United States
Currency in United States: what to use and how to exchange
The United States uses the US dollar (USD, $), divided into 100 cents. Card is the default for almost every purchase; carry US$40–80 in small notes for tips, transit machines and small vendors. Exchange at a US bank or withdraw from an ATM rather than using airport kiosks, which give worse rates.
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GuideUnited States
Key facts
- Currency
- US dollar (USD, $), 100 cents
- Notes in use
- US$1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100; the $2 note is rare
- Coins
- 1¢ (penny), 5¢ (nickel), 10¢ (dime), 25¢ (quarter); 50¢ and $1 coins exist but are uncommon
- Card acceptancecheck
- Near-universal, including taxis, transit and small shops; some places are card-only
- Cash still useful for
- Tips, small vendors, farmers markets, some parking meters
- Prices shown
- Before sales tax; the tax is added at the register
- Best exchange routecheck
- US bank branch or ATM withdrawal; airport kiosks are the worst rate
- Foreign transaction feecheck
- Often 0–3% depending on your card; check before you travel
Details
The dollar is the only currency you need. Every price, menu, ticket machine and card reader in the country works in USD, and you will not be asked to pay in anything else. Sales tax is quoted separately from the shelf price, so the number on the tag is not what you pay at the register; the rate varies by state and city and is added at checkout.
Cards do almost all the work. Contactless tap is standard, and many businesses — including some cafés, food trucks and transit systems — have gone card-only or phone-only. Visa and Mastercard are accepted essentially everywhere; American Express and Discover are widely but not universally taken. If your card is issued outside the US, check whether it charges a foreign transaction fee, since that quietly adds to every purchase.
Cash keeps a small but real role. You need it for tips where there is no card prompt, for some small vendors and market stalls, and for a handful of parking meters and laundromats. Carry US$40–80 in mixed small notes — $1s, $5s and $20s — and expect $100 bills to be unwelcome at small shops. Coins matter more than you might expect: quarters feed parking meters and some laundromats, and the 25¢ piece is the workhorse.
| Situation | Best payment | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Restaurants, hotels, shops | Card | Tap or chip; tip added on the terminal or in cash |
| Taxi, rideshare, transit | Card or app | Many systems are card-only (check) |
| Food trucks, market stalls | Card or cash | Some are card-only; some are cash-only |
| Tips with no card prompt | Cash | Keep $1s and $5s |
| Parking meters, laundromats | Coins or app | Quarters are the reliable option |
| Airport currency kiosk | Avoid | Worst rates of any option (check) |
Tips
Get your dollars before you need them, but not at the airport. A US bank branch will exchange major currencies, though not every branch handles foreign cash and rates vary; a debit-card withdrawal from a US ATM is usually the simplest route for a fair rate. Your own bank's out-of-network and foreign fees are the variable to check, not the machine's.
ATMs are everywhere — supermarkets, pharmacies, bank lobbies, convenience stores — and most accept foreign cards. Use machines at a bank or inside a store rather than a standalone kiosk on a street corner, and decline any offered conversion to your home currency: letting the machine convert means paying its markup instead of your bank's rate.
Two habits save money. First, always choose to be charged in USD when a terminal offers a choice, so your own bank does the conversion. Second, keep a small cash reserve even if you plan to tap everything, because a card-only traveller with a blocked card has no fallback. Notify your bank of your travel dates if it still requires it, and carry a second card from a different network.
For what things actually cost once you are there, and how much of your budget is tips, see the budget and tipping pages linked below.
- Withdraw larger amounts less often to reduce per-withdrawal fees.
- Keep $1s and $5s for tips and small purchases.
- Choose USD, not your home currency, at card terminals and ATMs.
- Carry a second card on a different network as backup.
- Expect sales tax to be added at the register, not shown on the tag.
FAQ
Questions people ask
What currency is used in United States?
The US dollar (USD, $), divided into 100 cents. It is the only currency you need anywhere in the country. Prices are shown before sales tax, which is added at the register and varies by state and city.
Where is the best place to exchange money in United States?
A US bank branch or an ATM withdrawal with your debit card usually gives the fairest rate. Airport and hotel kiosks are the most expensive. If a terminal or ATM offers to convert to your home currency, decline and be charged in USD.
Is it better to bring cash or use a card in United States?
Use a card for almost everything — it is accepted nearly everywhere, and some places are card-only. Carry US$40–80 in small notes for tips, small vendors, parking meters and laundromats, and keep a backup card.
Deep dive
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