Credit Cards Abroad and Currency Exchange Rates - How to Make Sure?
HillClimber asked:
Yankee Doodle goes to France and pays for his hotel and meals with plastic. How can Yankee Doodle be sure he is getting the official existing exchange rate when charges are stated in French currency but must, at some point, be converted to the dollars due stated on his credit card statement?
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Yankee Doodle goes to France and pays for his hotel and meals with plastic. How can Yankee Doodle be sure he is getting the official existing exchange rate when charges are stated in French currency but must, at some point, be converted to the dollars due stated on his credit card statement?
Second Question: Is there any conceivable rational reason to convert dollars to Euros, or any other European currency, in advance of getting there?
June 1st, 2010 at 1:18 pm
You call your Credit card company and ask them what they charge for the exchange. Currency converters are cheap. Some cell phones even have them. knowitall
June 4th, 2010 at 4:07 am
The credit card company bundles up all FX transactions and does one trade to settle all credit card exchanges done for a day. Likely a much better rate (wholesale) than you can obtain (retail rate.) Many travel advisers will advise you to use your credit card or debit card to get the best FX rate. There is always a fee to do so, but you also will have a fee if you go to an exchange shop, hotel or bank while there.
Q2 - it can be helpful to have some Euros for immediate use for taxis, subways, quick meals when you arrive (especially if you arrive after normal business hours) Also if you expect the value of the Euro/US to rise you might want to buy some EUR before your trip to lock-in your trip costs. Based on current outlook for the EUR, you may get a better rate by waiting.
Good Luck! And enjoy your Yankee Doodle trip to Europe! cainvest1