does anyone know if you can pay with english money in new york shops?

[lizandlulu]

dh thinks we can pay with english money in shops in new york and get a better rate that changing here.
just wondered if anyone knows if this is right, or are we best to change the moeny here?
obviousley we already have some dollars, but i want to take more money

I would really think not - having lived in Chicago for 2 years English money was never an option to pay for goods - travelers cheques - yes in some larger stores.....but not cash!

Your DH is wrong. No store in NYC will accept Sterling as payment for goods (unlike in this coutnry where some major dept stores will accept Euros).

The pound/dollar rate is not very good at the moment for UK visitors to the US. You are better off taking a combination of cash and credit cards with you.

BTW if you do take your credit cards with you DO inform the credit card co beforehand that you will be in the US. If you do not do this they will likely place "stop" marker on your cards.

er no but you could still exchange currency or make cashpoint withdrawals there - probably at an even worse rate .

You never get a better exchange rate by using a foreign currency directly in a shop, anyway! Trust me, I grew up in a country where shops often took foreign cash, but always at a rate that screwed over the buyer, because, well, why not?

Paying with credit cards works, also using your ATM card in machines there (but like Attila says for CCs, you need to call your bank and tell them you're going, so they don't block your card!)

pk,thanks for that, i will take great plesure telling him he is wrong
i think he was thinking along the same lines of you can do in spain, but i said new york is a bloody long way away from spain!

ok, not pk!