US Dollars…advice needed.

My daughter is off to New York next month, but is unsure what is the best thing to do regarding spending money.
I have never been myself so can’t advise her. So can anyone suggest whether she is best taking plenty of cash/dollars to avoid racking up bank charges for using her card. Or are many places cashless meaning she will be forced to use her card anyway?
Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

My experience is that card is taken (and expected) almost everywhere
Card is safer than cash and I would recommend Revolut (I use it for many currency accounts. No fees and near bank rate exchange rates).
Maybe take a few small denomination notes up to about £100 worth

 

Was surprised how even coffee vans and small cake stands were card only. small outdoor businesses aren't safe taking cash..I've got a santander zero card, no charges for use abroad think Halifax used to do one as well. worth getting one or a prepaid loaded card.

 

I used Starling in the EU but I think the principle is the same.

 

I don't think Santander Zero is available any more for new customers and there are eligibility restrictions, which they don't seem to have noticed I no longer meet, but anticipating that they would I switched to Starling as already mentioned by @jptykes and I've found it to be excellent. When I did a test, the (commission-free) rates I got on foreign ATM withdrawals were the same on the 2 cards.

 

I'd advise plastic, plus a couple of hundred in small denomination notes for the numerous tips she'll have to dish out to everyone who she has the temerity to expect to do their job properly.

 

We have a Revolut card but there was a disturbing article in the news a month or so back about the level of fraud associated with it. I'd be wary if I were you.

 

As the above, my recommendation is to use Starling or Monzo and keep some bills free for valet parking, help with luggage etc.

 

Chase Bank. Opened up an account with them a couple of years back just to use for foreign spending. Just load it up before we travel. No charges at all, plus decent exchange rates.

 

She’ll definitely need a card. Chase and Halifax do ones that are free to use abroad. America is big on credit cards, not so much on debit. Some places (like hire cars) will only accept credit cards. She will still need to take cash for tips at the very least.

 

Thank you to all who replied. General opinion seems to be card payments over cash which is top advice.

 

I do the US a couple of times a year between work and baseball/NFL and the advice already on here is sound - basically any debit card which charges no foreign transaction fees and gives you the true exchange rate when you use it; the online banks are fenerally better at it - i use Revolut but heard Monzo, Starling and Chase are all equally good. If you get a physical card even better as ypu can always then withdraw a bit of cash if you need it at ATMs

 

Not much adding to the above really as loads of sound advice. But I've had a Halifax Clarity card for a while and use it every time I go abroad - choose to pay in the local currency (not GBP) and it seems to give good rates and absolutely no charges. Just pay in full on return and no cost.

 

Worth mentioning too that lots of places in the US still don’t have Chip and Pin (or at least they didn’t, it’s possible more have now depending on where you go) and they’ll physically take your card and ask for a signature or you might have to enable the “magnetic stripe” on the card. I know Monzo for example have an option to enable it temporarily in their app

 

Open an account and get an account with Starling. I'll be using it next Monday in New York No fees anywhere in the world yet.

 

I’ve got the Halifax version that I use whenever I go on holiday. But you need to remember to pay in the correct denomination….

 

I second this, we specifically got it for going to New York on NY Eve 2022. We now use it every holiday like using your normal bank card.

 

Sound advice mate.

 

I didn't realise many of them don't receive a wage ,it's the tips that pay them which is outrageous.

 

It's a farce, and a massively stressful one if you're not sure what you should and shouldn't be tipping for.