US ($) Currency Thread 1 (closed - use thread 2)

portchieboy

Has anyone used the Postal service by these folk....always on top of the Travel Money Maximiser.

I am off to the US soon, and want to take $cash and T/Cqs, to avoid the need for FX fees on the cards. The $ rate is good, and Amex cheques = cash, so no problems.

Thanks

dmg24

Are you travelling from an airport with a Travelex desk? If so, you can order your money from them, and they will price match TEG! x

Voyager2002

See if your niece could add some sterling to your collection in exchange for your Canadian dollars. Otherwise, I doubt if they are worth enough to cover the postage and commission charges you would face from a commercial money changer.

dzug

springblossom28 wrote: »

Hi,
I have 40 canadian dollars left over from a recent trip. Usually i give these to my niece as she likes to collect different currencies, but times are hard and i need them.:rolleyes:

Anyway where is the best place to exchange - where will i get the best return from?

Thanks in advance

Probably Marks and Spencer - most UK providers skew the exchange rate towards selling foreign currency and have a bigger margin buying it back. M&S don't - they are symmetrical. (or were last time I checked, admittedly not very recently)

Though on $40 it will make maybe 50p difference - if it's going to cost you that to get to M&S don't bother....

springblossom28

Thank for the advice. We have a Marks and Spencer store locally but unfortunately it doesn't have a "Bureau de Change" :rolleyes: .

Does anyone know of any other places that don't charge commission when returning unued foreign currency?

The amount that i have to exchange is very small and any commission would eat that up.

short_of_a_shilling!

Having read all the advice about how to spend in the US I visited my local branch of the Nationwide (Stevenage). I asked to open a Flex Account and was taken to a desk to complete the online application. The young lady asked the obvious ~ name, address, etc and then she asked me if I could confirm that I would be depositing my salary into this account each month and I replied that I would not. She then advised me that I couldn't open an account because Flex accounts are being abused by people who only use them abroad. I asked when the decision to stop customers opening accounts had been made and she said 'last week'. Has anyone else had this happen to them??:mad::mad:
I have now completed an application form online and will see what happens.
Also, I have picked up a Post Office Travel Money Card application ~ Do any of you clever people think that it is worthwhile for Dollars??? Thanks millions.

hammy_the_hammer

springblossom28 wrote: »

Thank for the advice. We have a Marks and Spencer store locally but unfortunately it doesn't have a "Bureau de Change" :rolleyes: .

Does anyone know of any other places that don't charge commission when returning unued foreign currency?

The amount that i have to exchange is very small and any commission would eat that up.

take it with you next time you go to a med. tourist resort and change it into euros there

ladyjj_2

Hi,
I'm new so apologise if posting in the wrong thread - I've searched the boards but can't find any info on the Post Office Travel Money Card, has anyone used this and is it any good?? I'm going to the US next month and wondering what is the best way to take spending money.

Crabman

ladyjj wrote: »

Hi,
I'm new so apologise if posting in the wrong thread - I've searched the boards but can't find any info on the Post Office Travel Money Card, has anyone used this and is it any good?? I'm going to the US next month and wondering what is the best way to take spending money.

Hi ladyjj, welcome to MSE - well done on finding this thread :T

Do you have a Nationwide current account? If you apply now, there may just be time before the trip. Full details in the Spending Overseas article.

The best way is using the Nationwide Debit Card at an ATM as you get the visa exchange rate which tends to be higher than that at bureaux de change.

ladyjj_2

Thanks for the tip, however, just tried applying online and after inputting all info it said it was unable to offer me a flex account. Is this because I didn't want to transfer my current account to them??
Think I will be sticking with TC's......