Haha, don't worry plenty chilled! Again, just giving info. It's obvious from the queries up the page that generally people don't understand where the exchange rates come from and often blame their bank or the ATM, etc. So just trying to give some clarity. The big 4 often apply 3-4% arbitrage on top of Visa or Mastercard rates, plus then another % for it being an overseas transaction, plus if using an ATM a fixed withdrawal charge of $5 or similar. On $100 ATM withdrawal the difference can be in excess of 10% between something like the Citibank card and a CBA ATM card.

 

Got my new HSBC card and this is today's BUY/SELL rates



This is the FX rates I found on the Citibank site



So pretty favourable. Or is there a separate site where I can find the travel card rates?

 

I managed to get a 78 yen buy rate for notes in Adelaide today. Pretty happy with that considering I got 75.5 a few weeks ago when the forecast was bad and the rate dropped a full yen today on the trading markets.

 

Yeah, that's very good from a couple of other places I looked at today. One in KW St and the other in the Central Markets.

 

Got 77.47 on Monday at KVB

 

Hi MG, what is the travel card you are referring to? The citibank one is a standard cash account in AUD only. As I posted up thread those rates you are quoting aren’t what you get out of the ATM with Citibank. You need to check the MasterCard site. Those Citibank rates will be for transfers, etc.

 

I was looking for a comparison with the Citibank card ATM rates. HSBC post their rates on their site but I could only find the general FX rates on the Citibank site. Trying to find a direct like for like.

 

I have a simplistic view. I get a reference point from the Travelex or major bank website. I then phone [insert your local foreign exchange dealer here] and ask for their best rate for Yen and then go get the cash. Honestly, if its ¥78 = $1 or ¥75 = $1 it’s insignificant in the whole cost of my ski trip.

However, Who doesn’t like the challenge of getting a better Forex rate!

Geoff

 

I posted the link upthread for Citibank rates out of the ATM. Those rates you posted from HSBC are unlikely to be what you get out of the ATM. Is the HSBC Visa or mastercard?

 

@M_G

 

Here it is for HSBC Visa card. Just put bank fees 0 if that is the case (I haven’t spent time looking at the HSBC product)

https://www.visa.com.au/travel-with-visa/exchange-rate-calculator.html

 

Cheers TIL

 

Worldex on KW was the one - I got lucky, the price has dropped since and looks to continue to drop with todays RBA outlook.

 

Rate going south after Chinese currency market adjustment today. Westpac 67. Ozforex just under 72.

 

its torture. lately its falling so much that it seems that every day my expenses for next season goes up by another $1000

 

It's horrible yes. No comparison (but let's make one anyway): Vail's walk-up rate at USD$209 would translate to AUD$311 today. Niseko's would be AUD$112 and Myoko's AUD$84. No point in talking about iconic, epic mega-cala-fragilistic passes as I don't know where I'm going to be next week let alone in six months time. But I've booked Myoko anyway

 

Myoko's walk up price wont be $84 AUD. The COMBINED Akakura Kanako (Akakan) and Akakura Onsen ticket is 6000yen ($84), but the Akakan ticket is only 4300yen. ($61)

There was a pre-purchase Myoko day ticket a few years back (Akakan & Ikenotaira) for 2500yen($35). I didn't see it last year, but I wasn't looking. May be on again.....

 

Truly wonderful, thanks. Yes of course I will do a weekly pass or similar to sweeten the deal. In fact leaving aside ticket prices I decided on Myoko over Shiga for this trip for other cost issues as well. I've got some non-gear-owning people coming along with me and hire rates seemed to be a much better proposition. And food.

Just back on US currency for a sec, imagine how much it's going to cost now to spray a bottle of Veuve racing-driver-style at Aspen's Cloud 9? Gulp - circa AUD$183 to let that fizz go. Makes a lift ticket look cheap, daaaaahhhhling

 

Hoping it regains a bit by February. Each year though the rate has been worse than the last.

 

Seems like a good time for me to send Yen back to Australia.....

 

I took my Japanese mum to the currency exchange desk yesterday to swap yen for dollars.

She was getting annoyed as she seemed to be getting different rates from last time and she said...

"Why last time I got $200 when this time I get only $180?"

The teller looked at her & shrugged his shoulders and said "Fluctuations"

She replied...."Yeah well, Fluc you white people too!"