Last Updated: Jun. 04, 2008
More Tour and Travel Advice for the USA and Canada
by – Angie, Tour Manager, North America
Accessing money is hardly ever a problem. There are banks, Western Unions, and ATMs along the tour. Something to double-check prior to leaving is that your ATM card is able to be used in the United States.
Be careful in canada if you have a Visa because as i have just found out there are hardly any ATMS that take Visa cards. Many people on my tour got caught out with this and were unable to get money out.
if anyone is from Australia, you can purchase a Travel card from ANZ. It is $11 to buy the visa card. Just say you have $5000 you can put that amount on the card at the currency rate of that day and is locked in at that currency. You can then use it as a savings/visa card in US dollars and don’t get charged a conversion rate or monthly fees. I highly recommened it. Oh and also IF you have money left over you can bring the card home and cash it into AUD at the rate
In the South East (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, Tennessee), if you see a Publix grocery store, the ATM charge is $1.
In Canada, make sure you use ATMs that are provided by actual banks, as opposed to the so-called “White Label” machines. The ones provided by banks will have much lower fees. To identify the real bank-operated ATMs, look for names like Toronto Dominion, Bank of Montreal, RBC Royal Bank, ScotiaBank, ING Direct, CIBC, National Bank and such.
The super-narrow “White Label” machines from companies like “Frisco Bay” are often found in convenience stores, bars, clubs and restaurants. They will charge jaw-dropping fees often around $20 total to access your international bank accounts!
Be smart and go to bank-owned ATMs.
You may get cash back up to a certain amount at grocery stores and places such as Wal-Marts/Targets ect. Even fast food places will allow you to get some cash back with no service fee or a small one of about .75 cents.
Bank of America have recently upped their surcharge from $1.50 to $3 USD
Many ATMs in the USA also allow you to make withdrawals with your VISA, MasterCard, Discovery, and American Express credit cards. Most ATMs will include a surcharge, which I’ve seen range anywhere from $1-$4 USD.