Buying Stuff in Canada

Maybe I was not clear, but the charge is about 1 to 2 % of the charge that AMEX and MC (my cards) charge, my PEN FED  and Capital One has no foreign exchange charge. I use MC and AMEX only in US.  and I tell them so.  In Europe they have chips in there cards.  Only once did I have a problem with my cards, and than I had to use my AMEX. no chip in the cards. 

Don't forget to tell your credit card co. That you are traveling.  Makes for no surprises. Even than there is no guarantee.

See you in Alaka leaving in two weeks

Jim

Good questions and since they are financial in nature, I posed them to my wife who works for Canada's largest credit union and has worked for a variety of Canadian banking institutions for the past 30+ years.

Can I swipe my US debit/credit card (local Bank, Great Southern) in Canada to pay for gas?

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You can use your credit card virtually anywhere but debit card support is slightly different. Your debit card will work fine at some locations but it will not work everywhere. In order for your debit card to work the Canadian provider must be able to talk to the US provider of the debit card service - not all systems are able to do that.

If I can, are there any fees tacked on?

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Most credit card providers will tack on both a currency exchange as well as an foreign transaction fee but their are options to alleviate for at least some of them. I have a US bank account with Bank of America and a Visa card that does not charge any foreign transaction fees. You may want to check with your bank. You should also be aware that the currency conversion rate applied to most credit cards is higher than that charged for a straight currency exchange at a bank.

I tried calling the bank, but the rep I spoke with left me confused. She said if I ran it at the pump as credit, there shouldn't be any extra fees. Shouldn't be?

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art of the confusion here may be that their institution does not control what fees are applied by the service provider. Some ATM systems apply additional fees though I am not aware of any credit card systems that charge added fees, other than those mentioned above. These are beyond your bank's control.

Also, my bank will exchange currency for a flat $7.00 fee, regardless of the amount. Is this the best way to get cash?

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If you are exchanging small amounts, such as a few thousand, your bank is probably the best bet when considering the convenience factor. If you are doing large sums such as $10k or more, many of the private currency exchange stores will provide you with a better rate but it takes a little extra time and effort on your part.

What is the best way to pay for gas?

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Once again, considering the convenience factor, a credit card is the best solution at the gas pumps. It is also good to note that while traveling through BC, all gas pumps are pre-pay by provincial law. This makes even cash inconvenient.

Enjoy the trip and be sure to fuel up before crossing the border into Canada. The most expensive fuel you'll find is in the Alaskan Highway section between Fort Nelson (Northern BC) and Watson Lake (Yukon). The prices they charge along Muncho Lake and Liard are enough to take your breath away, along with your money. Be sure to fuel up in Fort Nelson and Watson Lake.

buchanan said:

that's a strange answer regarding medical.First off  make surer u have travel insurance as we all do. second off if u need to see a doctor in Canada is about one third what u pay in the us if for some reason u don't have a medical plan.your health insurance in the us is extremely high until u get to age 65 when your medicare pays for most of it. A friend of mine whom lives in Oregon and is 59 pays around 600$ per month and his deductible is $7000.I pay 65 and no dedcutable

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I have 2 more years before Medicare kicks in, my wife has 7. She works part time, mainly for the health insurance. It costs us $600 a month with a $2,500 deductible.

I made the statement about medical attention in Canada because, even though I do have insurance, in Canada it would be considered "out of network" and I would have to pay a higher deductible (and hopefully, not have the hassle of getting them to pay their part).

I don't want to be rude, but I am aware of the low cost of medical insurance in Canada, but since I can't get it, I have no interest in discussing or comparing it in relation to travel.


Moving on: I read that most CC companies charge about a 3% fee. I just checked with my bank and they only charge a 1% fee when buying stuff. If I use an ATM for cash, they charge an additional fee of $2.50 per transaction...then whatever the ATM owner charges.

So, I've changed my mind. I'll use my credit card for gas and maybe get $100.00 in Canadian for incidentals.
And, be sure to fuel up in Fort Nelson and Watson Lake.

Again, that's everyone.

If you are a CITI BANK customer, they use 7/11 (and I believe WAWA has been added) ATM's no charge. 
If you need to make a deposit on the road you take a picture of check front/back and send them the picture. Works for me...

Jim

Chris362 said:

I have 2 more years before Medicare kicks in, my wife has 7. She works part time, mainly for the health insurance. It costs us $600 a month with a $2,500 deductible.

I made the statement about medical attention in Canada because, even though I do have insurance, in Canada it would be considered "out of network" and I would have to pay a higher deductible (and hopefully, not have the hassle of getting them to pay their part).

I don't want to be rude, but I am aware of the low cost of medical insurance in Canada, but since I can't get it, I have no interest in discussing or comparing it in relation to travel.


Moving on: I read that most CC companies charge about a 3% fee. I just checked with my bank and they only charge a 1% fee when buying stuff. If I use an ATM for cash, they charge an additional fee of $2.50 per transaction...then whatever the ATM owner charges.

