$ Spend in USA

missile

Hi,


Going to USA in March. We intend taking some dollars and using Halifax Clarity card for purchases and cash from ATM. I am aware cash withdrawals will incur interest and I can reduce this by crediting account. Any other tips?


Many Thanks :-)

Neil49

Many US banks impose an atm charge of 2 or 3 dollars. I can't vouch for other cities but if you are going to New York then TD Bank do not charge for atm withdrawals.

As far as paying off your Clarity card you should be aware that you can't preload your card account with funds to cover the cash withdrawals, you have to credit your account after taking the cash out.

Halifax also say that you should advise them of your overseas travel plans about a week before going although others on this site say they have never bothered and have not had their cards blocked. It's up to you.

visidigi

Neil49 wrote: »

Many US banks impose an atm charge of 2 or 3 dollars. I can't vouch for other cities but if you are going to New York then TD Bank do not charge for atm withdrawals.

As far as paying off your Clarity card you should be aware that you can't preload your card account with funds to cover the cash withdrawals, you have to credit your account after taking the cash out.

Halifax also say that you should advise them of your overseas travel plans about a week before going although others on this site say they have never bothered and have not had their cards blocked. It's up to you.

Just to be clear, you CAN preload your card. But its against the T&C's of the card. I have done it a few times, otherwise I just login to the app, see what my credit limit is reduced by and credit that from the old bank account.

missile

Thanks for your comments.
I am flying to Vegas then San Francisco and driving route 1 to San Diego.

Doshwaster

missile wrote: »

Hi,


Going to USA in March. We intend taking some dollars and using Halifax Clarity card for purchases and cash from ATM. I am aware cash withdrawals will incur interest and I can reduce this by crediting account. Any other tips?

Although it's against the T&Cs you can pre-load the card to avoid interest but in reality you will only be saving yourself pennies. The risk is that if the card is blocked/cloned/lost then it could be hard to access the money you have on the card. In my opinion it's not really worth it.

There are loads of different banks in the US and their ATM fees vary widely. The bigger chains tend to be free for everyone while the smaller ones are usually only free if your are a customer but make sure you check first as this can vary between state.

torbrex

I have had numerous holidays in America, travelled extensively through 49 states over the course of 15 years and never once had to withdraw cash from an ATM.
Plan it right and you won't need to think about withdrawal charges.

missile

torbrex wrote: »

I have had numerous holidays in America, travelled extensively through 49 states over the course of 15 years and never once had to withdraw cash from an ATM.
Plan it right and you won't need to think about withdrawal charges.

I plan to make purchases on the card and withdraw cash only if I need to.

PeacefulWaters

missile wrote: »

I plan to make purchases on the card and withdraw cash only if I need to.

This is exactly the right approach.

You may well find you don't need to withdraw cash at all. We didn't during a driving holiday last year.

driving route 1 to San Diego

Enjoy - it's wonderful. And ensure you have fuel before you get past Carmel as it's pricey until you get closer to LA.

Doshwaster wrote: »

There are loads of different banks in the US and their ATM fees vary widely. The bigger chains tend to be free for everyone while the smaller ones are usually only free if your are a customer but make sure you check first as this can vary between state.

With the exception of TD Bank in New York State this isn't my experience.

99c in a McDonalds is the cheapest other ATM I recall seeing in my few visits to USA.

Doshwaster

missile wrote: »

I plan to make purchases on the card and withdraw cash only if I need to.

It is almost possible to live without cash. Put a €2 coffee onto a credit card and nobody will bat an eyelid. It is always useful to have a few dollar bills for tips and in some areas taxi drivers can be reluctant to accept cards.
With the exception of TD Bank in New York State this isn't my experience.

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

99c in a McDonalds is the cheapest other ATM I recall seeing in my few visits to USA.

]As I said, it varies between states. I am in Boston regularly and there Bank of America and Citizens Bank (owned by the RBS) are both free. I haven't been to the west coast for a long time so I have no recent experience.

photome

As the OP is going to Vegas, I dont think they will be able to do without cash,.unless there is no gambling involved

OP the cheapest ATM in Vegas as far as I know is in Casino Royale $1 fee, most others charge around $3

jackieblack

I withdrew cash using my Clarity card from a Bank of America ATM in Washington DC in October, no fee, same exchange rate as purchases made the same day and only cost me 28p in interest