Buy a prepaid credit card in U.S. and use in Canada?

[cruisehopeful]

I don't normally use prepaid credit cards. Has anyone purchased one in the U.S. and then used it for travel in Canada? My normal credit cards charge foreign transaction fees and I thought a prepaid card may be more valuable and easier to deal with than exchanging cash.

 

[NancyIL]

Read the fine print of the prepaid card, as it may also charge a foreign currency conversion fee. Unless you are charging a lot, most cards that charge the fee charge a maximum of 3% - which is $30 for every $1000 charged. I don't "exchange cash" in foreign countries: I get additional money in the foreign currency from an ATM machine. You will usually get a better exchange rate, even with the ATM fees, than you will by exchanging US dollars.

 

[MUN]

I would get a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. There are plenty of them out there. Also, do you know a prepaid card wouldn't charge you a foreign transaction fee.

 

[bumbershoot]

We just deal with the fees; they aren't that much, in our experience, in the grand scheme of things. Especially if the exchange rate stays nice for Americans.

But we also tend to use cash. Use our credit union card to get money out at a Green Machine, the exchange rate is good and the fee is maybe $2 US. NOT a big deal at all, in our opinion. (we even did that when the exchange rate was bad for us)

And I doubt that a prepaid card would NOT charge a fee.

 

[FigmentSpark]

Have you thought of paying by debit card while in Canada? Debit is so widely accepted in Canada that very few places even take checks anymore. Check if the fees are better to do it that way.