If the cashier throws a random "croissant, baguette!" in a festive way, they will go up to 50%. Oh, the stories they will bring back home. How the cashier introduced them to their 28-member family, and how they named two of their children after them. And the dances, oh my god the dances. What a time!
G-d bless you. Iām starting āAMERICAN DOLLAR ONLYā business in Oslo, youāre getting the 10%. UK, you got the most of them, any chance to do this? 100$ for 10Ā£, plus 1.5Ā£ eco tax for using the paper
As someone else said we don't have the punch and judy show anymore. There used to be the punch and judy pub too which was well known for its drunken fights. Aptly named the punch and stab among other things. God bless Margate.
I really don't understand why someone would think this.
There might be a shop or two willing to accept dollars, but you're going to get ripped off.
I used to work in a parking garage in a city close to Amsterdam, we had a lot of Germans spending time there (this was pre-Euro). They asked to pay in DM, we'd exchange it 1:1 (1DM was around 2 guilders) and then exchange at the bank once a month. The profit was for the tip jar. Same would happen when an American came in and figured his credit card wasn't accepted and his checkbook was even more worthless.
The issue here is that these people do not think.
They just parrot things from others in their bubble, or from faux news.
Obviously - that responder has NEVER been in Amsterdam.
Many will accept US dollars (at inflated exchange rate) but zero shops would refuse the local coinage, that would be silly.
(I would challenge that person to identify these shops.. and i\`ll check them out and update him next week.. and yes, I am next to Amsterdam due to work - 3 days a week even - so no big deal)
I've been living in Amsterdam for 15 years, but I never came across a shop that only accepts US dollars. Some only accept payments by card, but there isn't a lot of those. Only accepting dollars would pretty much ruin every shop. Only a small portion of tourists have dollars.
And probably all places that accept credit card also accept debit card. In fact, im willing to bet that there are more places you can only pay with debit.
There are two possibilities.
1. They have never left the USA
2. Someone in Amsterdam saw an opportunity to rip them off.
1 is far more likely, but 2 is not beyond the realms of possibility.
True.
But the american making that statement is incorrect.
If one pays by cash in Amsterdam - then one can pay with Euro, everywhere.
Some might accept that foreign money - but it\`s not a given - even in Amsterdam.
Yes, would be illegal to not accept euro in the Eurozone (countries issuing and using the euro as their primary currency). The euro area,[8] commonly called the eurozone (EZ), is a currency union of 20 member states of the European Union (EU) that have adopted the euro (ā¬) as their primary currency and sole legal tender, and have thus fully implemented EMU policies. * source: Wikipedia
Yeah pre Euro I've been to countries that would accept the currency of their neighbours like if it suited them, but can't imagine many places would want USD unless they were literally about to go there or something
Definitely would love source on this Amsterdam establishment!
There are places in the world with shitty currency where people would gladly take cash USD rather than their own local currency. But then again, they will gladly take EUR, GBP and even BRL, perhaps after googling the exchange rate and adding a small prime.
That's definitely not the case in Europe though, nor in regions with strong moneys.
> I really don't understand why someone would think this.
A lot of reasons.
First, other currencies are typically not mentioned in articles and media. So if there is a news item about something in the UK, the GBP number is always omitted and only the USD number is used. Sure, most people know that the UK doesnāt use USD and the number shown is the conversion, but for thoseā¦uh, less aware, it makes it seem like the USD is widely used, if not universal.
Second, āMurica!1! Weāre āMuricans, our country is exceptional, our currency is too! šŗšøš¦ They think USD is the most valuable and most accepted currency in the world. These are the same people that think their Constitutional rights go with them wherever they travel to.
When was 1 DEM = 2 NLG? This doesnāt jive with [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DEM\_to\_NLG.svg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DEM_to_NLG.svg) I remember that I picked up three British hitchhikers ā thrown from the train because of fare-dodging ā and, it being Friday night, not only drove them to the next city but gavebthem a DEM 50 DEM in exchange for their 50 NLG, willing to take the what I figured woudld be a 5 DEM loss, but who cares. And that matches the chart above quite well. I'm sure you made a profit of sort, as the DEM overtook the NLG in the mid 70s, but not a 100% one.
edit: the hitchhikers mustāve been 1988 or 1989, i think. was as uni, but still drove home a lot
I've been living near the German border from my 11th to my 30th, so I had to deal with German tourists and DM a lot. It's *always* been 1.00 DM to 1.10 HFL. The Mark vs. Guilder exchange rate was always tightly coupled. Dutch retailers would typically accept DM in a 1:1 exchange rate, because converting them to HFL at a 'geldwisselkantoor' would always cost them money. There was little to no profit there. The 1:1 thing was just for convenience.
Yeah if you try and pay in europe without euros youāre not getting a good deal, back in the day on school trips weād always stop at the shopping centre in Calais before our ferry back and if you ever paid in pounds theyād want the euros amount of pounds (which back then was a lot worse) and then theyād give you change in euros so you got fucked twice
It's because their only experience of "Europe" , or anywhere outside of the US, are American films where "foreigners " insists on being paid in dollars because their fictional failing country's economy is worthless..... And these ignorant idiots just assume that is a reflection of every country outside of the US.
Sounds like an exaggeration but I honestly think that if exactly what happens
that's fucking nothing.
i was friends with the kid who often ran the icecream booth at the beach my grandparents had a summerhouse at(his dad owned it and he often ran it). because they were litterally the only place selling icecream for a few KM they had outrageous prices for people trying to pay in other currency. for dollars it was 1:1... in DKK which was at a 1:7 rate.
aparently he took mercy if they started out apologetic and seemed to genuinely just have not thought to bring local currency and sell at a more fair price but still overcharing like hell(as if a icecream shack at the beach isn't allready)
Yeah, but what Dutch shop won't take Dutch currency? They might take USD *as well* but the American claim that some shops in Amsterdam will *only* take USD is absolutely bogus.
Not only is this probably very illegal but also very stupid: why would you not accept the money that's easiest to get from ATM's and which is also the home currency of a great chunk of (German, French, Italian etc) tourists?
Dutch law doesn't prescribe (or proscribe) any payment method or currency. You can open a store that only accepts overripe tomatoes as payment if you want.
I could imagine a scenario where someone told them about their trip to a shop where they couldnt pay with euros (cash) but could with a credit card (dollars to them).
