Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

Just curious? I noticed today in Wetherspoons that they accept US dollars, Canadian dollars, Japanese Yen and Euros. I already knew that Debenhams and Marks & Spencers accept US dollars and Euros.

I know this is much less likely in the US but just thinking whether in major cities, places like Macys would accept maybe Euros & Canadian dollars?

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

I've never seen this, but I have to say I haven't looked for it either.

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

I don't think the demand is large enough in the US to start that con. When I lived in Europe during the late 60's, early 70's, many hotels and businesses accepted foreign currency but always came away with about a 15% profit in the exchange rate.

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

:rofl: I bet they don't even know what a Euro or Canadian Dollar is.

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

In our area they wouldn't recognize a Euro. Canadian money is rejected, even by the coin machines. There just isn't enough traffic in it for it to be worthwhile to the business to handle it. Of course, that may have changed now than the Canadian dollar is worth more than a US dollar! :ohmy:

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

An American overheard me once and said he'd always wondered what the currency 'quid' was :lol:

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

Not even the banks deal in foreign currency in the US:lol:

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

Oh yes I had that problem. They couldn't exchange my pounds, I had wrongly assumed all banks exchanged foreign money. It's not like I didn't have an account with them, they just didn't do exchanges :lol:

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

There was a huge hoo-haa near us when a local restaurant said they'd take pesos!

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

My poor mother, years ago, discovered that the restaurants she visited all took GB Pound travellers cheques. It took her a little while to realize that she was using GBP cheques, so the restaurants were getting a good deal as she paid 1 to 1 (if the bill was $50, she gave them a £50 cheque). Mind you I expect that half the cashiers did not even realize their financial advantage.

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

Here in Edinburgh we see a large number of American tourists pretty much all year round but more particularly in the summer months and, again, especially during the Edinburgh International Festival at this time of the year, easily the largest arts festival in the world.

I can think of two occasions in which I witnessed an American offering to pay for goods in US $ bills and having their offer rejected....a fairly elderly American man in an Edinburgh department store, and another American male in a Tesco supermarket. The first guy more or less accepted the refusal without fuss, but the bloke in the supermarket made a big deal out of it by yelling out about it being "American dollars - these are American dollars!" Still no go with the cashier - "Sorry, we don't accept dollars!" - but to add insult to injury she said that she could accept payment in €.

M & S locally accept payment in € - as do other retail outlets here - but without checking I'm not sure whether M & S or other stores accept US $ cash payments.

It's the August Bank Holiday today in England, which is not the case here in Scotland, which is why I'm home for the weekend. It's the last public holiday until Christmas.

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

Up here (northern NY, Vermont) a lot of small businesses advertise that they take Canadian currency.

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

Stores along the Canadian/US border will accept Canadian currency just as Canadian stores usually accept US Dollars. Don't believe they except any other foreign currency but that.

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

I've received quite a few Canadian coins in change over the years, so I'd say they do take foreign currency - they just don't realise they do ;)

Not like the days, before the Euro, when you could get 20% off your (already cheaper) petrol in the ROI if you paid in Sterling. My dad always quite liked that when we ever had trips across the border. All the shops used to accept Sterling 1-1 down there. Obviously you'd get your change in punts but it was nice to be able to hop on the train to Dublin and not worry about changing your money.

Now, compare and contrast with the time I was going to England and had to change my NI banknotes to Bank of England notes because they aren't accepted (or at least weren't at the time) there even though (as a nice bloke in Scotland pointed out to his employee when I was buying fags) they quite clearly say 'Pounds Sterling' on them.

Re: Do any US stores accept foreign currency?
 

:lol: One of the younger girls I used to work with, as I was explaining about the different names for English money, thought I said "squid" and went "eeeewwww!" She's the same one who asked me what language they spoke in England! Poor soul - although she was a sweet girl, she had no clue whatsoever of life beyond Memphis! :ohmy: