Lorne&Lorraine
Ottawa, ON
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Joined: 04/14/2003
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DHDW&2dogs, as I noted in the other thread that method works all the time with my BMO US $ card. But a friend tried it a while back with his TD Bank US $ card and it wouldn't work for him. I once added a US address as a secondary address on a CIBC US $ card and it wouldn't work. So once again it depends, maybe. Not too long ago not all CDN banks participated with the address verification system (AVS) (whether they do now or not I don't know) which meant the zip on the card could not be compared with the zip on file and therefore no dice at the pump. I now have several methods which always work for me at the pump:
- BMO US $ card with US address (my preferred)
- USA bank issued credit cards with US address
- USA bank issued debit/check cards with PIN (no fee)
- Scotiabank/Royal Bank/Desjardins issued debit cards with PIN (fee, and only works at stations affiliated with the NYCE network)
Based on my experience and the comments of others in this forum, the so-called tricks work only sometime (probably only when AVS has not been fully implemented at the stations in question).
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Paleo Ron
Ontario
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Joined: 09/23/2010
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I just asked about this about a week or so ago; see What Was That Trick? message. Since then I had one opportunity to use the postal code trick, which in my case would be 03000. It didn't work. I suggest if you really want the answer you call Mastercard, or whoever. I think I'll just go inside and tell them I'm from Canada.
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moisheh
North America
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Thanks Sam. I already have a debit/credit card from a US bank. Being as you are just using your own money it is not a real CC. Until 911 you could easily get a real US credit card but now they all want a social security # (US issued).
Moisheh
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rbrand
Victoria, BC, Canada
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DHDW&2dogs wrote:Simple solution and works everytime
Call your credit card company or bank and tell them to change your address to a temporary USA address. You now have a zip code that is recognize by all gas pump readers. I have been doing this for 3 years.
Do you use a real US address? Or do you make one up or borrow one?
The less you plan the more options you have.
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moisheh
North America
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Lorne and Lorraine: Would you mind explaining how you got a USA bank isuued CC? They always tell me I need a Social Security # or no card. I have the USA address and even a USA bank account. A secured card is of course available.
Moisheh
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samandtheduck
On The Canada/US Border
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Joined: 10/24/2004
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I opened a chequing account at a US bank and they issued me a debit/credit Visa card. They explained to me that it can be used as a debit with a pin ($205 daily limit) or a credit card ($1000 limit)if there is money in your account. I have never tried using it as a credit card without money in the account. I have used it across the US as a credit card and it works exactly like a credit card except the money comes out of your account right away like a debit card. I put my post office box number as my address on the card so I just use the zip for that post office box number. At the checkout it comes usually comes up as a debit purchase and you have to change it to a credit purchase but that is just a keystroke or two.
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Lorne&Lorraine
Ottawa, ON
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moisheh wrote:Lorne and Lorraine: Would you mind explaining how you got a USA bank isuued CC? They always tell me I need a Social Security # or no card. I have the USA address and even a USA bank account. A secured card is of course available.
Moisheh
RBC's USA affiliate, RBC Bank, will issue a USA bank Visa card to Canadians who have an RBC Access checking account. RBC Access USA. I have the basic account but they offered me a no fee Visa Card anyway and I believe they do that for all.
My RBC set-up works extremely well and RBC's on-line integration with its US counterpart can't be matched. However, as you may know, RBC has sold its US banking operation to a Pittsburgh based bank, PNC Bank. But RBC is keeping all its Canadian based USA accounts and they will be transferred in February 2012 to a separate entity called RBC Bank (Georgia), N.A.(but will also be called RBC Bank). They will be issuing us with new check/debit cards, Visa credit cards, paper checks etc in February.
Since we will be in Florida at that time and just don't want to deal with a change in banking while we are away, we recently opened accounts with the Desjardins Caisse. They are based mainly in Quebec and eastern Ontario. Desjardins has a USA affiliate, Desjardins Bank, with three branches in south Florida (yes only three branches. They were set up years back to mainly service Quebecers who winter in the area). We now have a USA based Mastercard from Desjardins.
The nice thing about both the RBC and Desjardins USA accounts is that you can set them up by visiting their respective outlets in Canada. One can also get USA accounts with a couple of other US banks without visiting one of their branches in the US (eg Harris bank and probably a couple of others) but none of them have the on-line account integration that RBC and Desjardins have. Also, having used both now, RBC's set-up is by far the best. Desjardins' set-up does the job but is not as user friendly as RBC's.
Some people have reported that without a US SSN they couldn't even open a US based bank account (US bank staff at branches away from the Canadian border often just aren't aware of the procedure or even that it can be done) and, if they were able to open an account, they then couldn't get on-line access and/or a US credit card. Plus moving funds from Canada to the USA and vice versa could be a bit convoluted. All of these things can be done and are relatively easy with RBC and Desjardins, with RBC being the better of the two.
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Lorne&Lorraine
Ottawa, ON
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samandtheduck wrote:I opened a chequing account at a US bank and they issued me a debit/credit Visa card. They explained to me that it can be used as a debit with a pin ($205 daily limit) or a credit card ($1000 limit)if there is money in your account. I have never tried using it as a credit card without money in the account. I have used it across the US as a credit card and it works exactly like a credit card except the money comes out of your account right away like a debit card. I put my post office box number as my address on the card so I just use the zip for that post office box number. At the checkout it comes usually comes up as a debit purchase and you have to change it to a credit purchase but that is just a keystroke or two.
Your USA debit card has a VISA symbol on it because, in the USA unlike Canada, the VISA/ Mastercard system is used to process debit/check transactions. So even though you can use your US debit card like a credit card, it's not really a CREDIT card since the funds come out of your checking account just as if you had written a check. Hence the term "check card" is often used.
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DHDW&2dogs
Brockville, ON
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rbrand wrote:DHDW&2dogs wrote:
Simple solution and works everytime
Call your credit card company or bank and tell them to change your address to a temporary USA address. You now have a zip code that is recognize by all gas pump readers. I have been doing this for 3 years.
Do you use a real US address? Or do you make one up or borrow one?
I just use an address of a campground in the USA and tell the credit card company to not send me any mail
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moisheh
North America
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I deal with RBC in Canada and never opened the USA acount as they have no branches or ATM's in the Southwest. You also have to leave a sizeable balance or you pay ATM fes. Therefore I would be paying charges each time I withdraw funds. l have been with Wells fargo for almost 25 years and am pleased.They have ATM's and branches all over the country. I set up an account with XE.COM and can purchase and transfer US funds on line and XE.com gets the funds to my US account via an EFT. Great exchange rate and NO fees. Harris Bank used to be owned by Bof M but they sold it. No branches in the Southwest. With your RBC visa card do you have an American address? I buy a lot of things online and many vendors will not sell you anything if your shipping address is in the USA and your CC billing address is in Canada.
Moisheh
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