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Avoid Last Minute Headaches By Purchasing Currency Before Traveling

Your vacation is just around the corner. You’ve booked the flights, the hotels and the rented a car.

Before you embark on a trip, you usually have a long list of things to do to get you ready. You’d probably stop the newspaper delivery, get a house sitter, put the dogs in a kennel and set up some timed lights to go on while you are away.

Then there is the packing. If you are super efficient, you have a packing list that you use regularly to make sure that you have included everything you need to take with you on your travels. You don’t want to bring everything including the kitchen sink but forget to bring your charging cables.

Don’t leave it until the last minute

Plan to do this a few days ahead of your trip. You will then have some time to research the best rates to convert your US dollars. Start with finding out what the market rate is, which you can find on Yahoo finance or other financial sites. Check whether these currency outlets have minimum cash order amounts. Look out for hidden handling and delivery fees. Work out the total cost of your transaction, including all fees. Some places will charge an extra fee if you are buying currency with a credit card. The simple comparison is how much foreign currency you will get for the dollar you are exchanging.

Once you have done some research, book your currency with an online exchange service like Xchange of America. They will send you the cash to your home or office and you can save some time and avoid any last minute headaches.

Avoid the rip-off exchange rates and fees in the airport. Make sure you plan ahead and buy currency online before you travel. Give yourself enough time for the foreign currency to be sent to you. If it is really last minute, you can order online and collect the cash from the nearest outlet.

The best tip to save money on your travels is to never change money at the airport. They are notoriously bad for giving the worst exchange rates and charge high fees. They know that travelers have no choice so they can take advantage of that.

By buying your foreign currency online a few days before your trip, you know that you have secured a good exchange rate and got the most for your US dollars. It will give you peace of mind that your holiday spending budget is now fixed. You won’t be subject to high fees and terrible rates that you would most definitely experience if you had to change your money after you arrive.

By making sure that you have some local currency to hand when you arrive at your destination, you can feel a bit more confident that your arrival will be smooth and comfortable. You won’t need to scramble around to find a currency exchange to change your money. In some countries, you will need to buy an entry visa at the airport with cash so be prepared. You don’t want to get caught out or get stranded with no money to pay for a cab.

Reasons to Purchase Currency Before Traveling to Undeveloped Countries

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While it is always recommended, for several reasons, to buy currency of the destination country, it is especially recommended when traveling to less developed countries. While all the normal reasons remain – i.e. safety, less risk of loss, etc. – new reasons and risks arise when discussing less developed countries.

Less developed countries typically have less access to foreign currencies meaning that the difficulty of finding a bank or entity to accept the home currency of the traveler in exchange for the currency of the destination country increases drastically. Not having the currency of the destination country on hand ahead of time can therefore lead to having no money in the destination country for the life of the trip. This is not only unpleasant, but can also be dangerous as it could lead to lack of food, water, supplies, places to stay, and even in the most extreme cases a flight home.

While the traveler may find some entity to accept the trade of home currency to destination currency, the likelihood of the transaction being standardized by the current currency exchange rate is extremely low which could lead to having much less destination currency than the traveler had previously planned on having. This could lead to the traveler not having enough not only to enjoy the trip as they had intended, but possibly not having enough to truly survive comfortably while staying in the destination country.

The next major danger in not having the destination’s currency ahead of time in less developed countries stems from the countries lack of infrastructure. In the case of an emergency – i.e. break down of public transportation, or something just goes wrong while traveling the country – not having the destination country’s currency could lead to a dangerous situation in which the traveler is stranded without a way to pay for help getting out of the situation or getting back to their hotel or place of residence whilst in the country.

It is possible that these issues do not happen; however, it is always better to be prepared for the worst, especially in personally unfamiliar territories such as these undeveloped foreign countries. It is important to understand that in many undeveloped countries, the United States dollar does not hold the same standardized exchange value as it does in the rest of the world, if it holds any value at all.

To avoid getting stuck in these dangerous or uncomfortable situations in unfamiliar, undeveloped countries, it is important to buy foreign currency online ahead of time. Buying the currency online ahead of time ensures that the proper currency exchange rate is used to give the traveler a fair, universally accepted value in the transaction, and to ensure that the traveler has the destination’s currency in hand to avoid possible dangerous or uncomfortable situations and allow for a response from the traveler to emergencies that may occur while traveling. Buying the destination country’s currency online is always the safest and best way to go.

