Can You Use US Dollars in Canada? (Spoiler: Not Really)
Want to see a Canadian seethe on a travel forum? Ask if you can use US dollars in Canada. Watch a seemingly innocent question turn the thread into a frenzy. It gets asked all the time. Canadians think they’re being trolled, but I know Americans ask in good faith. So here’s a legit answer.
The Canadian dollar is the only currency used in Vancouver.
Nobody uses US dollars in Canada.* It’s foreign currency here.
If you want to pay in cash, don’t bring US bills—bring Canadian cash. Or easier still, just grab some once you’re here. ATMs are everywhere.
Everything is priced in Canadian dollars. Full stop.
When you’re in Vancouver, prices will just show the dollar sign ($) without specifying that it’s Canadian. It’s assumed because… you’re in Canada.
So if a shirt costs $35.99, that’s in Canadian dollars—before the 5% GST and 7% PST.
If a beer is $7 on a happy hour menu, that’s $7 Canadian—plus 5% GST, 7% PST, 10% alcohol tax, and tip.
Want to know what that is in US dollars? Use Google.
You don’t really need cash, credit cards are accepted everywhere
There’s an old saying that BC stands for “bring cash.”
Don’t.
Vancouver has become even more cashless since the pandemic.
You can use credit cards for pretty much everything here:
- Taxis and food trucks
- Farmer’s markets
- Transit (buses, SkyTrain, SeaBus, Canada Line, Aquabus, False Creek Ferries)
- Parking meters
- Hotels, stores, restaurants, you name it
If a place only accepts cash, it’ll be obvious. That’s rare.
Need Canadian cash? Just use an ATM
If you do want some cash on hand, go to an ATM and withdraw Canadian dollars. There’s no need to physically bring cash or exchange US bills beforehand.
Got an American bank card? Stick it in any ATM and it’ll give you Canadian money. Your bank will calculate the exchange rate (and maybe charge a small fee – check with them first).
So if you withdraw $100 CAD and the exchange rate is $1 USD = $1.36 CAD, you’ll see about $73.29 USD taken from your US account.
*Some stores may accept US cash, but it’s a gamble
Some savvy businesses cater to tourists and will accept US dollars, but there are caveats:
- They set the exchange rate. Sometimes it’s generous, sometimes it’s $1 USD = $1 CAD (aka… not generous).
- US coins are accepted at par. Four American quarters = four Canadian quarters.
- Change is always given in Canadian cash.
Basically, when you pay in US dollars, the business becomes a kind of informal currency exchange. It’s not the norm.
Paying with US cash in Canada is the round peg in a square hole approach.
I don’t recommend it.
