Traveling soon - Best ways to take money?

[vavaBB 2]

Hi,

I will traveling to the US on the 13th to be with my fiancé. I was wondering if someone would advise on the best ways to exchange money? There just seems to be way too many options. (Forex at airport, travelers check, US check, US $ demand draft…)

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank You

[jostermacedo 52]

Hi,

I will traveling to the US on the 13th to be with my fiancé. I was wondering if someone would advise on the best ways to exchange money? There just seems to be way too many options. (Forex at airport, travelers check, US check, US $ demand draft…)

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank You

Hi,

I would bring either cash (US Dollars, not your local currency to be exchanged in the US) or a prepaid ATM card (again in US Dollars) with which you can withdraw money in any ATM in the US. Having said that, you should check with your bank if your regular ATM card allows international withdraws. Be sure the check fees charged by the bank and the exchange rate used.

Forex at the airport is expensive. Travellers checks are not as accepted as before. An US Check would have to be deposited and you would have to wait to be cleared (assuming you have an US bank account or know someone who has one). I don't know what a US$ demand draft is.

[dhlunar 25]

Also if you have more then $10,000 USD (or the equivalent in foreign currency after conversion) in hard currency, check the customs form to see what needs to be reported, make sure you answer yes on the customs form when coming into the US. There might be more paperwork that the officer will have you do. Also being proof of where the money came from, such as a receipt from the bank showing the withdraw.

Edited June 2, 2015 by dhlunar

[Mike-eeh and Odie 192]

I would exchange your local currency into US dollars at your local bank. The airport is the last place you want to exchange currency because they will give you a horrible transaction rate.

[TBoneTX 43,057]

*** Thread moved from K-1 Process forum to the "Moving to the US & Your New Life" forum -- not a K-1 process issue. ***

[jjbandero 39]

If your current bank is part of the VISA or other international banking networks, then you should be able to use your debit ATM card to withdraw cash from any of the banks in the US that is part of the same network. The advantage of this is that it eliminates the need to carry large sums of money while traveling, things to be aware of:

• Always select the right account option and withdraw money from the account you have cash, some people accidentally use their credit card and selected the "cash advance" option, which will incur interest
• You will not know up front the exchange rate, it will be whatever rate the banks offer at the time of the withdrawal - but it's always better than the forex option at the airport
• As another poster mentioned, there maybe fees associated with the withdrawal

Edited June 3, 2015 by jjbandero

[AC&BS 23]

Absolutely stay away from airport exchange. They will take you for a very expensive ride.

Also, in general it is always better not to exchange at US banks. Many branches can't do it at all. Those that do charge an arm and a leg. Best to figure out how to convert to US in your home country.