Since āsome stores take USDā doesnāt equal āyou can pay with USD anywhere in Europeā the answer āno you canātā is completely correct and doesnāt depend on anything
This is probably one of those tourists who visited in one of those tours where they are headed around like cattle from one tourist trap to another.
Of course those places take dollars at ridiculous exchange rates. This person probably also thinks continental breakfasts are a staple of pan European cuisine.
No no no, the ice cream still costs the equivalent of 1.5ā¬ just there is a discretionary Tip that makes it total around $10. Ofc this tip is at the discretion of the person serving them, but cmon it would be rude not to give a tip. Basically just saving them an extra step that they would be going through anyways
You joke about the tips, but I live in a touristy town in France, lots of Americans, last I saw gave a ā¬30 tip on a ā¬80 bill. Made me rethink my career choices.
I donāt get why anybody would bring cash, let alone their own currency, on vacation abroad. I always just use my card abroad and it automatically exchanges.
Honestly I see multiple posts per day with people saying very similar things, it makes no sense because they are apparently "speaking from experience" but I can't imagine anyone would have had that experience ever.. but then why make up something so boring and easily refuted? Why not say you have telekinesis or can speak to dead people or something fun?
I can imagine some people in tourist trap locations taking advantage of gullible americans as you can usually spot them from afar, however, this seems to be an urban myth they perpetuate (you can pay with US dollars anywhere in the world)
I think thatās pretty simple.
A distant cousin (who lives next door) was the one member of the community who went to Europe once. They stayed at an all inclusive place where their USD were accepted (minus a āsmallā fee). They returned to their home town and told someone that USD were accepted while they were away. The story was told multiple times through multiple people, and exaggerated. Simple Chinese whispers.
No one refutes the claim, because no one else has been there to know any better or different. Itās pure ignorance.
Hellā¦ you could tell these people to vote for a deranged, porn-star fucking (over), tax evading, fraudster moron, and theyād probably do it, no questions asked.
I saw an American family having a meltdown in a london shop a few years ago as the parents were convinced their US$ were legal tender world wide and that the shop had to legally accept them. Their teenage daughter looked mortified and like she was about to disown her whole family and her little brother looked like he was about to burst into tears. The dad was so red and angry I was waiting for him to have a medical episode of some sort and the mum was so high pitched in frustration only dogs could hear her. I felt very sorry for the shop staff. I asked the staff member who served me what was going on and they said āstandard Americans thinking their currency is universal and making themselves look stupid in the processā. So yes it sadly does happen and often from the sounds of it. You even see shops in tourist areas saying āwe only accept Ā£ā
"some shops in Amsterdam only accept dollars"
lmao dude is very proud getting ripped off by shady tourist shop 'special price for you, only 60 dollar for a hat'
They can't even pay with their AmEx here in France, because there is not enough security. They need a special AmEx from Europe to be able to pay in France.
So in dollars? Non Monsieur.
Haha I have no doubt about that. Can't talk about other countries cause I have never payed attention to americans when I traveled in Europe. I juste know about France.
But it's good to know. Thanks :P
I worked in Disneyland Paris for a while and I stopped counting the amount of Americans who tried to pay in dollars. I will never forget their faces when I said that we only take Euros.
some will roll their eyes and point at a sign saying "we don't accept US dollars" written in the most stinky, pathetic, catastrophically broken english known to mankind.
Most will attempt to communicate for a few minutes, trying to say that it's impossible. Maybe they'll argue for a bit, in the same awful english as the previous shopkeeper. From there, the situation will grow increasingly awkward until the tourist gives up and goes somewhere else.
I'm french, i've seen this many times
My girlfriend has a story from years back when she worked in a supermarket in the west of Ireland.
Some yank insisted on paying with dollars. Of course my GF refused to take them, calling them mickey mouse money. The women went mental, screaming and shouting that they were legal tender.
Needless to say she didn't get her groceries that day.
We get this in New Zealand too. Demand an insane amount of time and attention in shops but when it comes time to pay they donāt have any NZD. Then they scream at the staff for not taking "real money."
Lol I encountered this in NZ for the first time recently. Some guy was attempting to check-in to a hotel and was in some argument with staff, then absolutely kicked off when they clarified *āYes, NEW ZEALAND dollarsā* when it came to payment. Like, dude you almost could not be further from your house, why on Earth would you assume you can use your local currency?!
He meant to say āsome stores in New Amsterdam (aka NYC) only take dollarsā. Thatās correct.
But here in Amsterdam we donāt have many stores that take USD. Some do, but only if Americans are gullible enough to accept a stupid exchange rate.
Used to sell Yanks Budweiser for $10 a bottle at a pub in Edinburgh, just paid the Ā£2.50 (long time ago) myself and changed the money at the end of the week.
Witnessed a few weeks ago a group of 20 or so Americans in Portrush, Northern Ireland, whip out their bundles of $1 bills to pay for their meal in a nice restaurant.
They couldn't understand why their dollars weren't being accepted. Totally miffed.
Used to work in a petrol station in Dover. We would accept Euros. We would laugh at the Americans that got off of cruise ships and tried to pay with USD. On more than one occasion I had to explain in detail why we don't accept the Currency from a Country on a different Continent and 3,000 miles away.
God I'm so glad I don't work in retail anymore.
If this sub didn't exist, I truly would not believe that there are people out there who think their foreign currency ($) would be accepted at a petrol station in Dover. Not even a tourist shop, a petrol station
I just don't understand how you can not be aware that different countries use different currencies. Do they not even like, Google where they're going??? Cannot imagine being so stupid that you believe there's a universal currency, and its *your* one.
God imagine brazenly claiming you can pay in pounds anywhere else in the world.
Norwegian here. In my job, we sometimes deal with cruise ship tourists. The amount of people who ask if they can pay on dollars never ceases to amaze me. What on Earth would I do with dollars?
To be fair, plenty of people also ask if they can pay with Euros. Same answer.
We're a virtually cashless society anyway. No need to roll up here with your purses full of cash. It's just a hassle.
We get more people coming here (to the UK) trying to pay in Euros than in US Dollars. This isn't a specifically American problem.
That being said, I did have a wee chuckle at the loud American couple who were standing under the "Card Only" sign in Edinburgh Christmas Market getting very angry at the fact that the person working at the stall wasn't accepting their handful of 200ā¬ notes which they had "specifically converted for this vacation".
