Los Angeles - McDonalds at LAX doesn't accept Canadian currency

I was at the McDonalds at LA:X in the terminal and went to order a meal. As this young man took my order and then proceeded to ask me for payment, I handed him a Canadian note of $10 dollars. Under the assumption that McDonalds accepted Canadian currency (Seeing as Canadian ones accept American) I thought there would be no problems. The kid then proceeded to tell me sharply to come back with quote 'real money' and then called the next person in line to take their order.

Seriously, what the hell? I'm in the Halifax Airport (Canada) at the moment stranded due to the hurricane and they took my American money at the local McDonalds. Go figure.

I thought places in airports (manly international terminals) had to accept foreign currency ?

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I expect merchants in Canadian airports accept foreign currencies (at least, USD ... I doubt they accept Moldovan Lei, for example) because they find it profitable to do so. Perhaps the same is not true of merchants at LAX.

Welcome to Flyertalk!

I expect merchants in Canadian airports accept foreign currencies (probably USD - I doubt they would accept North Korean Won) because they find it profitable to do so. Perhaps the same is not true of merchants at LAX.

Yeah mate, but its not only the airports here. Most of the fast food joints and some stores around the province and country accept the same thing. I would have thought that each airport is the same nonetheless to make it more convenient for travelers.

Yeah mate, but its not only the airports here. Most of the fast food joints and some stores around the province and country accept the same thing. I would have thought that each airport is the same nonetheless to make it more convenient for travelers.

No. In my experience, merchants in international airports (and elsewhere) are there to make a profit. To the extent they can make a profit by offering convenient services, they do.

I was at the McDonalds at LA:X in the terminal and went to order a meal. As this young man took my order and then proceeded to ask me for payment, I handed him a Canadian note of $10 dollars. Under the assumption that McDonalds accepted Canadian currency (Seeing as Canadian ones accept American) I thought there would be no problems. The kid then proceeded to tell me sharply to come back with quote 'real money' and then called the next person in line to take their order.

Seriously, what the hell? I'm in the Halifax Airport (Canada) at the moment stranded due to the hurricane and they took my American money at the local McDonalds. Go figure.

I thought places in airports (manly international terminals) had to accept foreign currency ?

Can't say I'm surprised they didn't accept it.

The kid should of handled it better though. I guess you can't expect too much from somebody making minimum wage.

Hi,

I think I have only seen larger duty free shops in the US take foreign currency and certainly not restaurants or other shops at airports.

In the UK airports the duty free shops take a range of currencies and other shops ( esp from the larger chains) take a smaller range of currencies ( the euro being the main one).

Canada seems to be fairly unique with a large range of shops ( not only in airports) accepting the US$ ( not too surprising)- maybe at a poorer exchange rate.

I would always expect to pay in the currency of where I am at ( esp in the developed world)

Unless you are near the Canadian border, don't expect anybody to accept your loonies or do anything except look at you funny.

Would you imagine they take Pounds too? Euros? Yen?

Canada seems to be fairly unique with a large range of shops ( not only in airports) accepting the US$ ( not too surprising)- maybe at a poorer exchange rate.

I recall that many shops in Ireland used to accept GBP instead of Irish Punts - at a one for one exchange rate. They immediately ceased this practice when the Punt became briefly more valuable than the pound. I wonder why.

Unless you are near the Canadian border, don't expect anybody to accept your loonies or do anything except look at you funny.I found this to be true when driving from Buffalo to Toronto and back - shops and restaurants (including McD) gladly accepted both currencies - at some places, the registers were programmed to Calculate the exchange.

I'm sure that similar situations exist in many border zones (I know for sure that in the part of Tijuana next to the US border, US dollars are ubiquitous).

The kid at McDonald's probably couldn't take Canadian dollars because he had no clue as to what the exchange rate was nor would he have a key on the register to do the exchange for him.

FYI Pizza Patron restaurants in the Phoenix AZ area accept Pesos.

The kid at McDonald's probably couldn't take Canadian dollars because he had no clue as to what the exchange rate was nor would he have a key on the register to do the exchange for him.

FYI Pizza Patron restaurants in the Phoenix AZ area accept Pesos.

You're not being condescending, of course. Not sure what OP's point was: a general complaint, or a warning to other traveles. I think you'd find that most restaurants in the U.S., fast food or otherwise, don't accept foreign currency. How many people of any age or education level would figure out a currency exchange rate? The only places that would do this would have the rates posted. Restaurants accept foreign currency when there's a financial incentive to do so-- i.e., enough customers with a particular currency (e.g., the Pizza Hut cited above). I am an American currently residing in Brazil. The McDonalds and other restaurants at airports here don't generally accept U.S. currency.

Unless you are near the Canadian border, don't expect anybody to accept your loonies or do anything except look at you funny.

+1

OP can't be serious. Sure, McD's has a cash register full of yen, pesos, rubles and zlotys. :D

Apparently OP was entirely serious. :eek:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-reports/1123340-ice-cold-canada-down-under-mates-yhz-bne.html

OP can't be serious. Sure, McD's has a cash register full of yen, pesos, rubles and zlotys. :D

Surprisingly, the McDonald's at Frankfurt airport T2 land-side and T1 air-side takes dollars, yen, and pounds, and a few other foreign currencies. Change is provided in in Euro. The exchange rate isn't great, so I'm guessing there is enough demand and a good margin on the exchange rate to make it worthwhile.

I assume a Canadian business accepts USD at a 1:1 rate. Since 1 USD is worth 1.05 CAD, the business will make a 5% profit. If a US business accepts CAD at a 1:1 rate, they will lose 5%. It may be as simple as that.

I assume a Canadian business accepts USD at a 1:1 rate. Since 1 USD is worth 1.05 CAD, the business will make a 5% profit. If a US business accepts CAD at a 1:1 rate, they will lose 5%. It may be as simple as that.

There is nothing that says a business couldn't exchange at 1 CAD at 1 to 0.9 or even 0.8. USD. At the FRA McDonalds, it all programmed through the register and the exchange rate changes daily. You certainly can get a better rate, even at the FOREX. I think that is what makes it work. For a 5 Euro meai, who wants to stand in line to first exchange a 10 dollar bill and then stand in line at the fast food joint?

I think this is more of a case that there just is not that much demand for the LAX McDonald's to offer this service.

I thought places in airports (manly international terminals) had to accept foreign currency ?

Nope. I've lived in the LA area most of my life, and I would be extremely lucky to find any place, in an airport or not, that accepted another currency. It's not like Canada. You're better off using a credit/debit card. There are currency exchange booths at LAX. Just don't expect McDonald's to be an exchange booth.

Ah, Canadians. They think their government owes them everything :wink: