Fee to use credit card in Canada?
Sep 21st, 2010, 04:31 PM
#1
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Fee to use credit card in Canada?
We used our Mastercard in Chemainus to eat and buy souvenirs...when we got our bill, there was a $4.17 fee that my wife fought with Mastercard about....won't know if she won the battle until we see the next bill. During the conversation, she got the impression that a new fee has been imposed on visitors using US credit cards in Canada. True?
Sep 21st, 2010, 06:44 PM
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Such fees should be described in the Foreign currency/transactions section in your credit card agreement. There is a site, http://www.xe.com/ccc/, which helps you identify all the fees added to your transaction in percent.
Sep 21st, 2010, 09:33 PM
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my understanding is that most credit cards have always charged a foreign exchange fee of 1-3%, but in the past it hasn't been disclosed separately. generally you're still getting a better exchange rate than you would if you exchanged cash at a bank or currency exchange place, even when you factor the fee in.
capitol one is the only credit card i know of that doesn't charge such a fee so i have one i use only for foreign travel.
capitol one is the only credit card i know of that doesn't charge such a fee so i have one i use only for foreign travel.
Sep 22nd, 2010, 02:56 AM
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Same as NWWanderer - we use a Capital One card for travel because it's the only one of ours that doesn't charge a fee (3% on the others). Our son is taking a trip to Greece and called Capital One - no fees either.
Sep 22nd, 2010, 06:17 AM
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YOU need to read the fine print in your Card agreement... they may give you that $4 credit this time as a goodwill gesture... but those are the types of fees the Banks are constantly slipping in to boost their record profits...
Sep 22nd, 2010, 11:03 AM
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Any extra charges on your card would be imposed by your own bank or financial institution that issues the card. There are no blanket credit card charges imposed in Canada on foreign visitors.
Your statement should show the exchange rate used. On top of that, card issuers typically charge a foreign exchange fee of 1 to 3%, although there are some cards (such as Capital One) which don't. As others have pointed out, you often have to search the fine print of your card agreement to determine the foreign currency fee which is in effect.
Your statement should show the exchange rate used. On top of that, card issuers typically charge a foreign exchange fee of 1 to 3%, although there are some cards (such as Capital One) which don't. As others have pointed out, you often have to search the fine print of your card agreement to determine the foreign currency fee which is in effect.