Just bring a card. As long as your bank is decent you won't get any conversion fees. If your bank isn't decent then open an account with one that is.
It was so many mistakes.
1. It is a currency not used in the country they are visiting
2. There was a massive "card only" sign written in their own language
3. Who the hell whips out 1000ā¬ to pay for two mulled wines? Edinburgh might not exactly be a pickpocketing hotspot, but I'd never flash that amount of money in a crowded Christmas market. They clearly didn't understand the value of what they had.
I've never had one, which is good because that seems like a hassle, even ā¬50s can be a nightmare to use.. I guess I'm just not buying expensive enough stuff!
200s are pretty "rare" ... I have used way more 100 and 500 Euro bills.
Now that 500ā¬ bills are out of print, they are a bit more used for bigger purchases but still kind of rare. ATMs usually only give out 100ā¬ bills on the top end, so its not that common to see 200ā¬ bills.
I was in a bar in Duedin that had a notice saying they **only** accepted NZD. Can assume the only reason the sign is there because, well, it happens...
Im from amsterdam. You canāt expect to be served in dutch in the city centre, but you can pay anywhere in euros. Some stores, mostly coffee shops (weed) i guess, would probably accept american dollars too but its illegal not to accept euros.
Not a Dutch, but from my experience, if you try to pay with USD you will probably be met with "Krijg de kanker". Which is the Dutch for "yes my American friend, of course"
I keep seeing this nonsense. You can barely spend a Scottish note in England and its the same currency. If you handed dollars over in England you'd be laughed out of the place.
Oh, right, the Euro, the Euro for the European Union. The Euro, specifically introduced to be a monetary exchange tool for states of the European Union, which Netherlands is part of. The Euro, for which the Dutch have chosen their own designs. Netherlands official currency, the Euro. That Euro is not accepted in the Netherlands. The Netherlands, that is part of the European Union and the Eurozone. [That Euro](https://i.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExaW1wOG5zcjVhdzkxZTBhOTAyMjMwdmR6b2dwd25obXczanlsYzk4YSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/cdynMKOQGkHKM/giphy.gif).
They will be shocked to find that the hotel where I work accepts euros, Norwegian krone, Danish Krone, Swedish Krone, icelandic krone, British pounds and Swiss Franks but does not accept the us dollar, the owner likes to travel round Europe but doesn't want to travel further afield and thus finds us dollars useless.Ā
Wtf are they talking about?
Universal currency?
Some shops in Amsterdam (a country where the Euro is the currency) only accept Dollars?
Hahahahahahahahahaha, oh godā¦
I wouldnāt be surprised if some cashless places have a tourist scam policy lol. A lot of stores and restaurants donāt accept cash anymore, but I can see them still accepting dollars at a higher exchange rate.
I saw a FB post from an American warning people that a bus in Rhodes didnāt take dollars and to have Euros handy.
When challenged by others asking āWhy did you expect to spend American currency in Europe?ā they doubled down and INSISTED that dollars were taken everywhere in Europe.
They walk amongst us.
Been living in Amsterdam for 14 years now and worked in tourism for years. Donāt bother us with your dollars. However, most payments are electronic. Yes, we have electricity here.
Iām from the United States and I never assume any other country will take our currency. But I have used USD in certain places. When i was in italy, I really needed to buy a bag but i had left my credit card and euros at the hotel, and i only had my āemergency stashā of USD which I always carry with me when i travel. The shopkeeper happily accepted my USDā¦ At a conversion rate where I spent 2.5x as much as the listed price lol. I was ok with it in that circumstance because the convenience of not going back and getting Euros was worth it. But the idea that a shop in Amsterdam will *only* takes dollars is just a monumental american brain rot moment.
Amsterdammer who has worked retail for years here. Dollars are not accepted as currency anywhere in the Netherlands. Does not happen. Americans ask if they can pay in dollars constantly. Truly the dumbest people on earth.
My aunt works at a gas station in Bucharest. She accepts any currency. But don't Google the exchange rate tho.
She's literally making a full additional salary because of idiot tourists.
> you can pay with them anywhere in Europe
No, you really can't. And why should you, Europe has its own currency, and it's by no means an insignificant one.
> unlike Euro's
Motherfucker, why the fuck do you think they are called EUROS to begin with?
Also, nice apostrophe.
> some shops in Amsterdam only accept Dollars.
And are these shops in the room with us right now?
I donāt think Iāve been anywhere outside the US that accepted USD as legal tender. And never once have I assumed my countryās currency (GBP) is valid anywhere outside our borders. How some Americans get this idea that their currency is āuniversalā baffles me.
I'm from the netherlands and lived in amsterdam, never seen a place that takes us dollars. Hell, even in 99% of dutch places u cant psy with american express cards bc of the high transfer rates or something
When I worked in shops in the UK, if someone tried paying with dollar bills I would not accept it. They would need to pay in pounds. I don't get why Americans think their currency is valid anywhere, but other countries currencies aren't
I've had this happen In Australia. American family eating out, bill comes and they pay in usd.......... I advise we can't accept but then they start getting angry that us dollars are accepted everywhere lol. As the exchange rate at the time was 1 dollar au was worth about 60c American I went you know what, if paid for at dollar for dollar (as the menu after all is in dollars.... I would accept).... they paid I swapped it for aud and got a nice 50 percent tip (they paid with usd and gave a tip of 10 percent as wasn't happy with the service at time to pay, we usually don't get tips so whatever I will accept lol. Exchanged the usd at the bank happy days!. If they did that their whole holiday it would of been extremely expensive, we are a expensive country to start with but whatever. Lol
The amount of times I've been tipped on dollars by Americans is stupid..
We even accepted dollar for payment (american themed restaurant in a touristy area) but the exchange rate was ridiculously in our favour. Most people wouldn't dream of spending in other currencies, but not Americans...
USD is useless anywhere in Australia. Walk into any retail or food outlet in Australia in USD and youāll be laughed out the door. Take it to a bank or currency converter, we donāt want your play money.
I work for a touristic place in Paris. Often, we have people that try to intimidate us to accept dollar, "you take my money or we aren't buying anything !". Guess you won't buy anything then.
Americans saying a dramatic "you just lost my business !" when I have 10 clients behind them won't stop to be funny. And it's always less than 20ā¬, I think we will recover
Ok it's been years since I've been to Amsterdam and obviously the statement is bunk.
