Credit Cards or Cash in Japan
Sep 18, 2017, 4:11 am
#151
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
The delta between the absolute worst possible rate and the best possible rate is 2% (more likely 0.5 to 1.0%).
How much money are you planning on using?
Unless it's thousands of dollars, the cost of replacing the caloric consumption of brain activity thinking about this problem is greater than any possible savings.
How much money are you planning on using?
Unless it's thousands of dollars, the cost of replacing the caloric consumption of brain activity thinking about this problem is greater than any possible savings.
Sep 18, 2017, 4:53 am
#152
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,632
Well, that depends how much your time and effort is worth. If you were cash-poor and time rich, you might be willing to put more effort into squeezing as many yen from your dollars as possible - even for a small fistful of dollars. 2% of $100 dollars could be the o-nigiri that gets you through the morning until the department store basement sample counters open up ...
Sep 18, 2017, 7:46 am
#153
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: LH SEN; BA Gold
Posts: 8,405
As an illustration, I topped up my Oyster card with 30£ (in the UK) and so did +1. She was charged nearly 5$ less than me due to varying fees on our respective credit cards. 5$ difference on a 40$ purchase done at virtually the same time is IMO substantial enough to check fees related to card usage.
@mrwhy: Check the credit card fees. I usually take currency with me to Japan and exchange it in banks for smaller amounts and places that don't take cards. That's overall cheaper for me than withdrawing money at ATMs in Japan. YMMV
Sep 18, 2017, 8:57 am
#154
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Smyrna, GA, USA
Programs: DL FO 1MM
Posts: 1,761
yeah, some banks charge really silly fees, and different people have different needs, so just blowing off the issue might be the right answer for some but not necessarily everyone.
As above, the answer of which is best to use depends heavily on your specific circumstances. The closest thing I can come to "one" answer is to say that there are banking and credit card options available to most US folks that make the choice a wash. If you're willing to put in the time to set up the accounts, you can get no-fee, within 1% of market-clearing-exchange-rate on both ATM withdrawals and credit cards.
As above, the answer of which is best to use depends heavily on your specific circumstances. The closest thing I can come to "one" answer is to say that there are banking and credit card options available to most US folks that make the choice a wash. If you're willing to put in the time to set up the accounts, you can get no-fee, within 1% of market-clearing-exchange-rate on both ATM withdrawals and credit cards.
Sep 19, 2017, 12:30 pm
#155
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NorCal
Posts: 658
Sep 20, 2017, 9:29 am
#156
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota,USA
Programs: UA, NW
Posts: 3,752
The food departments in the department store basements often offer free samples. I've never tried to get "seconds," but the sheer number of counters offering free samples can make for a substantial between-meal snack. Get some o-nigiri here, a bit of kushi-katsu there, some sakura-mochi at another place, and you are fortified till meal time.
And even if you're not hungry, it's fun to explore the sheer variety of foods available, including a lot of prepared items for busy commuters to take home.
And even if you're not hungry, it's fun to explore the sheer variety of foods available, including a lot of prepared items for busy commuters to take home.
Sep 20, 2017, 2:13 pm
#158
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: NorCal
Posts: 658