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= Money = | = Money = | ||
* Exchange: Do not change money at the airport. The rates are higher there than anywhere else. If you have a local bureau de change, use that, or order currency online for pickup at the airport. If you can find a company that does that (Travelex in the UK, at least) the rates will be much better than those posted on the wall that they charge you when you are a captive customer. | * Exchange: Do not change money at the airport. The rates are higher there than anywhere else. If you have a local bureau de change, use that, or order currency online for pickup at the airport. If you can find a company that does that (Travelex in the UK, at least) the rates will be much better than those posted on the wall that they charge you when you are a captive customer. The best rates are likely to be had by using an ATM. | ||
* Debit: Using an ATM card can be an easy and inexpensive way to secure some local currency. Make sure your card will work abroad before you travel. Common ATM networks that are broadly available include Pulse and Plus. Consider getting a debit card with no foreign transaction fees (Charles Schwab offers one). | * Debit: Using an ATM card can be an easy and inexpensive way to secure some local currency. Make sure your card will work abroad before you travel. Common ATM networks that are broadly available include Pulse and Plus. Consider getting a debit card with no foreign transaction fees (Charles Schwab offers one). | ||
* Stay organized: It's helpful to keep your currency separate from your home currency, particularly if you're going to cycle through multiple currencies during your trip (usd > euro > pounds). Don't underestimate the power of a ziploc baggie if you're American and unaccustomed to coinage-heavy currencies. | * Stay organized: It's helpful to keep your currency separate from your home currency, particularly if you're going to cycle through multiple currencies during your trip (usd > euro > pounds). Don't underestimate the power of a ziploc baggie if you're American and unaccustomed to coinage-heavy currencies. | ||
== Credit cards == | == Credit cards == | ||
The US | The US has historically had a different system (magnetic strips) for credit card security from the rest of the world (which uses the chip-and-pin system). This can cause headaches for both Americans traveling abroad, and others traveling to the US, as the systems are incompatible. Most US stores now support chip-and-signature cards, but you might run into smaller ones that don't have chip-reading equipment (e.g., a food truck using Square). | ||
* A very few US banks offer chip-and-pin cards, including Citibank and [https://www.andrewsfcu.org/credit_cards_and_loans/credit_cards/globetrek_rewards.html Andrews Federal Credit Union]. The latter also has no annual fee and no international transaction fees. See this extensive but not exhaustive [http://thepointsguy.com/2013/05/us-credit-cards-with-smart-chips/ list of US-based chip-and-pin cards]. | * A very few US banks offer true chip-and-pin cards, including Citibank and [https://www.andrewsfcu.org/credit_cards_and_loans/credit_cards/globetrek_rewards.html Andrews Federal Credit Union]. The latter also has no annual fee and no international transaction fees. See this extensive but not exhaustive [http://thepointsguy.com/2013/05/us-credit-cards-with-smart-chips/ list of US-based chip-and-pin cards]. | ||
* You can get a pre-paid, reloadable chip-and-pin card called [http://www.cashpassport.com/1/travelex/ "Cash Passport"] from Travelex. You can buy it and reload it online or at Travelex locations in the US. You can load it in multiple currencies: GBP, EUR, CAD, AUD and JPY. The security seems a bit crappy (you can't change the PIN, and their only security question is mother's maiden name), but since it's pre-paid, you can limit your financial exposure, and reload online as needed. | * You can get a pre-paid, reloadable chip-and-pin card called [http://www.cashpassport.com/1/travelex/ "Cash Passport"] from Travelex. You can buy it and reload it online or at Travelex locations in the US. You can load it in multiple currencies: GBP, EUR, CAD, AUD and JPY. The security seems a bit crappy (you can't change the PIN, and their only security question is mother's maiden name), but since it's pre-paid, you can limit your financial exposure, and reload online as needed. | ||