Gift cards?

[petunia]

How does the exchange work when we buy Disney gift cards in Canada, say if I got a $50 for $50 CAD, do I get the equivalent in USD on the card??

 

[TammyLynn33]

Yes when you redeem

 

[roxysmum123]

How does the exchange work when we buy Disney gift cards in Canada, say if I got a $50 for $50 CAD, do I get the equivalent in USD on the card??

My understanding is you get the current exchange rate, but you do not pay the exchange fees you'll usually pay at the bank or on your credit card. It's not 1$CAD=1$USD to how I understand it - hopefully someone with experience can respond because I'm interested in this as well

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Your exchange rate on the card is whatever it is at the banks for that day. Could be different every day.

 

[petunia]

Sorry, so its the rate the day I purchase the card here, or the rate when I use the card in Disney?

 

[kuhltiffany]

Depends on what you do with it. Some of us buy them, then consolidate them on the Disney Gift Card site, you then lock in the rate/amount when you load the card on the site. If you just hang on to them and use them when at WDW, it will be the conversion rate at that time.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Depends on what you do with it. Some of us buy them, then consolidate them on the Disney Gift Card site, you then lock in the rate/amount when you load the card on the site. If you just hang on to them and use them when at WDW, it will be the conversion rate at that time.

I didnt know that. I thought it was always the rate of the day you use it, regardless if you consolidate onto one card. I didnt think you could lock in a rate since it is justva gift card.

 

[ottawamom]

We're talking about apples and oranges. There are two different cards. One's purchased in Canada and used in the US (based in Canadian $). Those are converted at the daily rate the day they are used in the US. Then there are US Disney cards already in US $ (you have to pick these cards up in the US). If you load $ onto those cards the entire amount you load is converted to US$ the day you load them.

 

[AngelDisney]

I didnt know that. I thought it was always the rate of the day you use it, regardless if you consolidate onto one card. I didnt think you could lock in a rate since it is justva gift card.

You purchase the gift cards here in CAD. The Disney Gift Card site is in USD. So when you consolidate it through the site, the CAD amount on the CAD gift card gets converted at that day’s exchange rate to an equivalent USD amount. Then you can lock in the amount at a desired rate before using it. Or you can leave the money in the CAD gift cards and get it converted in USD upon its use at WDW. Then the money will get converted at the exchange rate on the day you use it.

 

[hdrolfe]

You purchase the gift cards here in CAD. The Disney Gift Card site is in USD. So when you consolidate it through the site, the CAD amount on the CAD gift card gets converted at that day’s exchange rate to an equivalent USD amount. Then you can lock in the amount at a desired rate before using it. Or you can leave the money in the CAD gift cards and get it converted in USD upon its use at WDW. Then the money will get converted at the exchange rate on the day you use it.

I'm pretty sure the rate fluctuates on that site until you actually use the CAD giftcard. We used to be able to combine them onto a USD card and that would lock the rate in, but the site doesn't allow that any more. I don't currently have a CAD card though so can't check.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Yes, that's what I thought as well. It's fluctuates day to day. It's not a set in stone rate.

 

[AngelDisney]

I'm pretty sure the rate fluctuates on that site until you actually use the CAD giftcard. We used to be able to combine them onto a USD card and that would lock the rate in, but the site doesn't allow that any more. I don't currently have a CAD card though so can't check.

Oh, we can’t combine in the US site anymore. This sucks. I use a USD credit card but have been thinking about trying the gift cards. I will stick with the USD credit card then. It seems to be a lot more uncertainty using the gift cards for me.

 

[kuhltiffany]

Yes, that's what I thought as well. It's fluctuates day to day. It's not a set in stone rate.

It used to be, as you used to be able to take a CAD card and convert it to US, but I forgot, now that you can't convert, only consolidate the CAD together, it won't convert until you actually use it.

 

[cdnSpinalTap]

I just did this recently. You can no longer consolidate them on the US site, but the value of the card is locked in on the day you enter the individual cards on the site. For example, I had $50 CDN gift cards that I added to the site on January 3rd. The value on the gift card site after I added them was $37.20 USD and it stayed that way day after day, even when the exchange rate fluctuated. When I applied the cards to my room on Feb 2, the credited amount to the room was still $37.20 USD - the rate I locked in on January 3rd.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

Wait. So if I have 20 $50 gift cards I can't merge them into one card? I have to bring all of the cards with me?

 

[jcourtney]

Wait. So if I have 20 $50 gift cards I can't merge them into one card? I have to bring all of the cards with me?

I merged my $200 cards together back in December. Max $1000.

 

[ilovetotravel1977]

I merged my $200 cards together back in December. Max $1000.

Okay great. I thought I had read from other posters that they did this. Is it max $1000 CDN or US?

 

[Days In the Sun]

I just did this recently. You can no longer consolidate them on the US site, but the value of the card is locked in on the day you enter the individual cards on the site. For example, I had $50 CDN gift cards that I added to the site on January 3rd. The value on the gift card site after I added them was $37.20 USD and it stayed that way day after day, even when the exchange rate fluctuated. When I applied the cards to my room on Feb 2, the credited amount to the room was still $37.20 USD - the rate I locked in on January 3rd.

This doesn't seem to be the case for me. I added and used a giftcard on Jan 11/19 balance remaining was $48.78. It is now showing on Feb 6/19 as $49.19.

 

[Days In the Sun]

Okay great. I thought I had read from other posters that they did this. Is it max $1000 CDN or US?

$1000 Canadian if they are Canadian gift cards (my experience pushing it to the limit was August 2018).

 

[jcourtney]

Okay great. I thought I had read from other posters that they did this. Is it max $1000 CDN or US?

I think it was $1000 CAD, so less in USD