So, I've changed my mind. I'll use my credit card for gas and maybe get $100.00 in Canadian for incidentals.
And, be sure to fuel up in Fort Nelson and Watson Lake.

Again, that's everyone.

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would it not  be a whole lot cheaper for you by just getting a few K in cash and paying the $7.00 fee u said u could get and no commission charges
and lots of times u get cheaper fuel by paying cash

And the issue of foreign transaction fees, having to go inside to pay with cash, carrying a large amount of cash, having left over currency at the end of the trip which you then have to re-convert, and so on, goes away when you have a Capitol One credit card. Type "which credit cards don't have foreign transaction fees" into your favorite search engine and read to your hearts content about the subject.

If you're just going to make one trip to/thru Canada and never go back, paying the fees and enjoying the trip might be worth it. I'm making my 35th annual trip into Canada by boat this summer.......... I hate paying the fees.

Ken

We were in Canada and Alaska in the summer of 2012.  American Express, as well as, our local Credit Union Visa charge card charged an extra fee for use in the Canada-3% on each.  Chase Credit Card did not.  We used our Chase card for everything.

When we were in Canada in 2009, we found that if you had a Bank of America Debit Card and used it at any Scotia Bank, either ATM or at the  counter, there was no charge for withdrawing cash other than the difference in the exchange rate.

Marsha~

bucks2 said:

And the issue of foreign transaction fees, having to go inside to pay with cash, carrying a large amount of cash, having left over currency at the end of the trip which you then have to re-convert, and so on, goes away when you have a Capitol One credit card. Type "which credit cards don't have foreign transaction fees" into your favorite search engine and read to your hearts content about the subject.

If you're just going to make one trip to/thru Canada and never go back, paying the fees and enjoying the trip might be worth it. I'm making my 35th annual trip into Canada by boat this summer.......... I hate paying the fees.

Ken

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Great points.
I estimate I'll spend about $3,000 for gas in Canada.
I can exchange at my bank for $7.00, but then I have to do all the things you mention for cash.
Or, I can use my bank's card at 1% and pay $30.00 in transaction fees.
I think the $21.00 difference would be worth the convenience.

BUT... I just discovered my BankAmericard Rewards card doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee.

Problem solved.

bucks2 said:

And the issue of foreign transaction fees, having to go inside to pay with cash, carrying a large amount of cash, having left over currency at the end of the trip which you then have to re-convert, and so on, goes away when you have a Capitol One credit card. Type "which credit cards don't have foreign transaction fees" into your favorite search engine and read to your hearts content about the subject.

If you're just going to make one trip to/thru Canada and never go back, paying the fees and enjoying the trip might be worth it. I'm making my 35th annual trip into Canada by boat this summer.......... I hate paying the fees.

Ken

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no more than I hate paying the fees when I go to the us as they get u coming and going these days

Chris362 said:

Great points.
I estimate I'll spend about $3,000 for gas in Canada.
I can exchange at my bank for $7.00, but then I have to do all the things you mention for cash.
Or, I can use my bank's card at 1% and pay $30.00 in transaction fees.
I think the $21.00 difference would be worth the convenience.

BUT... I just discovered my BankAmericard Rewards card doesn't charge a foreign transaction fee.

Problem solved.

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not really U see this is where US banks BS their customers. Go ask them what the currency rate is that their changing over for u at this so called "no fee"
I looked on their web site and its x 0.9755    so if u don't think your being screwed by BA CC your need to give your head a shake. It should be around .093 today
that's a difference of 4.5 cents(%)  nothing is ever free even though they tell U so .yes no fees but an extremely unfair exchange rate
that's a 227.50 raking you would take on $5K

Since it seems I've gotten a lot of response in this thread, one more thing; suggestions where to get gas....towns, cities, etc.

I know I should get it just before I enter Canada and just before I get between Fort Nelson (Northern BC) and Watson Lake (Yukon). But, which places are the best?

The route will be a little different on the way back according to Google. We're going through Banff and Jasper National Parks on the way there, but not on the way back (thanks Daddo).  It's different between Calgary and Grande Prairie.

Chris

We are leaving from LI in two weeks to Alaska. We will stop in Banf Jasper on the way home late August early Sept. coming from Hyder. I'll look for you messages..

Jim

Tin man said:

Chris

We are leaving from LI in two weeks to Alaska. We will stop in Banf Jasper on the way home late August early Sept. coming from Hyder. I'll look for you messages..

Jim

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We're leaving the end of this month and coming home the end of July.

I've notified my credit card companies.
I've gotten proof of insurance for Canada.
I've removed the guns from the RV.
I've made all necessary camping reservations.
I've bought a boatload of Deep Forest Off.

