Have you ever had dollars accepted overseas?

[starvenger]

I think in Canada it is common around border areas where Americans might pop in to shop. I don't think you'd find that deeper in the country.

Really, if you're in a country with relatively weak currency, like the Caribbean/Mexico, etc. they are more than happy to take USD. I would not expect that in Europe or Asia though.

You'll find most touristy places take US dollars in Toronto (which isn't really close to the border) but they also take cards.

 

[design_mom]

In 1984 in Poland, yes, yes, yes, they ecstatically accepted US dollars. Unofficially, of course.

Same in Russia (2000-2005). I am not sure if it's the same now. This was generally small shops or street vendors. More than once, I'd try to pay in Rubles and they'd ask if I had US Dollars. If yes, they'd offer a better price if I paid in dollars.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

16 countries and territories actually use the dollar as their currency.
8 more peg their currency to the dollar and thus the dollar is generally accepted there as the exchange rate is always 1:1.
Some countries don't officially use or take the dollar, but their citizens mostly will. And in these you'll get a better price if you use dollars.

 

[Neapolitan Ice Cream]

Yup, in the Maldives. They prefer US dollars out there.

 

[jimmymc]

Nowhere in Europe has accepted them in my travels. Caribbean usually accept them if they aren't already the official currency, Mexico is 50/50, and Canada will usually accept them at 1 to 1.

 

[bcla]

Sure. That was specifically a thing in Canada. I remember one shop had a sign that the store would accept USD and would provide foreign exchange at a favorable rate. I also remember being on BC Ferries where the vending machines accepted US coins. At other places I remember full USD paper money was accepted at a posted exchange rate, but coins were only accepted 1:1.

I've been to China years ago where we bought stuff with USD and the store employees just asked around what the going exchange rate was with Renminbi. But technically the exchange of money outside of official channels (which were only for "foreign exchange notes) was illegal although rarely enforced. And we technically weren't doing any money exchange, and the (mostly government owned) stores we were shopping at weren't likely to have employees in trouble for going out to exchange on the street.

On that trip we had a short layover in Seoul, Korea and never got any local currency. I think a McDonald's in Itaewon accepted US dollars, likely because there was a US military base nearby. We also freely spent US dollars for other things. We generally just negotiated the price in US dollars and got not change. Or used our credit cards for the taxi.

 

[RedAngie]

That's certainly changed!! I've been to Poland thrice in the last year and they only take złoty which I always convert from USD at my local bank before leaving the US. Why would someone travel to a foreign country and expect to use their own currency? Absurd.

Back then Poland was still a Soviet satellite and there were stores that only accepted US dollars or other hard currency, such as UK pounds. These stores sold more desirable merchandise unavailable to ordinary Poles.

My father and uncles intentionally brought US dollars to give to relatives so they could shop there.

Even in small stores or street stalls, the vendors happily accepted US currency at a very favorable rate, although this was quite against policy.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I am not sure Canada counts as "overseas", but when I was visiting (in Ontario) they would.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We're on a Med cruise and I have seen tips given in dollars at one of our excursions whether that was just because that's all they had or not I'm not sure.

I would also try and get small change in local currency. In Montenegro it was 50 euro cents to use the restroom in Old Towne and one of the people on our tour only had a 20 euro bill to which the attendant didn't have that kind of change. Luckily we were on a guided excursion so the guide had change. The attendantonly had coins. We had coins only because of paying for something where we got change back and so we had a Euro coin to give to which she could give change for that. I know the Venice toilets though we did not use them at least one or two had machines to use to purchase. Ordinarily coins aren't as useful.

As far as bank exchanges not all banks will exchange back without conditions. Ours only did pesos if it equaled $100 in USD and it's same for Euro. They did not take coins back for Pesos a few months back. Not sure if they will for Euros. Since we're coming back to Europe next spring we'll just keep whatever we have left but for Mexico sister-in-law had to combine her Pesos with ours to exchange back. To buy pesos the bank had packs of 1,000, for Euros it was 105 euro packs.

We had no problems using USD in Mexico (though we used Pesos when we could or a CC) nor St. Lucia. The restaurant we had at off property in St. Lucia had prices in Caribbean dollars and US dollars.

 

[kanerf]

Just get a good credit card that does not charge a surcharge for foreign currency conversions and don't worry about it. Of course it is always a good idea to change $20 or so into local currency just for emergencies.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Just get a good credit card that does not charge a surcharge for foreign currency conversions and don't worry about it. Of course it is always a good idea to change $20 or so into local currency just for emergencies.

