Discover Card in Canada

[Retdep]

Planning on going to Alaska in 2017.

My Visa CC has a foreign currency charge of 2% per transaction. My Discover CC has no charge.

The plan, today, is to stop at an ATM once over the border into Canada to get some Canadian currency. We would rather not have a lot of cash on hand and so use a credit card for any fuel and food purchases.

I only have an account at a local CU and they can't/won't/don't deal in foreign currency.

The major question is is Discover Card widely accepted in BC and YT or will I probably need to use my Visa? ARRGH, the fees!!

[bsinmich]

For cash I have found Credit Unions are very reasonable on exchage rates. I went to a ATM in Toronto and got 6 languages as my choice. Canadian Cash is accepted all over. Their new money was supposed to be impossible to counterfeit. Within a week the banks were inviting their business clients to show them how to spot the counterfeit money.

[atreis]

Pumps usually only take chip cards, so we always had to go inside. I haven't been to Canada since my cards were changed to chip cards so don't know if they'll now work at the pump.

[loggenrock]

IIRC, Wal-Marts in Canada will take Discover. That's what I used to get cash back. Otherwise we just suck up the fees... 2 years ago in Newfoundland we just pre-loaded one bank account that we tied our Debit card to, which is a Mastercard, and that was accepted at gas stations, etc., but not usually at the pump - had to go inside...

[Crowe]

Get yourself another Visa card.

It's advisable to have multiple credit cards in the event that one gets compromised while you are traveling.

[2gypsies1]

No. Discover is not recommended.

Get yourself another Visa card. There are many with no transaction fees and with cash back. Here's a good site that gives you comparisons on all credit cards.

http://www.creditcards.com/

As soon as we crossed into Canada we went to a bank to convert cash - no fee.

We used the Provincial parks a lot and most only accept cash.

[CardinalRule]

I have a Chase/Amazon Visa card. No transaction or annual fee and works great as a backup. Exchange rate is comparable to other cards. Go to Amazon and check it out.

[bsinmich]

My experience with Discover is that even when they have a Discover sign on their door it won't get accepted. AAA has a Visa here in MI. that has no foreign transaction fee. The Master Card from sam's Club has eliminated the fee. I have only been in Canada for 3-4 weeks this year so far so that is my experience.

[Scottiemom]

When we went to Alaska in 2013 we were pleased to find our Discover Card did not have fees. However, NO ONE took Discover in Canada. No problem, we were prepared, but I was surprised. One would think the Discover people I talked to would have told me that. Nope. Plan B.

Dale

[atreis]

Orion wrote:
I wonder if the difference is that our Debit Cards do NOT have the Visa or Master Card symbol on them?

Probably. Most vendors can only process those.

[The_real_wild1]

My debit card draws from with my chequing or savings accounts. My Visa or when I had a MC is a credit card. My one new debit card also has a Visa mark on it as well. Draws from my bank accounts.

[Orion]

I wonder if the difference is that our Debit Cards do NOT have the Visa or Master Card symbol on them?

[atreis]

ve6gpn wrote:

atreis wrote:
I suspect that's because most people don't think of them as different - they're still Visa/MC cards. The money just comes from a different place.

Our cards are a dedicated debit card. Not the same as Visa or MC.

Ours are Visa/MC for processing purposes. The money comes from one's checking account instead of credit. (That started 15-20 years ago around here. Before that we just had bank cards.)

[The_real_wild1]

My next trip is to Maui. Ill try again and get back to you lol. Actually my newest bank card my work down there as it is a visa/debit card. I didn't have it on my last trip. Most of my travelling is in the the more western states. Sometimes Texas.

[Crowe]

I usually go down 5-6 times a year. The wife is down there about 20 times a year.

What areas? I don't know where you shop-I don't know of any store that doesn't know what they are.