Do we Accept Foreign Currencies in Payment for the Villas?

We occasionally get asked about accepting payment in Canadian Dollars or Great Britain Pounds.

All of our transactions are conducted in US$ funds.

It really makes no sense for us to accept anything else, as all of our villa expenses and operating costs are of course paid in US dollars.

We get guests from all around the world, but a significant portion are from the UK and Canada (with most of course from the USA).

The majority of our foreign guests simply pay with a major credit card, and the foreign currency exchange is handled automatically by their card issuing bank. This is certainly the easiest and simplest way to go about making payment from a foreign account, however the time and effort spent in setting up a US dollar account, and/or a US dollar credit card, can result in significant savings! This can also be a great benefit for anyone who frequently travels to the United States, and once a year is often enough to make it all worthwhile.

Many UK guests are sometimes able to pay for Florida vacation rentals in Pounds because they are renting from a UK owner who financed their US property purchase at home in the UK (and thus need Pounds to pay their mortgage), but this has not typically been allowed in more than a decade. Many UK owners that I work with struggle with the impact of currency rate fluctuations on their net revenue, as there is no practical way for them to keep up with constantly changing exchange rates.

Even as Canadians, Canadian dollars are of no use to us in our villa business. We practically never transfer money between the two countries. All villa revenue stays in the US to pay villa operating expenses. I suppose if we made tons of money in the Vacation Rental Business, bringing some of it home may be desirable, but we are a long way away from that happening given the typically low Orlando Vacation Rental rates! 😉

If exchange rates are an issue or concern for you, please speak to your bank or financial advisor about your options for currency exchange, or check the many low-cost currency exchange providers available online.

xe.com is a trusted provider we have used in the past.

You may want to arrange to have a US funds account or US funds credit card available for your trip to Florida, and do currency exchange into or out of the account in fewer transactions of larger amounts. This will minimize exchange fees and get you a better rate.

For many foreigners, getting a US credit card can be tough, however it is much easier to get a US American Express card than either a Visa or MasterCard. No matter where you are from, the American Express Card is a great option for managing your US expenses and purchases. You can apply for one by clicking this link here, and by doing so you’ll receive some great special benefits. For example, when this was written, approved cardholders using this link would receive 70,000 Bonus Miles on the Delta Amex Card (my favorite), and up to $200 in Statement Credits. The benefits change over time, so they may be different when you use the link to apply.

For Canadians; RBC Royal Bank, BMO Bank of Montreal, and TD Canada Trust all own and operate US subsidiaries with physical branches in the United States, and provide a number of great opportunities for managing US/CDN dollar exchanges.

I hope that this information helps you, and despite the fact that we can’t accept your home currency, we will be able to look forward to welcoming you to Breezy Oak or Pleasant Oak Villa soon!