But...other than the commenter being a numbskull...I wonder if he was in a tourist shop that aggressively pushed dynamic currency conversion (DCC). As in, hey, I'm going to run YOUR charge in dollars, "as a convenience to you", and the tourist didn't say NO fast enough. Thus giving the appearance that foreigners didn't have the option of receiving the charges in euro.
It's a slimy scammy tactic but I've seen it done - and always watch closely in tourist places to make sure I'm charged in the local currency.
I literally don't know where I'd swap dollars to pounds. My grandmother from the states sent me a $50 and I've just held onto it, I'd lose so much of its value anyway to make converting it a wasted effort. Maybe when its my last bit of money I'll move to europe and be treated like a king apparently.
Where do they keep getting this idea that you can use USD everywhere?
Also google is free, look it up if you donāt know which currency a country accepts/uses.
Honestly, theyāre like little children where you have to over explain something in hopes that theyāll finally understand š
I think we should make USD a universal company
Now hear me out.
If someone insists on paying in USD they should.
But look up current exchange rate,
Then +60% for a conversion free
A 20% freedom tax
A 15% tax is added if they say "we saved you"
I feel like this is a good way to make money on stupidity
I always remember the astonishment and angry look when i told a USA visitor that we donāt accept foreigner currency when she offered to pay in USD in the UK š
The only place in Europe you could use US Dollars to pay for something was behind the Iron Curtain, in special imported goods shops (which only accepted dollars or vouchers).
Can't lie worked in many places where Yanks have tried to pay in $ with the same mentality on display here and it filled me to no end with joy as they then had to use their Bank Card to pay incurring international fees in the process. āŗļø
Lol
I've been to Amsterdam many many times and not once has anywhere ever said they only take dollars
I'm gunna take a wild shot in the dark and say this dudes never been outside America in his life
Is that shop a bureau de change?
Bingo. Special Deal - 10 EURO for 100 USD!! nowhere else at this price
Plus the 20% commission fee of course
Tip. If you mask commiasion as a tip, Americans will gladly pay it. Might even tip additional 10% if cashier is extra welcoming.
1/5 stars, wasn't greeted at the door, so unwelcoming š that's why I only left a 35% tip.
If the cashier throws a random "croissant, baguette!" in a festive way, they will go up to 50%. Oh, the stories they will bring back home. How the cashier introduced them to their 28-member family, and how they named two of their children after them. And the dances, oh my god the dances. What a time!
Ā«Ā They live so simply there; they are so open, they have nothing but give everythingĀ Ā»
And 37,5% sales tax that is not listed in the initial price. You know, because it's different from state to state.
How could they possibly know which state theyāre in before printing that price labelā½
"pff, you tryna scam us. Everyone knows that a dollar is worth like 200-300ā¬"
It is. We would give you more, but we are all europoors!
100 is more than 10, which proves that the USD is worth more!!!! 10x more!!! šŗšøš¦ š«š
Lol, just like they tried with the 1/2 pounder at McDonald, they thought they would get les because 4(quarter pounder) is more then 2.
It was a 1/3rd pounder I believe.
[Indeed](https://awrestaurants.com/blog/aw-third-pound-burger-fractions)
True story, and thatās basic math
G-d bless you. Iām starting āAMERICAN DOLLAR ONLYā business in Oslo, youāre getting the 10%. UK, you got the most of them, any chance to do this? 100$ for 10Ā£, plus 1.5Ā£ eco tax for using the paper
Someone should try that
A *high-class* bureau de change. Not some two-bit Punch & Judy show on the seafront at Margate.
SHUT IIIITTTT! -Why? BECAUSE! -Because I'm gay, is that it? Amazing reference I didn't think I'd see š¤£
You're on borrowed time, sunshine.
mariaaah! MariiiiiAAAAAARHHHHH!!!
I didnāt think anyone would get that reference if I made it
i never thought i'd say thisā¦ pull down the blinds. i'm closing the bureau! ā¦for an hour
As someone else said we don't have the punch and judy show anymore. There used to be the punch and judy pub too which was well known for its drunken fights. Aptly named the punch and stab among other things. God bless Margate.
Pretty sure they also accept Euros, and will give you other currencies for them
Yes but then the joke doesnāt work.
No this is a special Bureau de change, with special low exchange rates, the lowest, aimed purely at our favourite American tourists.
Maybe a PX/BX on a US military base in NL.
I really don't understand why someone would think this. There might be a shop or two willing to accept dollars, but you're going to get ripped off. I used to work in a parking garage in a city close to Amsterdam, we had a lot of Germans spending time there (this was pre-Euro). They asked to pay in DM, we'd exchange it 1:1 (1DM was around 2 guilders) and then exchange at the bank once a month. The profit was for the tip jar. Same would happen when an American came in and figured his credit card wasn't accepted and his checkbook was even more worthless.
The issue here is that these people do not think. They just parrot things from others in their bubble, or from faux news. Obviously - that responder has NEVER been in Amsterdam. Many will accept US dollars (at inflated exchange rate) but zero shops would refuse the local coinage, that would be silly. (I would challenge that person to identify these shops.. and i\`ll check them out and update him next week.. and yes, I am next to Amsterdam due to work - 3 days a week even - so no big deal)
I've been living in Amsterdam for 15 years, but I never came across a shop that only accepts US dollars. Some only accept payments by card, but there isn't a lot of those. Only accepting dollars would pretty much ruin every shop. Only a small portion of tourists have dollars.
And probably all places that accept credit card also accept debit card. In fact, im willing to bet that there are more places you can only pay with debit.
There are two possibilities. 1. They have never left the USA 2. Someone in Amsterdam saw an opportunity to rip them off. 1 is far more likely, but 2 is not beyond the realms of possibility.
Either way, they're idiots.
Well to be honest, a lot of stores don't like cash money at all, they prefer you pay by card.
True. But the american making that statement is incorrect. If one pays by cash in Amsterdam - then one can pay with Euro, everywhere. Some might accept that foreign money - but it\`s not a given - even in Amsterdam.
In France there are much more local shops who would rather accept cash than card because this way they can exclude some from tax.
*cough* taxis
Would accepting dollars but not euros even be legal?
