# visiting Canada next month-currency advice **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824 "2019-08-18T01:03:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/41 "2019-08-28T15:41:18Z")
Having voice recognition telephone banking for you bank account / credit card can come in handy if you lose your card. That way you can get money sent to the bank where you are broke and stranded. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/42 "2019-08-28T19:58:08Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I’ve heard there are formulas you can use to derive a “ZIP code” based on your Canadian postal code when asked at a gas pump. > [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > You just use the numbers from the postal code and add 00 to the end, so M6H 2S5 becomes 62500. Huh. I’ve always used 90210 when a zip code is demanded. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/43 "2019-08-29T05:04:01Z")
Minor note for if you haven’t been to Canada in the past five years or so: our banknotes are now made of plastic. With transparent sections. You do still get the occasional paper one, but very rarely now. Also, we abolished the penny, so cash transactions are rounded to the nearest 5¢., ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/44 "2019-08-29T09:30:19Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Huh. I’ve always used 90210 when a zip code is demanded. I think it depends on if they are actually enforcing the address verification, but this is the advice from [MasterCard Canada](https://www.mastercard.ca/en-ca/consumers/features-benefits/travel-tips/mastercard-pay-at-pump.html) ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/45 "2019-08-29T11:46:38Z")
> [@rbroome](#): > > Is it the case that tipping (at least in the “well-traveled” areas) mimics the practice in the US? ie 15-20% of the bill? For waiters in restaurants, yes. My impression was that Americans do more tipping of other types of employees, though (which is less common in Canada, but doubtless would still be appreciated). ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/46 "2019-08-29T14:28:47Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > For waiters in restaurants, yes. My impression was that Americans do more tipping of other types of employees, though (which is less common in Canada, but doubtless would still be appreciated). Heh - this reminds me of the day we arrived in Montreal (well, Longueiul, actually) 2 years back. We called for some extra pillows to be brought to our room. I always tip a dollar or two when doing that… but of course at that point, I only had US currency, so I handed the fellow 2 dollars US and apologized for not having Canadian money. If he wasn’t expecting a tip at all, he may have been more amused than anything, but I imagine it was a minor hassle to have to deal with cash in the “wrong” currency. At that point, the exchange rate was favorable (2 US was worth more than 2 Canadian); could he have simply deposited it in his bank account and gotten at least the 2 dollars? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/47 "2019-08-29T15:31:28Z")
Yep… banks accept foreign currency for their depositors. Exchange it or deposit it (they simply do the exchange first and deposit immediately). Standard stuff for banks here or in Canada. . ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/48 "2019-08-29T16:07:48Z")
> [@Philster](#): > > Yep… banks accept foreign currency for their depositors. Exchange it or deposit it (they simply do the exchange first and deposit immediately). > > Standard stuff for banks here or in Canada. > > . A bank around the corner from me in Canada has a 24hr ATM that gives you the choice of it squirting out either Canadian or American cash. Nice way to avoid commission/service fees and credit card scamming on the other side of the border (it’s been a problem). ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/49 "2019-08-29T16:11:43Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > An important note for anyone visiting Canada: > > [THIS](https://i.cbc.ca/1.2760562.1410273287!/cpImage/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/16x9_780/canadian-tire-money-20140908.jpg) is not official Canadian currency (although it may sometimes have more purchasing power). > > 😉 But the ones with Spock are still good, right? ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/50 "2019-08-29T17:43:10Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > But the ones with Spock are still good, right? Yup. The Bank of Canada is pissed off about it, but it’s not illegal. Prime Minister Sir Wilfred Laurier was known for bringing French and English cultures closer together. Ambasador Spock was known for bridging galactic cultures. I’m for appointing a Spocked fiver as the Honorary Colonel of The King’s Own Calgary Regiment and stationing one of its TAPVs at the Vulcan airport. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2019, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824/51 "2019-08-29T18:48:54Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > If he wasn’t expecting a tip at all, he may have been more amused than anything, but I imagine it was a minor hassle to have to deal with cash in the “wrong” currency. I generally travel to Mexico once a year. Of course, the service staff are very appreciative of tips. But I read on some travel website that tips in US dollars are a bit of a hassle and expense for them. They have to visit a currency exchange, before they can buy groceries, pay rent, utilities, etc. in pesos. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/visiting-canada-next-month-currency-advice/838824.md?page=2)