Ease of Online Currency Exchange

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Travelers understand the hassle and rush of preparing the day before a major trip across the world. There’s packing, keeping track of paperwork and passports, ensuring that reservations are prepared, making all the necessary adjustments for work, the home, and obligations to be taken care of while the trip takes place, and one of the most important aspects – the money!

Some people choose to take and use cash, others use credit cards, and some take cash to buy the currency of the country they are visiting. While each of these will work most of the time, they have various risks associated with each of them. What if the money gets lost? What if the credit card gets lost and falls into the wrong hands?

The easiest way to avoid these disastrous situations is to prepare for the currency exchange in advance. By buying foreign currency online, it not only is one less thing to keep track of, but it allows for the currency used in the destination country to be secured before the trip even begins, alleviating stress and doubt, and taking less time overall.

With a few simple clicks on a website that allows for currency exchange online, a traveler can see the current exchange rate, and within the matter of a few seconds alleviate all the worry about losing their money, or not ending up with enough money for the trip once they arrive at their destination.

Add money to a user created account, search for the currency you wish to buy with the domestic currency, and send in the order. The user will then quickly receive the currency of their destination country and have one less thing to stress about.

While a traveler may have done their research ahead of time, often times they have not, and they end up trying to trade in their home currency for the currency of their destination country and do not realize until this point that they will not have enough, or did not bring enough money to experience the country in the way they intended to when they first started planning their trip in the first place.

Not only do these sites make it extremely quick so the user does not have to spend as much time on currency exchange problems, and can therein spend more time on packing and other travel related activities, but these sites also make it simple and easy so travelers can easily follow and understand their transactions.

Travelers plan everything from their hotel reservations, to dinner reservations, to travel accommodations, to flights, to events and tours they want to see during their trip. Some travelers will even plan their days on an hour-by-hour basis. It only makes sense that one of the most important things (the money) is taken care of ahead of time to allow for a relaxed, safe, and pleasant trip free of worry and money-related stress allowing for them to fully experience the destination they always dreamed of visiting, with plenty of currency for activities.

The Potential Future of Currency in Travel

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Anyone who travels internationally is used to going through the process of taking their currency and converting it to the currency of their destination at providers like Xchange of America. Whether this is using United States Dollars to purchase euros, or baht, or pounds, it is a common process that has slowly but surely evolved.

What used to be done face to face in a bank, can now be done online. Travelers have the ease of going online, opening their account, and now have the ability to buy foreign currency online.

Each of these paper currencies are regulated and recognized around the world in the currency exchange market which values each of them in relation to the others. This is the way it has always been with countries regulating their own currency to either increase or decrease its value, therein affecting the way consumers – and travelers – buy, sell, and use currency.

The digital age, while being underway for quite some time, is beginning to further innovate the way currency is used, traded, and even perceived and understood. The first cryptocurrency released in 2009 and was the first currency that was not regulated by a single, centralized entity such as a government.

This shocked the world and has quickly, in the time since then, branched off into a plethora of new cryptocurrencies – currencies that are not tangible, but stored online in accounts. The up and coming cryptocurrency is beginning to become another way to purchase currencies that are accepted in many locations, however, they still lack the widespread acceptance of most paper currencies.

Some currencies that have branched off of the original cryptocurrency have slowly but surely grown in popularity, use, and value. So much so that it has caught the eyes of major banks and governments and could change the way travelers prepare for their trips with regards to how they handle their currency transactions.

India’s Axis Bank has decided to launch cryptocurrency payments, effectively propelling cryptocurrency into uncharted territory. A quote from The Economic Times cites deputy managing director for the bank saying “We are committed to using innovation in technology to make banking simple and convenient for our customers”.

China is the latest country to investigate the idea of using cryptocurrencies as a ubiquitous currency. China’s central bank officials have had numerous meetings with the company behind to discuss their currency in hopes of implementing a system that uses cryptocurrency.

Could this mean that soon rather than buying Indian rupee or Chinese renminbi, travelers can buy cryptocurrency? Probably not in the near future. Only time will tell, but with India’s Axis Bank on board with the idea, and other Indian banks announcing they would follow the cryptocurrency trend as well, there is a possibility.

This means, for travelers, that they could soon have 2 sources of currency to buy that would be viable in countries they choose to visit. You may be able to choose an original currency at providers like Xchange of America, cryptocurrency, or both options when you travel abroad. Only time will tell the future of cryptocurrency and the role it will play – or not play – for travelers of the world.