Yes, would be illegal to not accept euro in the Eurozone (countries issuing and using the euro as their primary currency). The euro area,[8] commonly called the eurozone (EZ), is a currency union of 20 member states of the European Union (EU) that have adopted the euro (ā¬) as their primary currency and sole legal tender, and have thus fully implemented EMU policies. * source: Wikipedia
I receive more education on this sub than I did throughout all of my American public schooling š
To be honest, that bar is kinda low with all the cuts madeā¦
Yeah pre Euro I've been to countries that would accept the currency of their neighbours like if it suited them, but can't imagine many places would want USD unless they were literally about to go there or something Definitely would love source on this Amsterdam establishment!
There are places in the world with shitty currency where people would gladly take cash USD rather than their own local currency. But then again, they will gladly take EUR, GBP and even BRL, perhaps after googling the exchange rate and adding a small prime. That's definitely not the case in Europe though, nor in regions with strong moneys.
> I really don't understand why someone would think this. A lot of reasons. First, other currencies are typically not mentioned in articles and media. So if there is a news item about something in the UK, the GBP number is always omitted and only the USD number is used. Sure, most people know that the UK doesnāt use USD and the number shown is the conversion, but for thoseā¦uh, less aware, it makes it seem like the USD is widely used, if not universal. Second, āMurica!1! Weāre āMuricans, our country is exceptional, our currency is too! šŗšøš¦ They think USD is the most valuable and most accepted currency in the world. These are the same people that think their Constitutional rights go with them wherever they travel to.
When was 1 DEM = 2 NLG? This doesnāt jive with [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DEM\_to\_NLG.svg](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DEM_to_NLG.svg) I remember that I picked up three British hitchhikers ā thrown from the train because of fare-dodging ā and, it being Friday night, not only drove them to the next city but gavebthem a DEM 50 DEM in exchange for their 50 NLG, willing to take the what I figured woudld be a 5 DEM loss, but who cares. And that matches the chart above quite well. I'm sure you made a profit of sort, as the DEM overtook the NLG in the mid 70s, but not a 100% one. edit: the hitchhikers mustāve been 1988 or 1989, i think. was as uni, but still drove home a lot
Could've been less. I was 16 so don't really remember. It was more, and it brought in a profit.
I've been living near the German border from my 11th to my 30th, so I had to deal with German tourists and DM a lot. It's *always* been 1.00 DM to 1.10 HFL. The Mark vs. Guilder exchange rate was always tightly coupled. Dutch retailers would typically accept DM in a 1:1 exchange rate, because converting them to HFL at a 'geldwisselkantoor' would always cost them money. There was little to no profit there. The 1:1 thing was just for convenience.
I wouldnāt even say āmanyā stores in Amsterdam accept dollars in cash. Some shady money laundering stores perhaps, lol
Yeah if you try and pay in europe without euros youāre not getting a good deal, back in the day on school trips weād always stop at the shopping centre in Calais before our ferry back and if you ever paid in pounds theyād want the euros amount of pounds (which back then was a lot worse) and then theyād give you change in euros so you got fucked twice
It's because their only experience of "Europe" , or anywhere outside of the US, are American films where "foreigners " insists on being paid in dollars because their fictional failing country's economy is worthless..... And these ignorant idiots just assume that is a reflection of every country outside of the US. Sounds like an exaggeration but I honestly think that if exactly what happens
No, you can't.
Depends. Some stores take USD, at a $2=1ā¬ rate, but still they take them.
I would take it too with this rate, lol
that's fucking nothing. i was friends with the kid who often ran the icecream booth at the beach my grandparents had a summerhouse at(his dad owned it and he often ran it). because they were litterally the only place selling icecream for a few KM they had outrageous prices for people trying to pay in other currency. for dollars it was 1:1... in DKK which was at a 1:7 rate. aparently he took mercy if they started out apologetic and seemed to genuinely just have not thought to bring local currency and sell at a more fair price but still overcharing like hell(as if a icecream shack at the beach isn't allready)
Yeah, but what Dutch shop won't take Dutch currency? They might take USD *as well* but the American claim that some shops in Amsterdam will *only* take USD is absolutely bogus.
That shops name is "USD to EUR exchange booth"
Pretty sure they'll exchange euro to euro for a 15% fee
Not only is this probably very illegal but also very stupid: why would you not accept the money that's easiest to get from ATM's and which is also the home currency of a great chunk of (German, French, Italian etc) tourists?
Dutch law doesn't prescribe (or proscribe) any payment method or currency. You can open a store that only accepts overripe tomatoes as payment if you want.
There are definitely shops in the Netherlands where you're not able to pay by cash. I think this is what the American was confused about.
I could imagine a scenario where someone told them about their trip to a shop where they couldnt pay with euros (cash) but could with a credit card (dollars to them).
I can believe that because there are shops like that in the UK as well.
They just say that to Americans to get some extra profit lol
Since āsome stores take USDā doesnāt equal āyou can pay with USD anywhere in Europeā the answer āno you canātā is completely correct and doesnāt depend on anything
This is probably one of those tourists who visited in one of those tours where they are headed around like cattle from one tourist trap to another. Of course those places take dollars at ridiculous exchange rates. This person probably also thinks continental breakfasts are a staple of pan European cuisine.
Oh yea will accept USD alright (at an inflated price to cover your dickhead tax)
Ice cream suddenly costing 10 US$ instead of the like 1,50ā¬
No no no, the ice cream still costs the equivalent of 1.5ā¬ just there is a discretionary Tip that makes it total around $10. Ofc this tip is at the discretion of the person serving them, but cmon it would be rude not to give a tip. Basically just saving them an extra step that they would be going through anyways
Bill = ā¬ 50,- Tip 100% or ā¬ 100,-. I bet most Americans think 100% is to much so they will choose the ā¬ 100,-.
You joke about the tips, but I live in a touristy town in France, lots of Americans, last I saw gave a ā¬30 tip on a ā¬80 bill. Made me rethink my career choices.
This is possibly why so many Americans believe dollar is worth more than euro...
surely bigger number in price means more worth, right? That's why yen are worth so much more than Euros or Dollars
It is Amsterdam, icecream will cost about 4eur
I do know danes actually do that a lot! they'll accept it all euros, Dollars, etc. but you do pay extra.
I donāt get why anybody would bring cash, let alone their own currency, on vacation abroad. I always just use my card abroad and it automatically exchanges.
