US dollar (USD, $) equal to 100 cents. In circulation are denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 dollars, coins – penny (1 cent), nickel (5 cents), dime (10 cents), quarter (25 cents), half dollar (50 cents), as well as 2 and 1 dollars. Moreover, the size of the coins does not depend on their denomination – the smallest of the American coins (10 cents) is noticeably smaller than, for example, a one-cent coin.

The digital denomination is not indicated on the coins, usually it is replaced by inscriptions like “one cent”, “one dime”, “quarter dollar” or “five cents”. Coins of one dollar and above are not accepted by any machines, and coins of 1 cent are not accepted by parking meters. At the same time, $100 bills can arouse suspicion and additional scrutiny, while a $2 bill is considered “unlucky.”

The dollar is the only legal tender in the country – foreign currency is almost never accepted anywhere (except for Canadian dollars, which can be used to pay in areas bordering this country). However, the US dollar is used in some countries that do not have a national currency, such as Panama and Ecuador.

Banks and currency exchange
Currency exchange
The working hours of banks are individual, however, in the whole country they usually work from Monday to Friday, from 09.00 to 15.00-17.00. On one of the days of the week, most often on Fridays, banks are open until 18.00. Some branches are open on Saturday, but only in the first half of the day.

You can exchange foreign currency only at the offices of large banks and their branches located at international airports and seaports. For most foreign currencies, the rate is set much lower than on the international currency exchange. The smaller the amount, the easier it is to find an institution capable of exchanging it – cash in foreign currency, equivalent to $ 5,000 or more, in any bank will be subject to mandatory verification. Moreover, banks that deal with currency outside the main coastal and border cities are quite rare, but they are much more common in Hawaii and the US-controlled islands of the Pacific Ocean.

Plastic cards
The use of non-cash means of payment in the United States is the widest. Credit and debit cards of the largest international payment systems (Visa, Mastercard, Diners Club, American Express, Cirrus, Plus, Maestro, Discover, etc.) are used everywhere, they are accepted by almost all restaurants, hotels, shops, gas stations, vending machines and terminals, even in the provinces. When traveling around the country, it is recommended to carry at least one credit card with you, since many institutions require pre-payment by a credit card or the use of a credit card number at checkout, even when the final payment is in cash.

There are ATMs on every corner. Most ATMs accept credit cards from foreign issuers, but charge a fee of approximately $1.5-2 (most often it is not paid on the spot, but is deducted by the issuing bank when servicing the account). Some stores, however, are suspicious of foreign credit cards, especially for large purchases, and require identification when servicing them, but this procedure usually does not take much time. Some automated merchants require when servicing a credit card to indicate the postal code and address of residence of the cardholder within the United States, in the absence of which they refuse to accept the card for payment.

Travel checks
Travel checks в долларах США можно обналичить в гостиницах, магазинах и ресторанах (American Express, Visa и Thomas Cook принимаются в большинстве магазинов с такой же легкостью, как и наличные деньги). Using checks in other currencies is often very difficult (in the provinces it is simply impossible) or high commissions are charged for their maintenance. You will also need to present a certain set of documents to identify the owner (passport, credit card or driver’s license). To avoid additional costs due to exchange rate fluctuations or the policies of the operating organization, it is recommended that you carry travel checks in US dollars.

Cash and non-cash payment for services and purchases
In the USA, despite the widest distribution of a non-cash payment system (by credit cards), nevertheless, cash is more than in use and sometimes even necessary. For example, travel on public buses in city buses is paid either in advance through a machine (this requires a plastic travel card, on which you pay one or another amount), or in cash to the driver at the entrance. At the same time, in American buses, change is not change, so it is necessary to have the exact amount without change. Otherwise, you will have to pay more money for the fare than it costs.

You should be prepared for the fact that in a cafe or a small shop they will refuse to accept banknotes in denominations of $100 and even $50 – it is believed that counterfeiters most often counterfeit them. Problems may also arise with a $2 banknote – it was issued for the 200th anniversary of the United States in a limited edition, and not all Americans know about its existence in nature.

More and more American retail chains, following Europe, are also switching to credit cards with an embedded chip. Often, a regular card (without a chip) will simply not be accepted for payment.

How to transfer money from Russia to the USA

One of the most trouble-free and simple translation options. If your friends or relatives do not have the opportunity to open bank accounts, then choose the simplest option such as Western Union or Moneygram.