5 Benefits of Buying Currency Online

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Buying travel money is now made more convenient and more practical, thanks to the numerous options available in the market like Xchange of America. If the traditional mode of buying foreign currency seems too tedious for you, then it’s advisable to buy foreign currency online. Here are five benefits of making this decision.

A very convenient transaction

Whether you like it or not, you will have to deal with currency exchange if you are traveling internationally. Of course that is because you often cannot spend your dollars in another country; your money has to be converted.

The old school way is to go to the bank and have your money converted there. But this age-old tradition is not any more convenient and practical these days. That is because it would require waiting in long queues just to be served by the teller and having to submit tedious documentations especially if you are buying a huge amount of a specific currency.

This is why many travelers prefer to buy foreign currency online instead. Right at the comfort of your home or anywhere you are as long as you are connected to the internet, you can actually and immediately buy any currency of your choice.

Getting the best rates for conversion

Online currency sellers like Xchange of America have a currency converter tab, which you could use to instantly determine the rate of exchange. This way, you could carefully and strategically plan how much budget to designate for your trip.

What’s special about such converters is that rates are competitive and are regularly updated, so the rate applied to your transaction is the real and live one—no more, no less. In the traditional exchange centers, you have to drop by their locations personally to find out the rate leading to impulse decisions on how much currency to buy.

Safe and convenient payment methods

Online transactions are more convenient even in terms of payment. With Xchange of America, you could opt to pay via bank wired transfers, e-check, money order, credit/debit card charging, or collect on delivery (your payment will be made upon pick up of the currency you are buying). Moreover, if you are not comfortable and feeling secured to carry cold cash around, online is the way to go.

Availability of currency

If you are going to a place that is a common destination for travelers, you may find it easy to convert your dollars into that country’s currency. But in rare cases, there are currencies that are not readily available for purchasing in most currency exchange centers.

When you buy foreign currency online, you would instantly know the availability, saving you from the hassle of finding other exchanges at the last minute. Fortunately, Xchange of America sells almost all currencies that travelers need.

Buying ahead of your trip

Because of its convenience, buying currency online is more recommended especially if you are a very particular planner when it comes to traveling. You could instantly buy foreign currency online weeks or days ahead of your scheduled trip so this factor of your travel will not bother you anymore in the days or hours to your flight.

Keep Yourself – and Your Currency – Safe While Traveling

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Keeping your money safe while traveling is mostly common sense, however, it’s still wise to read over a few tips to make sure you don’t become a victim of theft or harm. It’s easy to forget to stay safe when you’re visiting a dream destination, but it’s essential to the success of your trip, and for your overall enjoyment. While it’s not pleasant to think about theft, it’s necessary no matter where you go. Consider a few basic points when traveling with cash:

Try to avoid carrying large amounts. Find out if your hotel has a safe, or hide your cash in your hotel room in places such as pieces of locking luggage. You’ll want cash on hand, but you’ll want a back-up just in case.

Purchase traveler’s insurance before you leave home. Consider this part of the planning process, and do it around the time you contact XchangeforAmerica to discuss your foreign currency needs. Read the policy thoroughly, finding out exactly how much it will cover in case you are robbed abroad. Find out what documents you need to file a claim, such as police documents, bank statements, or more.

Hide it. Don’t pull out stacks of money, as this only tempts thieves. Keep different amounts of cash in different areas, such as a few small bills in your backpack, larger bills in your front pockets, etc. Muggers know about things such as stashed money belts, so if you keep some small bills in here, you can hand it over, and hope the mugger is satisfied with not looking in your pockets, as well. A fun fact about traveling with money comes from Ecuador: many people keep their money in their armpits to avoid theft.

Keep a list of card numbers and account details, but not your PIN, in a place where you can access it easily. Leave the list with a trusted person back home, or hide it in that locking luggage mentioned previously. You’ll be able to cancel your cards quickly if they are stolen.

Make sure you’ve let the bank know your itinerary. Your bank will look out for you, and if they don’t know you’re traveling, they will cancel your cards due to “suspicious activity”. It’s not every day that we go to foreign countries, so the bank considers this activity valid reason to block all cards until they hear from you.

Watch for fake currency, especially paper. Research fake currency in your destination and how to identify it, or ask XchangeforAmerica for help. When you’re using foreign currency, you don’t want to get in trouble for attempting to pass fake money unintentionally.

These tips will take you from point A to B seamlessly. Don’t forget to always be diligent about your money, as thieves target travelers who are too caught up in the sights to realize they are being robbed. Use these ideas to avoid becoming a victim, or becoming harmed during your time away. You’ll always want to prepare as much as possible before your next adventure overseas, and always be safe as you enjoy traveling at your next destination.

