Canada / Money rules

Canada money rules

Eight things worth remembering while you are there, each linking to the fuller explanation.

Open it, then press and hold to keep it in your photos. Works with no signal.

1. 1Choose Canadian dollars, never US dollarsTerminals and cash machines both offer to bill you at home in your own currency. Take it and you have accepted dynamic currency conversion, worth 3 to 8 percent to whoever asked. Let your own bank convert.Paying by card in Canada
2. 2The eTA everyone warns you about is not for youCanada asks most visa-exempt nationalities to buy one before flying, so US travelers assume they are included. They are specifically exempt. Anyone selling you one is selling you nothing.Why US citizens skip the eTA
3. 3An old drink-driving charge can turn you aroundCanada treats criminal inadmissibility more strictly than almost anywhere Americans drive to, and a conviction that feels ancient at home can end the trip at the booth. Sort it out well before you travel.Being refused at the border
4. 4The price on the shelf is never the price you paySales tax goes on at the register, not on the tag, and the province decides how much. It is the same habit as home, which is exactly why people stop expecting it once they cross a border.What tax adds at the till
5. 5Tip like you would at home, on the total before taxThis is a tipping culture, so 15 to 20 percent at a sit-down restaurant is the expectation rather than a bonus. The terminal will suggest more than that, and it calculates on the taxed total, so work from the pre-tax line.What to tip in Canada
6. 6Draw cash at a bank, not from the box in the barThe big five all have machines worth using. The white-label units in convenience stores, hotel lobbies and pubs charge a surcharge of their own on top of whatever your bank already takes.Getting Canadian dollars
7. 7Your own car insurance probably already covers youThe happy opposite of renting in Mexico or much of Europe. US policies and credit-card collision cover generally do travel across this border, which makes the daily waiver at the desk often skippable. Check yours first.Renting a car in Canada
8. 8Driving in winter? Quebec makes tires the lawFrom December to mid-March every vehicle there needs winter tires, rentals included, and the company charges a daily fee for them. Ontario also has a camera toll north of Toronto that bills you weeks later.Winter tires and tolls

These are the rules that do not really change, which is why they are worth carrying. Exact fees, rates and prices do move, so check the Canada guide for anything current before you rely on a number.

truetripcosts.com/canada/rules