Our Top Travel Money Tips

Our Top Travel Money Tips

April 12, 2023

Tagged As: Personal

Are you planning a trip? Whether you’re flying across the country or around the globe, these tips will help you make sure your money is ready to travel with you.

Currency Exchange

Take care of your cash needs before you leave to avoid foreign transaction fees and inflated exchange rates at the airport! Customers and non-customers alike can place an order for foreign currency – or exchange foreign currency for U.S. dollars – at any branch location. The exchange rate is calculated in global currency markets (which fluctuate often) plus an up to 3% exchange fee. However, there are no additional fees for exchanging currencies we carry:

  • Canadian dollar
  • Swiss francs
  • English pounds
  • The euro
  • Mexican pesos
  • Japanese yen

We can place a special order for other currencies, but please allow additional time for delivery and a $20 delivery fee.

Leftover Foreign Currency

The currencies listed above can be exchanged back for U.S. currency. However, we will only accept current paper bills for exchange; we cannot accept coins.

Using Your Debit or Credit Card

You can use your Hills Bank debit or credit card while traveling to another state or another country. Just be sure to let us know where you’re going before you leave so we can place a travel notice on your card(s). You can call our Customer Contact Center at 1-800-445-5725 (1-800-HILLSBK) or click the chat bubble below to get in touch with us.

There is a 1% VISA international debit card transaction fee with currency conversion.*

*1.0% when a currency conversion occurs, or 0.8% when a currency conversion is not performed for credit card transactions.

Getting Cash In Another Country

You can use your Hills Bank debit card to get cash from ATMs in foreign countries. While we do not charge a fee for these ATMs, the ATM owners themselves often charge a small fee. Make sure you read through the instructions and understand how much you’ll be charged to withdraw cash in a local currency, as the amount can vary depending on whether you are charged in U.S. dollars or another currency like euros.

Card Issues

If you experience issues using your credit or debit card while travelling, such as a declined transaction or a lost or stolen card, we can help. Keep in mind any time zone differences as you contact us.

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Customer Contact Center hours: Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m. – noon.