It's just this Canadian gas thing that has my head spinning.

buchanan said:

not really U see this is where US banks BS their customers. Go ask them what the currency rate is that their changing over for u at this so called "no fee"
I looked on their web site and its x 0.9755    so if u don't think your being screwed by BA CC your need to give your head a shake. It should be around .093 today
that's a difference of 4.5 cents(%)  nothing is ever free even though they tell U so .yes no fees but an extremely unfair exchange rate
that's a 227.50 raking you would take on $5K

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Not sure how to get around that. I just called my bank and to exchange there the rate was .9719. I asked and was told it's the same rate (plus the 1% fee) if I used my bank's card.

So, it's still my best bet to use the BofA card.

I really don't want to be carrying a lot of cash either.

Chris362 said:

We're leaving the end of this month and coming home the end of July.

I've notified my credit card companies.
I've gotten proof of insurance for Canada.
I've removed the guns from the RV.
I've made all necessary camping reservations.
I've bought a boatload of Deep Forest Off.

It's just this Canadian gas thing that has my head spinning.

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what area are u going to where u need so much off?

Chris362 said:

Not sure how to get around that. I just called my bank and to exchange there the rate was .9719. I asked and was told it's the same rate (plus the 1% fee) if I used my bank's card.

So, it's still my best bet to use the BofA card.

I really don't want to be carrying a lot of cash either.

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I don't understand the carry cash deal but to each their own but it proves to u what I said,
No fees but a most terrible  exchange rate.There making 4-5% on the exchange so no wonder they don't need to show it as a CC charge

Chris362 said:

I know I should get it just before I enter Canada and just before I get between Fort Nelson (Northern BC) and Watson Lake (Yukon). But, which places are the best?

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Fort Nelson and Watson Lake are about 320 miles apart so if you fill in one, you'll have enough to get you through to the other. Fuel up here in Canada is always more expensive that in the US but further up north on the Alcan it get even worse. The price for regular gas in Fort Nelson today is $1.52 per liter (1 US gallon = 3.785 liters). At today's currency rate of 0.92, that works out to $6.29 per US gallon.

Since you've mentioned going through Alberta, it's worth noting that fuel prices in Alberta are also lower than here in BC.

If you want to work out your fuel costs you can use sites like GasBuddy.com to get the local prices in a given city and then one of the conversion tables available on the web. I used http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Gasoline-Conversion-Calculator-litres-gallons-us.htm for the above conversion. It converse the liters to US gallons and you insert the current currency conversion rate for the monitory data.

buchanan said:

what area are u going to where u need so much off?

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Russian River, Seward, Nenana..........
I was told the state bird of Alaska was the mosquito.

buchanan said:

I don't understand the carry cash deal but to each their own but it proves to u what I said,
No fees but a most terrible  exchange rate.There making 4-5% on the exchange so no wonder they don't need to show it as a CC charge

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Like I said, I'd still get the crappy exchange rate if I exchanged at my bank for cash.
If I run across somewhere I can get a better exchange rate, I may reconsider. I'm figuring I'll have to buy about 250 gallons of gas in Canada. I may enjoy the trip better if I don't worry about saving what few bucks I could save on that.

Daddo said:

Fort Nelson and Watson Lake are about 320 miles apart so if you fill in one, you'll have enough to get you through to the other. Fuel up here in Canada is always more expensive that in the US but further up north on the Alcan it get even worse. The price for regular gas in Fort Nelson today is $1.52 per liter (1 US gallon = 3.785 liters). At today's currency rate of 0.92, that works out to $6.29 per US gallon.

Since you've mentioned going through Alberta, it's worth noting that fuel prices in Alberta are also lower than here in BC.

If you want to work out your fuel costs you can use sites like GasBuddy.com to get the local prices in a given city and then one of the conversion tables available on the web. I used http://www.mississauga4sale.com/Gasoline-Conversion-Calculator-litres-gallons-us.htm for the above conversion. It converse the liters to US gallons and you insert the current currency conversion rate for the monitory data.

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I plan to go about 400 miles between fill-ups, so I think I'll shoot for something like this for gas:
Conrad, Mt  gas in Conrad 3.46 US
Conrad to Banff 335 miles  gas in Banff 4.50 US
Banff to Grande Prairie 424 miles  gas in Grande Prairie 4.24 US
Grande Prairie to Fort Nelson 363 miles  gas in Fort Nelson 5.21 US
Fort Nelson to Watson Lake 319 miles  gas in Watson Lake 4.77 US
Watson Lake to Whitehorse 386 miles  gas in Whitehorse 4.77 US
Whitehorse to Tok 318 miles  gas in Tok 4.00 US

Of course if I see something better along the way, I'll stop there.
Hopefully, gas doesn't go up too much in the next few weeks. 

Ref why should the price of fuel go up?...



Why should it? Oh yea, fourth on July, the mess in Iraq,  and let's not forget "how can we gouge the consumer?  They have a a christmas wish list...... The only thing missing is a fire in a refinery....but the summer has just started....plent of time...

The only thing missing is a fire in a refinery

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Be careful what you wish for.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/06/18/iraqs-biggest-oil-refinery-is-on-fire-how-important-is-that/