Traveller's Checks

[bakken]

We are from Canada and planning a trip down to Wyoming next month, and are considering using traveller's checks, as the exchange rate charged by the credit cards is ridiculous.
But I have heard that because of counterfeiting, many places won't take them any longer.
Does anyone have any recent experience with them?

[Iggy]

Originally Posted by bakken

We are from Canada and planning a trip down to Wyoming next month, and are considering using traveller's checks, as the exchange rate charged by the credit cards is ridiculous.
But I have heard that because of counterfeiting, many places won't take them any longer.
Does anyone have any recent experience with them?

Get into the 21st century. Travellers Checks are old fashioned.
I actually can't tell you one way or another who will oe will not take them because we seldon see them used any more.

My alternative would be.....
Get a Capital One Credit card if they are available in Canada.You will not be charged that extar 3% like other credit cards and banks charge converting US$ to CN$ .
You get charged whatever the exchange rate is that day.
Lately $1 CN will get you 97 tp 99 cents US.
I have used this card in Europe for Euros, England for Pounds, etc
I'm heading to up north to Canada in June and plan to use my Capital One card for fuel and food..
https://www.capitalone.ca/

Good luck and enjoy your journey

[Poppy94]

we use a prepaid visa card when we're on vacation. it's accepted everywhere we go. you can check the balance everyday to see what's left from what you originally put on the card. good luck!

[bakken]

Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't realise that there was a credit card company that didn't ALWAYS shaft their customers!
I was thinking of buying some travellers checks because we have the US$ already sitting in a separate savings account, so were looking to use some of that without carrying the actual cash. (our banks don't allow us access to that account while in the US with a debit card)
Thanks again, I will have to check out Cap One!

[Sgt. Schultz]

I have friends who often travel south using travellers cheques - same deal buy US currency when rates are good put in us account etc. convert to Amex travellers cheques as required - they have not had issue cashing them at CG's (larger one) but generally use local banks one or two times a week as required - their last trip was a few weeks ago and used the left over travellers cheques from last year - they just drop the unused travellers cheques in a safety deposit box till the next time they need them

[prairiecamper]

bakken - Do not use travellers cheques, especially American Express! We did that year before last in Arizona and it was a pain in the A... We couldn't even cash them in a bank in Grand Forks. We have a US visa card and a US dollar account at home. When you need US cash go to a merchant (wal-mart) purchase something and ask them to add on an additional 20, 30, 40 dollars to the card.

[bakken]

As one of our larger expenses will be fuel, I wonder if FlyingJ/Pilot will cash them??

[bakken]

prairiecamper, is your US$ Visa connected to your US$ bank account?
If so, what bank do you deal with?

[MtnGuy]

We recently discovered that our US. Discover card does not charge foreign transaction fees....we now use that exclusively for our overseas travels. Don't know if it works the same for Canadian Discover cards, but that might be worth looking into, also.

[prairiecamper]

Originally Posted by bakken

prairiecamper, is your US$ Visa connected to your US$ bank account?
If so, what bank do you deal with?

yes - CIBC

[prairiecamper]

Originally Posted by bakken

As one of our larger expenses will be fuel, I wonder if FlyingJ/Pilot will cash them??

Yes they will however at one flying J it took us about an hour for the manager to to confirm they were a legit check, somewhere in Colorado I believe.

On another note, since we have some US neighbours replying what is the charge your US bank apply to foreign exchange over and above the daily exchange rate? Sorry don't mean to hi jack thread.