For a one- or two-week trip to the United States, the practical answer is to bring $200 to $400 in cash per person and pay for everything else by card. That cash isn't for big purchases: it's for the $2 to $5 tips for the bellhop and valet, for the taxi whose "card machine is broken," for a fruit stand at a market and for the laundromat machine. Everything else goes on plastic, from a $4.50 coffee to the hotel bill, and quite a few places in New York and California don't even take cash anymore. The two traps that cost international travelers the most are dynamic currency conversion, that screen asking whether you want to pay in your home currency, which adds 3% to 7% (up to 12% in the worst cases), and ATMs, which in 2026 charge an average surcharge of $3.22 per withdrawal before your bank adds its own fee. Carrying more than $10,000 isn't prohibited: it has to be declared, and anyone who doesn't can lose the whole amount at the counter. Last checked September 7, 2026.
Money tips in 30 seconds
- $200 to $400 in cash per person for 7 to 14 days, in $1, $5, $10 and $20 bills. No $100 bills for tips.
- You'll pay 80% or more of your spending by credit card. Bring two cards from different banks and keep them in separate places.
- When the screen asks whether you want to pay in your currency, say no: always pay in dollars. That "yes" costs an extra 3% to 7%.
- An out-of-network ATM withdrawal costs an average of $4.86 in total ($3.22 from the ATM owner plus $1.64 from your own bank), according to Bankrate's 2026 survey. Withdraw larger amounts, less often.
- Gas stations can freeze up to $175 of your balance, and hotels $50 to $200 per night. With a debit card, that can leave you without available funds for days.
How much money to bring to the US, and how to split it
The classic mistake is bringing $1,500 in cash hidden in your luggage and never touching it, or spending it badly. The United States is a card country. A typical couple's trip to Miami or Orlando puts the hotel, car, park tickets and almost every restaurant on credit, and the cash goes on things costing $2 to $20. With $300 in small bills, a couple covers ten days of tips, two or three taxis and the odd food stall without going back to an ATM.
A split that works for a couple over 10 days: $120 in $1 and $5 bills for everyday tips (housekeeping $3 to $5 per night, bellhop $2 per bag, bartender $1 to $2 per drink), $100 in $20 bills for taxis and markets, and $80 in reserve for an emergency with no signal and no card machine. If you're going somewhere with mandatory valet parking, such as South Beach hotels or the Las Vegas Strip, add $5 each time you request your car. How much to tip in each situation is in our guide to tipping in the US.
If you want dollars in hand on arrival, exchange money in your own country before you leave. The currency exchange counter at a US airport has the worst rate you'll see on the whole trip, and many airports don't have one at all: in international arrivals you'll find ATMs, not exchange desks. If you land without a single dollar, your first ATM withdrawal will be cheaper than any airport exchange window.
Cash or card in the US: where each one wins
Cash wins in five specific places: tips handed over in person, street taxis and the occasional ride in areas without coverage, food trucks and small markets, coin laundromats, and old parking pay stations in cities like Chicago. Plastic wins everywhere else, and not just for convenience: a credit card gives you the right to dispute a charge, which doesn't exist with cash. If the rental car company bills you $180 for tolls you didn't use, with a card you can file a claim; with cash, you can't.
One thing surprises first-time visitors: more and more businesses are cashless and refuse bills as a policy. Coffee shops, museums, stadiums and many New York food halls take only cards or phones. Some have a machine at the door that turns your cash into a prepaid card, which adds another step. The practical conclusion: running out of cash in the US is a minor problem; running out of a working card is a big one.
The gas station and hotel "hold"
This is what nobody tells you before you travel. When you swipe your card at a gas pump, the pump doesn't know how much you'll buy, so it requests a preauthorization. Since Visa and Mastercard changed their policy in 2022, that hold can reach $175, even if you only pump $40. The actual amount is charged later, but the hold can take from a few hours to four days to drop off, and with a debit card that means $175 you can't use. Solution: pay inside at the register for an exact amount, or use a credit card, where the hold uses up credit rather than your cash balance.
Hotels do the same with incidentals: they hold $50 to $200 per night to cover the minibar, calls or damage, and some resort hotels go up to $100 to $500. The hold is released at checkout, but the issuing bank takes 3 to 7 business days to restore your available balance, and with foreign banks it can take two weeks. That's how a family with $900 on a debit card reaches day four of the trip unable to pay for dinner: they didn't spend that money, it's frozen across three hotels and two gas stations.
Foreign transaction fees: what your bank charges
There's no single number here, because it depends on your bank and card plan, so check your bank's fee schedule before you leave. Many cards charge between 0% and 3.5% on purchases in a foreign currency; some travel-focused credit cards charge nothing, while others charge around 2.5% to 3%. Some banks also apply a fixed fee plus a margin on the exchange rate for ATM withdrawals abroad.
Call your bank and ask three specific things: how much it charges per purchase in foreign currency, how much per ATM withdrawal abroad, and which exchange rate it uses (the one on the purchase date or the settlement date). The difference between the best and worst card in your wallet can be 4% of your total trip spending. On a $3,000 trip, that's $120 decided by one phone call.
