File :-(, x, )
Anonymous
I'm going to Hong Kong in a week and my fucking debit card snapped. That card was going to be my main form of payment. (It had a Visa logo on it) Now it's too late to order another one from my bank.

What should I do? I'll be there a week and I don't want to carry my entire travel budget in cash.

I saw pre-paid Visa/Mastercard giftcards at a store and was wondering if those would work internationally. Anyone know if there are any fees to use them internationally?

Also any general tips/advice about Hong Kong are also welcome.
>> Anonymous
It is safer for you to bring and use cash in HK than to use the CC.

< HK expat
>> Anonymous
Unless you have an American Express card or live in HK, don't use a credit card. AmEx gives you the best exchange rate and they don't charge you an exchange fee.

Don't bother with pre-paid cards either. Most of them have a per-use charge that deducts from the total amount after each use. I got a $25 Visa pre-paid on my last birthday and they charged me $5 per use. I used it mostly for coffee and wound up wasting more money using it than I spent.

Don't bother withdrawing funds either because of the same exchange catches. The exchange fee is usually pretty steep. If you use Bank of America, there's a BofA building on the Hong Kong side that will give you a pretty good exchange rate.

My parents opened an account for me at Hang Sheng to help me get my resident card when I was a kid and they're pretty good about doing the exchange for me. I usually bring cash from the US and have the exchange done for me by a teller.

My suggestion is to do you all your cash exchange at once. It's just easier that way, less hassle of having to go back to a bank every day. Also if you don't have a driver go to any MTR station and get an Octopus card. It's great. You just put money on it and it's good for any transportation you need and also good in some convenience stores.

I'm guessing that about 1/3 of the people there know enough English for you to be able to communicate so don't fret too much about the language barrier.

In terms of what to do, that all really depends on what you want to do and how long you're there. There is a whole lot you can do there. In all honesty, Hong Kong is the best city in the world.

tl;dr

Use cash
Get an Octopus card
>> Anonymous
no shit. use cash and get an Octupus card on the first day you arrive. There are probably many places that you will want to visit that do not accept CC.
>> Anonymous
dont you guys have travellers cheques??
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
>> Anonymous
>>63421
It's a waste of time.

Don't bother with credit cards. They tried to promote credit cards in Hong Kong and China a while ago and i never took off. The whole concept behind credit cards didn't make sense to them. Culturally, accruing debt in any kind is highly frowned upon and so credit cards aren't popular there.

Honestly, just find a bank with a per-exchange charge and just change all the money you expect to spend at a single place. The BofA building is probably the best place to do it.
>> Anonymous
>>63401
>I don't want to carry my entire travel budget in cash.
The easiest job in HK is being a cop, because nothing ever happens there. Don't let all of those Jackie Chan police movies fool you, it's one of the safest places on Earth. You'll have no problem carrying cash around, and if you're staying at a hotel, they'll have a safety deposit box too.
>> Anonymous
>>63401
>I don't want to carry my entire travel budget in cash.

If you like paying for everything with a ridiculously bad exchange rate, an equally ridiculous exchange charge and having everyone looking at you sideways for choosing debt instead of straight payment then by all means, use a credit card and ruin your vacation.
>> Anonymous
If you don't like walking around with a wad of cash (like most sane people) then just bring what you need with you. Most reputable hotels will have a room safe, if you're staying with friends they should be trustworthy enough to leave your money with.

Crime in HK is almost non-existent. Just keep your wallet close. My travel bag has a hidden pocket in the inseam where I keep my documents and cash; you might want to get one if you don't have one yet.
>> Anonymous
I used my CC (visa) all the time in HK, but I did always keep enough cash on me to make sure I could pay for w/e I was getting. Except for the food stands on the street and those run downed restaurants, they accept visa everywhere. It's definitely a great idea to bring cash but honestly CC is fine too.

protip: some food places give you 10-15% discount if you use AMEX, look for the sign on the door before you go get a seat.

Hong Kong is the best city in the world, go to 7-eleven and drink a can of jolly shandy if you appreciate my advice. jolly shandy=beer for kids, addictive as hell