Most people use CC these days especially as there's a lot available that don't have foreign transactions fees but you should still have cash not just for emergencies. In Vodice, Croatia (where we got the change) it was cash only at this place we got drinks at, no cards accepted. $20 would have been fine because we just got drinks but would have been pushing it if we wanted food and souvenirs.

Luckily all the places we are doing on this cruise use Euros

 

[Moliphino]

Most people use CC these days especially as there's a lot available that don't have foreign transactions fees but you should still have cash not just for emergencies. In Vodice, Croatia (where we got the change) it was cash only at this place we got drinks at, no cards accepted. $20 would have been fine because we just got drinks but would have been pushing it if we wanted food and souvenirs.

Luckily all the places we are doing on this cruise use Euros

In at least some parts of Germany it can be hard to find places that accept credit cards outside of the very touristy areas. I'm not sure if that has changed since Covid, but I have a bit of a complex since my last trip to Munich because of it and always look for the credit card symbols by the door of restaurants or shops when traveling.

 

[Smugpugmug]

In at least some parts of Germany it can be hard to find places that accept credit cards outside of the very touristy areas. I'm not sure if that has changed since Covid, but I have a bit of a complex since my last trip to Munich because of it and always look for the credit card symbols by the door of restaurants or shops when traveling.

Yup, I can vouch for that being true. Southern Germany in particular is allergic to credit cards outside of American places like Starbucks and McDonald's.

 

[darnheather]

I lived in Turkey. Yes they would happily take dollars and sometimes when they realized I was an American asked for dollars. It was not at a good rate though. Every month on pay day there would be long lines at the ATMs to withdraw 100% of salary and then long lines at the exchanges to get dollars or euros. No one kept their money in TL or in a bank.

 

[Pooh2]

In Canada, they were happy to take our American money.
We mostly used our credit card where we could but used cash on a few things like a popcorn stand.

 

[Sykes]

I've been to lots of places overseas that accept USD. In Europe, many places with lots of tourists accept USD (at a poor exchange rate), especially places like cruise ports, but it isn't especially common in most of the continent. In some countries it's actually preferred (in Myanmar the USD is heavily favored vs the Kyat). But, outside of situations where the USD is the de facto local preferred currency (even if unofficial), I'd always carry local currency because it's the sure bet.

 

[tony67]

In Canada (in the past) they will usually take US Dollars, but when the US dollar is higher they usually do it 1 for 1 so not typically something you want to do.

Back for that period of time when the Canadian dollar was higher than the US dollar though they would give you a really bad exchange rate so again not worth while.

Most places in teh EU who will take US Dollars give a bad exchange rate so its not really worth doing - also avoid allowing them to convert your Credit Card purchases to USD as it is almost always a very bade rate.

In at least some parts of Germany it can be hard to find places that accept credit cards outside of the very touristy areas. I'm not sure if that has changed since Covid, but I have a bit of a complex since my last trip to Munich because of it and always look for the credit card symbols by the door of restaurants or shops when traveling.

I've not run into many places that don't take CC - but maybe rural area - they had chip and pin long before we had chips in our cards - and they were using tap to pay for things at least a year before us.

The only time I've had issues - is with some restaurants in touristy areas - it's seems to be a scam as they have an ATM with ridiculous fees - and all the other restaurants around them take cards - to be fair I've seen that in the states as well.

 

[Moliphino]

I've not run into many places that don't take CC - but maybe rural area - they had chip and pin long before we had chips in our cards - and they were using tap to pay for things at least a year before us.

The only time I've had issues - is with some restaurants in touristy areas - it's seems to be a scam as they have an ATM with ridiculous fees - and all the other restaurants around them take cards - to be fair I've seen that in the states as well.

I ran into it in Munich at a restaurant a bit removed from the touristy areas. I had to leave my dad as collateral and run down the street to an ATM to pay for dinner. This was in 2017. Also in Fussen we couldn't find a restaurant that took cards.

 

[starvenger]

Worth noting that Bank of America and Scotiabank are part of an "ATM Alliance" where withdrawal fees are waived if you use certain banks (like BNP, Deutschebank, Barclays and others).

And if you're with HSBC, you can withdraw money at any HSBC without incurring any ATM charges. Might be the same for TD.

 

[Sykes]

With Schwab's checking account they reimburse all ATM fees and have no foreign transaction fees (and have no minimum balance and no monthly fees), so I generally just pull local currency out of an airport ATM once I arrive--airport ATMs pretty reliably accept US cards. The only downside is that Schwab doesn't have typical retail banking services (e.g. tellers for cash deposits, etc.) so I keep a second checking account for when I need someone local.

It's also nice to not have to worry when I need to use an ATM in Vegas with those exorbitant $9.99+ fees.