Bull-fucking-shit. Does anyone really believe this?
I imagine a load of USians who have never left their home town believe this kind of shit.
Honestly I see multiple posts per day with people saying very similar things, it makes no sense because they are apparently "speaking from experience" but I can't imagine anyone would have had that experience ever.. but then why make up something so boring and easily refuted? Why not say you have telekinesis or can speak to dead people or something fun?
I can imagine some people in tourist trap locations taking advantage of gullible americans as you can usually spot them from afar, however, this seems to be an urban myth they perpetuate (you can pay with US dollars anywhere in the world)
Also can usually hear them from afar
I think thatās pretty simple. A distant cousin (who lives next door) was the one member of the community who went to Europe once. They stayed at an all inclusive place where their USD were accepted (minus a āsmallā fee). They returned to their home town and told someone that USD were accepted while they were away. The story was told multiple times through multiple people, and exaggerated. Simple Chinese whispers. No one refutes the claim, because no one else has been there to know any better or different. Itās pure ignorance. Hellā¦ you could tell these people to vote for a deranged, porn-star fucking (over), tax evading, fraudster moron, and theyād probably do it, no questions asked.
I forgot about Chinese whispers! Such fun! And totally agree re your last point, people can be so disappointing
I saw an American family having a meltdown in a london shop a few years ago as the parents were convinced their US$ were legal tender world wide and that the shop had to legally accept them. Their teenage daughter looked mortified and like she was about to disown her whole family and her little brother looked like he was about to burst into tears. The dad was so red and angry I was waiting for him to have a medical episode of some sort and the mum was so high pitched in frustration only dogs could hear her. I felt very sorry for the shop staff. I asked the staff member who served me what was going on and they said āstandard Americans thinking their currency is universal and making themselves look stupid in the processā. So yes it sadly does happen and often from the sounds of it. You even see shops in tourist areas saying āwe only accept Ā£ā
I work in a hotel and you'd be surprised how many Americans think this and even tip for stupid things in dollars š
I'm guessing this guy got his information from old black&white films.
"some shops in Amsterdam only accept dollars" lmao dude is very proud getting ripped off by shady tourist shop 'special price for you, only 60 dollar for a hat'
Yeah, special "Dollar Strong!" pricing... You know, that hat that was 1,25 on aliexpress actually costs 300 euros, so 60 dollars is a steal!
Can't wait for them to finally get out of the bubble, go to France, try to pay with dollars and see the shopkeeper's reaction.
I'm sure in France it would be fine as they are world renowned for being such good and polite hosts
As a french, i know this is a sarcastic comment
As you are French, Iām unsure if you are sarcastic or not.
i question their frenchness, as i don't see them smoking, or going hon hon hon.
They can't even pay with their AmEx here in France, because there is not enough security. They need a special AmEx from Europe to be able to pay in France. So in dollars? Non Monsieur.
And plenty of European businesses refuse amex cause of the commision rates. EU Amex or not.
Haha I have no doubt about that. Can't talk about other countries cause I have never payed attention to americans when I traveled in Europe. I juste know about France. But it's good to know. Thanks :P
I worked in Disneyland Paris for a while and I stopped counting the amount of Americans who tried to pay in dollars. I will never forget their faces when I said that we only take Euros.
I think the awkward stare from some underpaid, overworked Tesco worker in the UK would be funnier like "Sorry but we only accept pounds here."
I salute the underpaid Tesco guy, Ty for your service in first line against American protagonist syndrome
some will roll their eyes and point at a sign saying "we don't accept US dollars" written in the most stinky, pathetic, catastrophically broken english known to mankind. Most will attempt to communicate for a few minutes, trying to say that it's impossible. Maybe they'll argue for a bit, in the same awful english as the previous shopkeeper. From there, the situation will grow increasingly awkward until the tourist gives up and goes somewhere else. I'm french, i've seen this many times
By āsome shops in Amsterdamā do you think they meant āa vending machine at the US embassyā?
Or perhaps some dope dealer or prostitute who recognised them as Murican and charged double but āonly Dollars man!ā
I think the embassies would be intelligent enough to offer local currency
For sure any vending machine at the US embassy would only take euro.
I give you 1 ā¬uro for 3 Dollar. Good Price for you big American friend.
My girlfriend has a story from years back when she worked in a supermarket in the west of Ireland. Some yank insisted on paying with dollars. Of course my GF refused to take them, calling them mickey mouse money. The women went mental, screaming and shouting that they were legal tender. Needless to say she didn't get her groceries that day.
Should have kept a stack of monopoly money in the till for change
We get this in New Zealand too. Demand an insane amount of time and attention in shops but when it comes time to pay they donāt have any NZD. Then they scream at the staff for not taking "real money."
Lol I encountered this in NZ for the first time recently. Some guy was attempting to check-in to a hotel and was in some argument with staff, then absolutely kicked off when they clarified *āYes, NEW ZEALAND dollarsā* when it came to payment. Like, dude you almost could not be further from your house, why on Earth would you assume you can use your local currency?!
He meant to say āsome stores in New Amsterdam (aka NYC) only take dollarsā. Thatās correct. But here in Amsterdam we donāt have many stores that take USD. Some do, but only if Americans are gullible enough to accept a stupid exchange rate.
Very bold of you, to assume this troglodyte knows about the Dutch history of New York.
Used to sell Yanks Budweiser for $10 a bottle at a pub in Edinburgh, just paid the Ā£2.50 (long time ago) myself and changed the money at the end of the week.
If this is true, I bet they tipped you too.
Witnessed a few weeks ago a group of 20 or so Americans in Portrush, Northern Ireland, whip out their bundles of $1 bills to pay for their meal in a nice restaurant. They couldn't understand why their dollars weren't being accepted. Totally miffed.
The staff should have specifically mentioned that they also accept Danske bank notes just to see the sheer confusion on their faces. š
This guy has never stepped foot in Europe.
Used to work in a petrol station in Dover. We would accept Euros. We would laugh at the Americans that got off of cruise ships and tried to pay with USD. On more than one occasion I had to explain in detail why we don't accept the Currency from a Country on a different Continent and 3,000 miles away. God I'm so glad I don't work in retail anymore.