Tipping Around the World

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Some countries expect tipping, while others consider the practice to be rude, limited to those who want to “show off” their wealth. Some cultures expect the traveler to be an honored guest, and behave as such, which means no helping with serving, clean up, or tipping allowed. What’s more, it will help to know that some service people, such as bartenders, housekeepers, or bellmen, pool their tips with the rest of the staff, so a tip isn’t always a communication of a job well done. Meanwhile, the amount of polite tipping changes between locations, with some expecting up to 20%, and others finding as little as 5% acceptable.

So what countries expect tips, and how much is expected? Read the following list for some of the planet’s top destinations, and how they expect a traveler to tip politely. Then, proceed to XchangeforAmerica to buy foreign currency to cover tips for provided services. Remember that this list is an overview; some regions have different rules – for example, tipping in Hong Kong is different than tipping in the rest of China due to its Westernization.

China – A mere 5% is expected here for restaurant service, and only if the service is above standard. Any mediocre or bad service deserves no tip in Chinese custom, so the amount you leave will be a message to your server. 5% is expected for taxi drivers, and hotel porters expect approximately a dollar of the local currency. However, make sure to check before tipping, as tipping in some sections of China is considered rude.

Estonia – Only tip for great service, and research the area in which you are traveling to determine the standard tip total.

Denmark – Tip 10% to wait staff only for excellent service. Round up for taxi drivers, and expect the tip to be part of the overall hotel bill for porters.

Belgium – 10% is standard for service workers, as is rounding up the overall amount. Watch the bill, however, because most businesses will add a service fee, which means you may not have to tip at all.

Brazil – Only tip for great service here, and tip the standard 10% across all service industries. However, some industries include the tip, so double check the bill.

Switzerland – Round up, as the service fee is typically included in the bill.

Don’t tip in French Polynesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, or Italy. Additionally, countries such as France add the tip into your bill automatically, so rounding up on the dollar, or Euro, is customary. However, you may not be able to tip with a credit card, which makes carrying a small amount of Euros convenient.

No matter where you travel, you’ll need to do your homework and find out how the locals feel about tipping. If you can’t find specific information through an Internet search, ask your travel agent. Make sure to work tipping information into your budget, and make sure to buy enough foreign currency to cover tips. Most locals appreciate local currency, but again, it’s wise to check before you exchange your currency.

How to Carry Money Abroad

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As Americans, we are used to using our credit cards everywhere we go. Carrying cash has become unnecessary in our society, and we’re used to our banks keeping track of everything for us, while we spend with little to no worry at nearly every type of retailer. However, when we decide to hit the road, paying for our expenses becomes slightly trickier. We can’t simply take out our plastic and use it wherever we want, because we then need to consider traveling fees, exchange rates, and much more. When we’re traveling abroad, we literally have to carry cash to avoid trouble with our banks. Paying for our trip depends on where our travels take us.

Traveling Through the UK, Much of Europe, New Zealand, and Australia

These areas follow many of the same guidelines as the U.S. It’s smart to buy foreign currency before leaving home, as it might be necessary for items such as the taxi ride between the airport and the hotel. Additionally, those cute shops or bars might only take local currency, so you’ll want to be sure to have some on hand to make your trip as enjoyable as possible. Remember that American Express isn’t as accepted around the world as other cards, so check on these options while you’re buying foreign currency through a company such as XchangeforAmerica. It’s advisable to take both a Visa and a Mastercard, keeping one hidden in the hotel as a backup to the other, preferably in the hotel safe or lock box.

Canada

When you’re traveling to our neighbors to the North, it’s important to research the area you’re visiting. Canada has a universal currency, and cash-on-hand is essential here. Similar to home, it is expected that you will tip everyone, from wait staff, to porters, to taxi drivers. Make sure you grab some Canadian currency in small bills, specifically for tipping purposes, because you will be able to use your debit or credit card with ease while visiting. Contact XchangeforAmerica to buy foreign currency before leaving home so you are ready to tip that first cab driver when you arrive in the country. Consider the fact that porters expect a dollar per bag, and valets expect the standard five dollars. Don’t forget to tell your bank you’re traveling to avoid any blocks on your cards.

North and South Africa, South Korea, and Japan

These areas require a traveler to plan ahead. You’ll see a number of ATM’s in these areas, however, many businesses may not accept credit cards. This means that you’ll be paying higher fees for using the ATM’s in these countries. Additionally, smaller towns may not have any access to money machines, so you’ll need to know where you’re going before getting on the plane. It’s best to organize cash ahead of your trip, buying foreign currency online, to be ready for these smaller shops or towns.