Using ATMs in the US: the fee on top of the fee
The ATM charges its surcharge and your bank charges its own. In 2026 the average ATM owner surcharge reached $3.22, the highest in 26 years according to Bankrate's survey, and the average fee charged by your own bank rose to $1.64: a total of $4.86 per withdrawal. Convenience store ATMs are worse. At an ATM inside a CVS the surcharge is often shown as $3.00, and at some Walgreens machines it reaches $6.95. On top of that, your home bank may charge its own international withdrawal fee, often a fixed amount plus a percentage.
Three rules that really save money. First: withdraw at ATMs of big banks with branches (Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, PNC), not at independent machines in hotels, casinos or 24-hour stores, which have the highest surcharges in the country. Second: withdraw $400 once instead of $100 four times, because the fee is per transaction. Third: when the ATM asks whether you accept its exchange rate or "conversion rate," decline and let your bank do the conversion. That button is the same trap described in the next section.
The screen asking "pay in your currency?"
It's called dynamic currency conversion, and it's a moneymaker for the merchant and its payment processor, not a favor to tourists. It works like this: you pay $100 at a store in Orlando and the card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency "so you know how much it is." The exchange rate they use carries a markup of 3% to 7% over the wholesale rate, and margins of 12% to 18% have been documented in less transparent setups. Visa and Mastercard rules require you to actively choose, so the decision is yours: press the option in dollars (USD) and that's it.
The same button appears at ATMs, at hotel front desks, at rental car counters and in some online stores that show prices in your currency. If a restaurant cashier has already printed the receipt in your home currency, you can ask them to void it and run it again in dollars. They won't always be happy about it, but it's your right.
Prepaid and multi-currency cards
You'll read online that the answer is Wise or Revolut. They can be excellent, but only if they're available where you live: availability varies a lot by country. In Latin America, for example, Revolut operated only in Brazil in 2026, and Wise shipped physical cards only to Brazil, even though its multi-currency account was available in several countries in the region. Check each service's website to see whether it issues a card in your country before counting on it.
Many banks and fintechs also offer prepaid dollar cards or dollar accounts with an international card. The real advantage of a prepaid card is that if it's skimmed you only lose the loaded balance, and you lock in the exchange rate the day you top it up. The downside: many hotels and rental car companies don't accept prepaid or debit cards as a guarantee, or demand a cash deposit. For hotels and cars, always bring a real credit card in the cardholder's name.
If your card gets blocked mid-trip
It happens a lot, and it's almost always your own bank's fraud system reacting to a charge in Las Vegas at 3 a.m. Prevention: notify your bank of your trip in the app before leaving (many banks no longer require it, but when the option exists, use it), turn on purchase notifications and make sure your bank can reach you by phone with roaming, or that you can contact it through in-app chat over wifi. Write your bank's international customer service number on paper, not just in the phone that could get stolen.
If it gets blocked anyway: open the app, look for a "suspicious transaction" alert to confirm, and if there isn't one, write in the chat, which is usually faster than the phone. While it's being sorted out, use your second card, which is exactly why you should carry two from different banks.
The $10,000 limit and what immigration will ask
Two different things people confuse. The first is declaring money: you can enter or leave the US with any amount, but if you're carrying more than $10,000 in cash or monetary instruments (bills in any currency, traveler's checks, money orders, bearer checks) you must report it on FinCEN Form 105, which you can fill out online before your flight or request from the CBP officer. The limit applies to a family group traveling together, not per person: if three members of a family carry $4,000 each, the total is $12,000 and must be declared. Failing to declare, even unintentionally, allows CBP to seize the full amount on the spot, and getting it back is a legal fight.
The second is proof of funds. CBP states explicitly that there is no minimum amount required to enter as a tourist, but you must be able to show you can pay for your stay with cash, cards or prepaid bookings. In practice, the officer rarely asks for a number: they ask how long you're staying, where and who's paying. Arriving with your hotel paid, your return ticket printed and a credit card answers those three questions better than a wad of bills. What the officer usually asks is covered in what US immigration asks when you arrive.
Frequently asked questions
How much money should I bring to the US for 10 days?
Between $200 and $400 in cash per person, plus a credit card for everything else. Your total budget depends on the city, since New York costs much more per day than Houston or San Antonio, but the cash you need in hand is almost the same.
Is it better to bring cash or a card to the US?
A card for 80% or more of your spending, cash only for tips, taxis, markets and machines. Many businesses in New York and California no longer take bills, and a credit card lets you dispute wrongful charges, which is impossible with cash.
How much cash can I bring into the US without declaring it?
Up to $10,000 per person or family group traveling together, counting coins, bills from any country, traveler's checks and bearer instruments. Above that you must file FinCEN Form 105, and failing to declare can cost you the entire amount.
How much is the fee for paying by card in the US?
The merchant doesn't charge you for paying by card: the fee comes from your bank, typically between 0% and 3.5% depending on the card. What can cost you up to 7% extra is letting the terminal charge you in your home currency instead of dollars.
How much does it cost to withdraw money from an ATM in the US?
The average total for an out-of-network withdrawal was $4.86 in 2026, with surcharges of $3.00 at CVS ATMs and up to $6.95 at some Walgreens machines, plus whatever your home bank charges. Withdraw large amounts at bank-branch ATMs, not at hotel or casino machines.
Why did the gas station block $175 when I only pumped $40?
Because the pump requests a preauthorization before knowing how much you'll buy, and since 2022 the cap allowed by Visa and Mastercard is $175. It's released within a few hours or up to four days; to avoid it, pay inside for an exact amount or use a credit card instead of debit.