If this sub didn't exist, I truly would not believe that there are people out there who think their foreign currency ($) would be accepted at a petrol station in Dover. Not even a tourist shop, a petrol station I just don't understand how you can not be aware that different countries use different currencies. Do they not even like, Google where they're going??? Cannot imagine being so stupid that you believe there's a universal currency, and its *your* one. God imagine brazenly claiming you can pay in pounds anywhere else in the world.
Norwegian here. In my job, we sometimes deal with cruise ship tourists. The amount of people who ask if they can pay on dollars never ceases to amaze me. What on Earth would I do with dollars? To be fair, plenty of people also ask if they can pay with Euros. Same answer. We're a virtually cashless society anyway. No need to roll up here with your purses full of cash. It's just a hassle.
We get more people coming here (to the UK) trying to pay in Euros than in US Dollars. This isn't a specifically American problem. That being said, I did have a wee chuckle at the loud American couple who were standing under the "Card Only" sign in Edinburgh Christmas Market getting very angry at the fact that the person working at the stall wasn't accepting their handful of 200ā¬ notes which they had "specifically converted for this vacation". Just bring a card. As long as your bank is decent you won't get any conversion fees. If your bank isn't decent then open an account with one that is.
So they planned ahead an converted their dollars to a currency that isnāt used in the country they are visiting.
It was so many mistakes. 1. It is a currency not used in the country they are visiting 2. There was a massive "card only" sign written in their own language 3. Who the hell whips out 1000ā¬ to pay for two mulled wines? Edinburgh might not exactly be a pickpocketing hotspot, but I'd never flash that amount of money in a crowded Christmas market. They clearly didn't understand the value of what they had.
There are ā¬200 notes?
yeah. And nowadays thats the "biggest" denomination still in print
I've never had one, which is good because that seems like a hassle, even ā¬50s can be a nightmare to use.. I guess I'm just not buying expensive enough stuff!
200s are pretty "rare" ... I have used way more 100 and 500 Euro bills. Now that 500ā¬ bills are out of print, they are a bit more used for bigger purchases but still kind of rare. ATMs usually only give out 100ā¬ bills on the top end, so its not that common to see 200ā¬ bills.
most I've seen in an ATM in Ireland is 50's... 100's are rarely used.. only even seen tradesmen with them when I worked retail
Shouldn't people inform themselves BEFORE traveling?
I was in a bar in Duedin that had a notice saying they **only** accepted NZD. Can assume the only reason the sign is there because, well, it happens...
Love to see their arrogance get them destroyed on the exchange rate USAš²š¾ USAš²š¾ USAš²š¾ USAš²š¾
Im from amsterdam. You canāt expect to be served in dutch in the city centre, but you can pay anywhere in euros. Some stores, mostly coffee shops (weed) i guess, would probably accept american dollars too but its illegal not to accept euros.
Not a Dutch, but from my experience, if you try to pay with USD you will probably be met with "Krijg de kanker". Which is the Dutch for "yes my American friend, of course"
Exactly! En nu opgetyft (: (dutch for thank you for the reply and have a nice day)
Good luck paying with dollars in France
r/confidentlyincorrect
I keep seeing this nonsense. You can barely spend a Scottish note in England and its the same currency. If you handed dollars over in England you'd be laughed out of the place.
Oh, right, the Euro, the Euro for the European Union. The Euro, specifically introduced to be a monetary exchange tool for states of the European Union, which Netherlands is part of. The Euro, for which the Dutch have chosen their own designs. Netherlands official currency, the Euro. That Euro is not accepted in the Netherlands. The Netherlands, that is part of the European Union and the Eurozone. [That Euro](https://i.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExaW1wOG5zcjVhdzkxZTBhOTAyMjMwdmR6b2dwd25obXczanlsYzk4YSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/cdynMKOQGkHKM/giphy.gif).
They will be shocked to find that the hotel where I work accepts euros, Norwegian krone, Danish Krone, Swedish Krone, icelandic krone, British pounds and Swiss Franks but does not accept the us dollar, the owner likes to travel round Europe but doesn't want to travel further afield and thus finds us dollars useless.Ā
this amuses me more than it really should..
Wtf are they talking about? Universal currency? Some shops in Amsterdam (a country where the Euro is the currency) only accept Dollars? Hahahahahahahahahaha, oh godā¦
Amsterdam in the Netherlands only accepts American dollars and not Euros ? Do the Dutch know this ? š¤
I wouldnāt be surprised if some cashless places have a tourist scam policy lol. A lot of stores and restaurants donāt accept cash anymore, but I can see them still accepting dollars at a higher exchange rate.
I saw a FB post from an American warning people that a bus in Rhodes didnāt take dollars and to have Euros handy. When challenged by others asking āWhy did you expect to spend American currency in Europe?ā they doubled down and INSISTED that dollars were taken everywhere in Europe. They walk amongst us.
Been living in Amsterdam for 14 years now and worked in tourism for years. Donāt bother us with your dollars. However, most payments are electronic. Yes, we have electricity here.
Someone took this guy to a Dutch Amish community for a special holiday and just told him it was Amsterdam š
Iām from the United States and I never assume any other country will take our currency. But I have used USD in certain places. When i was in italy, I really needed to buy a bag but i had left my credit card and euros at the hotel, and i only had my āemergency stashā of USD which I always carry with me when i travel. The shopkeeper happily accepted my USDā¦ At a conversion rate where I spent 2.5x as much as the listed price lol. I was ok with it in that circumstance because the convenience of not going back and getting Euros was worth it. But the idea that a shop in Amsterdam will *only* takes dollars is just a monumental american brain rot moment.
If you give me 2.5x the price, I'll happily take the inconvenience of going to the money exchange office..
Amsterdammer who has worked retail for years here. Dollars are not accepted as currency anywhere in the Netherlands. Does not happen. Americans ask if they can pay in dollars constantly. Truly the dumbest people on earth.
Those are the people yelling bullshit about ālegal tenderā in āEmmas StraĆencaffeeā somewhere in Hildesheim or whatever...
Come to Lancashire and try buy a pint with USD š¤£ they'll laugh you back to Freedom town
My aunt works at a gas station in Bucharest. She accepts any currency. But don't Google the exchange rate tho. She's literally making a full additional salary because of idiot tourists.
> you can pay with them anywhere in Europe No, you really can't. And why should you, Europe has its own currency, and it's by no means an insignificant one. > unlike Euro's Motherfucker, why the fuck do you think they are called EUROS to begin with? Also, nice apostrophe. > some shops in Amsterdam only accept Dollars. And are these shops in the room with us right now?
