The One Travelling Hack Only a Few Canadians Know About when Travelling in the States

By Remitbee - Jul 21, 2022

Travelling is one of the best things to do. It allows you to learn more about yourself and others’ stories, culture, language, and food. Canadians go to the US and cross the border often to escape the country’s freezing weather and, of course, to shop and visit the USA's tourist spots.

When travelling to the US from Canada, you’ve heard different travel hacks so that you can save as much money and still enjoy your travel to the States.

You might have read that it is best to spend more time in the US if you cross the border to benefit from the duty-free limits that increase the longer you stay. Frequent travellers would also say that when you land in the USA, it is recommended that you buy a tourist prepaid sim card instead of using your roaming service.

But there’s a hack only a few Canadians know that helps them save more when they travel from Canada to the States.

When you go to the States, you will spend money. You will pay for accommodation, transportation, food, entrance fees, souvenirs, and other shopping items. Of course, you cannot use your Canadian dollars in cash when spending in the United States since the country primarily accepts US Dollars.

Indeed, there are numerous ways you can exchange your CAD for USD. Most travellers exchange currencies at the airport or the bank. Doing that is a mistake. Why? Simply because these financial institutions give you low exchange rates and impose high fees!

Another mistake plenty of travellers make using their Canadian dollar credit cards when paying for their expenses in the United States. You might reason that it is convenient because you don’t need to fall in line to exchange your CAD for USD, but did you know that when you use your Canadian credit card in the USA, you are charged a foreign transaction fee, which is around 2.5% of your purchase. Just imagine being charged $25 for every $1000 you spend! What a waste of your precious money. Some Canadian credit cards even charge a foreign exchange spread ranging from 2% to 3.5%, aside from the foreign transaction fee of 2.5%. So, the cost of converting your money when you use your Canadian credit card could be as high as 6%, depending on your bank.

Some even use their Canadian credit card to pay for their hotel bills. When you pay your bill using your Canadian credit card, you will charge 2.5% on the original amount and pay another 2.5% once they issue the new bill. True, your original invoice will be refunded by the hotel, but the 2.5% you paid for the original amount won’t be reimbursed! In effect, you are paying the 2.5% fee twice!

As a last resort, some Canadians use the ATMs in the USA to access foreign currency. Sad to say, when you use this option to exchange currencies, you’re converting your money with low exchange rates and expensive currency conversion spreads in addition to other fees you are required to pay. Once you return to Canada, you will surely be surprised to see how much you’re charged on your following bank statement.

RemitBee: Canada’s Number One Currency Exchange Provider

If you want to get the most out of your money when you travel from Canada to the United States of America, exchange currencies using RemitBee!

RemitBee is known for its sting-free currency exchange. With RemitBee, you can conveniently convert your currency online, fee-free, anywhere, anytime! You read that right. You can exchange money with RemitBee absolutely for free! Banks usually charge you around 3% to 0.6% per conversion, but with RemitBee, a margin of only 0,3% to 0.6% is added. You also get the best exchange rates that are significantly higher compared to what banks and other exchange centers offer!

With RemitBee, you can convert up to $250,000 for individual accounts and $1 million for business accounts daily. All money you exchange and transfer is 100% insured too!

To exchange with RemitBee, you must have a Canadian bank account with USD and CAD. Sign up for a RemitBee account, verify your identity, then go to the exchange currency section and connect your bank accounts.

Need help with your transaction? Our customer care will be happy to help you with your transaction. What are you waiting for? Exchange currencies using RemitBee now