). Some US border cities may accept Canadian dollars, like some small town in upstate New York, or in Seattle, Washington. It is less likely an American city will accept foreign currency, but there have been exceptions. Some individual stores along the border might. For example, a pizzeria in Dallas popular with hispanics accepted Mexican pesos. They stopped after a firestorm erupted.

One thing, and it goes for both sides of the border: You get a better exchange rate by using that country's currency. So, if you plan to visit the US, get American dollars. Ditto with Canada. There is always a premium when you try to spend a foreign currency at a location that accepts that foreign currency. As an example, during my last trip to Mexico the US dollar was worth 11.5 pesos. Most vendors traded at 10 pesos to the dollar. We quickly bought some pesos or used a credit card.

If you are stuck in a foreign country and need local currency, an ATM will give the next best exchange rate to a bank.

toronto20

No, you can only use Canadian money in Canada and USA money in the US.

robrobiii

No, but they are easily exchanged and nearly equal in value.

hbk777

no, they are two different currencies. its the same as the Hong Kong dollar, the US dollar, Singapore dollar, Canadian dollar. They are all different currencies and one cannot spend another's currency in a different country.

just bring US dollars and go to the closest money changer or bank

Sexy Homer

Business in Canada will gladly take your US dollars and give you change in Canadian money, because their currency is worth less than ours.

But US business will not take Canadian money. You would have to go to the bank to exchange it.

===edit==

The morons who are giving me the thumbs down never went to Canada, I bet; while I have been several times, and know what I am talking about.

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