No matter where you plan to travel, let XchangeforAmerica help you get your currency to any country before your trip.

Top 5 Things You Can Do With Foreign Currency

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Using foreign currency is one of the best ways to guarantee that you can purchase anything you want during a trip overseas or anywhere else. Foreign currency is easier to use than credit or debit in a number of different circumstances. Depending on which country you visit, there may be very few areas where you can use a credit or debit card. Having cash with you is a sure way that you’ll be able to enjoy everything that your destination has to offer and get around on the island easily and quickly. Below are some of the top ways to use foreign currency once you travel.

Purchase food from street vendors

Many street vendors only take cash for payments for food, as they regularly do a large volume of business and often are not connected to any type of payment processor or credit or debit card machine. There is always the rare exception, but the majority of the time you should have cash with you if you want to purchase any food from street vendors.

Buy taxi and other transportation services

Taxis and other transportation services often require cash only payments, just as most of them do in the United States. You won’t be able to use credit or debit cards for many of these transportation services, and it can be very inconvenient when you need to get somewhere in the country you are traveling to. It’s crucial that you have cash with you so that you don’t get stuck without having adequate transportation.

Purchase souvenirs from vendors everywhere

You can buy souvenirs in cash from many different vendors when you have foreign currency with you. Otherwise it may be difficult to purchase items such as art, handcrafted items, jewelry and other types of small souvenirs that you can bring back home with you.

Buy local clothing

Purchasing clothing made in the country you are visiting is one of the most popular purchases that travelers often make. You can purchase any clothing that you find sold by a street vendor or other vendors who may accept only cash as a payment. With a sufficient amount of cash you can ensure that you are able to buy any types of apparel that interest you, and it can often be easy to pack a few extra items of clothing to take back home.

Take local tours

Many local tour providers in foreign countries will accept payments in cash. These are typically walking tours or tours can also be on bicycles or small vehicles. These tour operators are usually small individual operators and so they are often unable to take credit or debit card payments. You can miss out on some great opportunities to see parts of a country that you haven’t seen before. Local tours can be exciting and fun depending on where you go and what you do during the tour, and you can see unique areas of a country that you may otherwise have not been able to see. So be sure to carry currency with you whenever you travel overseas.

What’s the Fastest Way to Buy Foreign Currency?

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Whenever you need to buy foreign currency, it’s a good idea to use an online provider if you’re trying to save the most time possible on your purchase. Online currency exchange services like Xchange of America are fast and convenient, and are designed to lower the amount of time that you spend on your purchase as much as possible. You’ll enjoy being able to purchase as much currency as you need within minutes, and there are multiple payment options available to you when you use a service like Xchange of America. It’s unquestionably the fastest and best way to have the currency that you need right on time no matter when you need it.

Local currency exchange services can be difficult to find

Although Xchange of America has some locations throughout the United States and is one of the leading most reasonably priced currency exchange service out there, you may not have an Xchange of America location near you. This means that you’ll have to rely on another option, and you might have trouble finding one near you. In many cases you’ll have to drive several miles to exchange your currency, and when you add in the time it will take, your gas costs, and other costs it is clear that using a reputable online currency exchange service is well worth it. You’ll avoid the need to search around for a local exchange and there’s no question that you will save time on the process.

Online currency exchange takes a few steps

You don’t need to talk to anyone or wait in a line if you know what type of currency you want to purchase and have your payment information ready. However you’ll have to do that when you buy it locally. If you wait until you’re overseas to exchange currency or at the airport you can expect some very long wait times in many cases. Online currency exchange on our website is very simple, intuitive and fast no matter how much currency you need. You can make a purchase online at 25anytime, 24/7 and your order will be processed during the next business day and shipped as quickly as possible right to your door.

Save time and ensure your currency arrives when you need it

The amount of time that you can save on currency exchange can quickly add up, especially if you need to make multiple currency purchase throughout the year for travel purposes. You’ll be able to reduce the amount of time it takes by hours just by using an online service. Your currency will also arrive at the time you expect it to. Throughout the process your personal information is protected as long as you use a trustworthy and high quality service like Xchange of America. So it is important to find the right company to do business with online. With a bit of research you can see that Xchange of America is a top tier service to consider using for currency exchange, and the speed is simply unrivaled compared to the other options out there.