US Dollars
Get ready for your trip to the United States. Order your US Dollars at Manor FX today. Our great exchange rates mean you'll have more USD cash to spend. Have your US Dollar banknotes delivered securely to your home or office, or pick them up from the Manor FX bureau near Heathrow. Manor FX offers fast delivery times and a fuss-free online ordering process for your US dollar travel money.
Travel advise: payments in the United States
Jet off well-informed to the United States. Here are some handy facts about cash and card payments in the USA.
Yes. Card payments are accepted in nearly every store, hotel, restaurant and bar in the United States of America. However make sure that your card accepts 'swipe and sign' payments.
Chip and pin is being rolled out in the US. However the majority of vendors in the US still have a card terminal where the slot for the chip payments is sealed. By default these vendors will require you to swipe the magnetic strip of your credit/debit card, and sign the receipt. In order to pay with 'swipe and sign', you need to have enabled this feature on your card. Most UK cards, including Revolut cards, don't have the swipe and sign feature enabled, in which case the payment will be declined for 'security reasons'.
If you are going to pay by card in the USA: Be aware of currency conversion fees for card payments: Your bank's USD to GBP exchange rate may be not so great. This is how banks make money. Before using your bank card for payments in the United States, it's certainly a good idea to contact your bank. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.
Cash remains a convenient and popular means of payment in the US, preferred by most vendors. It's also a great fallback option in case your card payments are declined.
You'll need cash to pay for taxi rides, public transport, small purchases, tipping, parking meters, hot dogs in New York, Californian flea markets, gambling machines in Las Vegas and for purchases on festivals like Mardi Gras in New Orleans or Burning Man in Black Rock City.
The United States of America is a large country where prices vary extensively. But on average the cost of living in the USA is 10% higher than the cost of living in the UK.
A coffee in a cafe in New York city will cost around $4.50 American Dollars. For a three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant expect to pay around $50 USD.
Tipping guidelines are different from state to state. But as a general rule you should always reward good service with a tip of 15% to 20%, paid in cash. $1 bills will come in handy, keep a stack of them in your pocket.
Banknotes in the United States
American Dollar banknotes are likely the best known banknotes in the world. The iconic $1 dollar banknote has the same design since 1963 and you'll find that banknotes from the 1960s and 1970s are still in circulation today. Older versions of the $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 dollar bills are still spendable and remain legal tender. However try to spend them in the US since the older types of US dollar banknotes are not accepted by bureaux de change in the UK. The newest type of USD banknotes have updated security features and a more modern design. The USD bills in circulation are $1, $5, $10, $20, $50 and $100 American Dollars.Coins in the United States
American coins range from 1c to $1 USD. The $1 dollar coin is in circulation alongside the $1 dollar banknote, both are in use today. Did you get back from the United States with some leftover coins? Our sister company Leftover Currency can help you to exchange US Dollar coins back to cash.