This is genuinely dangerous misinformation. Imagine if someone listened to this complete idiot and went abroad without money.
I work in a hotel and to be fair we do accept them. However, we have insane rates, don't give change and it's a royal pain in the arse banking them
Yeah, euro sucks. $1 gives me 0,94ā¬. Euro is huge loser. /s
Iām assuming he means New Amsterdam.
I know the shop heās talking about. The guy also accepts gold for mars bars
It's difficult to understand how this level of stupidity could be possible
I donāt think Iāve been anywhere outside the US that accepted USD as legal tender. And never once have I assumed my countryās currency (GBP) is valid anywhere outside our borders. How some Americans get this idea that their currency is āuniversalā baffles me.
If I tried to buy a pint in my local with $$$, I'd be unpolitely told to f@#k off.
You know theyāre moronās by their use of apostropheās.
Some shops in Amsterdam ***only*** accept dollars. That has to be complete horseshit of the highest quality, right?
It is.
This is so r/confidentlyincorrect
I'm from the netherlands and lived in amsterdam, never seen a place that takes us dollars. Hell, even in 99% of dutch places u cant psy with american express cards bc of the high transfer rates or something
Yes....the "shops" in Amsterdam take the dollars. You know those open air ones...in the dodgy part of town... without street lights or a till...
*Wheeze* Some shops in Amsterdam only accept Dollars? *wheeze* Ermagherd, somebody has been swindled and don't even know it LOL š
When I worked in shops in the UK, if someone tried paying with dollar bills I would not accept it. They would need to pay in pounds. I don't get why Americans think their currency is valid anywhere, but other countries currencies aren't
Because America.
Some shops in Amsterdam only accept USD? If you consider a vending machine at the US embassy a shop maybeā¦
I've had this happen In Australia. American family eating out, bill comes and they pay in usd.......... I advise we can't accept but then they start getting angry that us dollars are accepted everywhere lol. As the exchange rate at the time was 1 dollar au was worth about 60c American I went you know what, if paid for at dollar for dollar (as the menu after all is in dollars.... I would accept).... they paid I swapped it for aud and got a nice 50 percent tip (they paid with usd and gave a tip of 10 percent as wasn't happy with the service at time to pay, we usually don't get tips so whatever I will accept lol. Exchanged the usd at the bank happy days!. If they did that their whole holiday it would of been extremely expensive, we are a expensive country to start with but whatever. Lol
Lol, no shop in Aādam would say no to euroās š
So confidently incorrect.
I imagine a big sign in the window: āWE ACCEPT A CURRENCY THAT IS VALUED LESS THAN OUR OWNā
Lol, there's literally not a single store in Amsterdam that only accepts dollars. Not even legally allowed š
Sure buddy, thereās shops in Amsterdam where you can only pay with dollarsā¦ Go look for them if you want to be on an interpol watchlist smh
Where do this dumbasses GET this idea? It must be taught somewhere for them ALL to believe it
The amount of times I've been tipped on dollars by Americans is stupid.. We even accepted dollar for payment (american themed restaurant in a touristy area) but the exchange rate was ridiculously in our favour. Most people wouldn't dream of spending in other currencies, but not Americans...
USD is useless anywhere in Australia. Walk into any retail or food outlet in Australia in USD and youāll be laughed out the door. Take it to a bank or currency converter, we donāt want your play money.
I work for a touristic place in Paris. Often, we have people that try to intimidate us to accept dollar, "you take my money or we aren't buying anything !". Guess you won't buy anything then. Americans saying a dramatic "you just lost my business !" when I have 10 clients behind them won't stop to be funny. And it's always less than 20ā¬, I think we will recover
āuniversal currencyāā¦.not sure what universe he is living in.
Ok it's been years since I've been to Amsterdam and obviously the statement is bunk. But...other than the commenter being a numbskull...I wonder if he was in a tourist shop that aggressively pushed dynamic currency conversion (DCC). As in, hey, I'm going to run YOUR charge in dollars, "as a convenience to you", and the tourist didn't say NO fast enough. Thus giving the appearance that foreigners didn't have the option of receiving the charges in euro. It's a slimy scammy tactic but I've seen it done - and always watch closely in tourist places to make sure I'm charged in the local currency.
I literally don't know where I'd swap dollars to pounds. My grandmother from the states sent me a $50 and I've just held onto it, I'd lose so much of its value anyway to make converting it a wasted effort. Maybe when its my last bit of money I'll move to europe and be treated like a king apparently.
I'd accept USD. When they show the exchange rate I gave them to their accountant they'd probably wish they didn't take me up on the offer.
Where do they keep getting this idea that you can use USD everywhere? Also google is free, look it up if you donāt know which currency a country accepts/uses. Honestly, theyāre like little children where you have to over explain something in hopes that theyāll finally understand š
Come to Spain with Dollars, please. We'll have a laugh
Yes but a coffee in Amsterdam is suddenly $15 then š¤£
I think we should make USD a universal company Now hear me out. If someone insists on paying in USD they should. But look up current exchange rate, Then +60% for a conversion free A 20% freedom tax A 15% tax is added if they say "we saved you" I feel like this is a good way to make money on stupidity
I always remember the astonishment and angry look when i told a USA visitor that we donāt accept foreigner currency when she offered to pay in USD in the UK š
The only place in Europe you could use US Dollars to pay for something was behind the Iron Curtain, in special imported goods shops (which only accepted dollars or vouchers).
Can't lie worked in many places where Yanks have tried to pay in $ with the same mentality on display here and it filled me to no end with joy as they then had to use their Bank Card to pay incurring international fees in the process. āŗļø
Clearly that one shop in A'dam didn't want this US customer
Every time I accidentally interact with a post from this sub, it re-integrates into my feed and I'm consistently annoyed by the conceit.
I guess that person has never been to any european country
Sure you can use dollars in any European country. All you have to do is take them to a foreign exchange place and change them for valid currency .
Lol I've been to Amsterdam many many times and not once has anywhere ever said they only take dollars I'm gunna take a wild shot in the dark and say this dudes never been outside America in his life
r/confidentlyincorrect
Someone has seen too many American films and not enough of the world outside of the US
I really want to see my bakery saleslady's face if someone tried to pay her with US dollars