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dje97001
02-22-2006, 08:25
Once again tapping into the collective wisdom of past thru's and/or people living near the trail.

If family wants to send money to us on the hike, what would be best (aside from depositing it in our bank account)?
-cash
-money orders
-check (is there a waiting period for cashing out of state checks?)
-Gift Cards:
-Visa, Mastercard, American Express (Gift Cards; would we have any problem using any of these down south? OR in smaller shops/motels/restaurants?)
-Other store-specific cards? Walmart, fast food, etc...

What do you think?

Mouse
02-22-2006, 08:58
I was sent it in phone cards and Postal Service money orders.

fishinfred
02-22-2006, 09:44
I found postal money orders work best as you can cash them right there at the Post office .As long as you have ID theres no hassle at all.
Best of luck!
Fishinfred

rusty075
02-22-2006, 10:39
One note on USPS MO's: tell them to send you several small denomination money orders, instead of a single large one. (ie five $20 MO's as opposed to one $100) Some of the smalltown PO's have limited cash on hand, especially early in the day.

peakbagger
02-22-2006, 13:09
I would avoid depending upon ATM's, they are not as prevalent as you might think along the trail and a lot of them have high service fees.

weary
02-22-2006, 13:16
I would avoid depending upon ATM's, they are not as prevalent as you might think along the trail and a lot of them have high service fees.
Buy a stamp at the Post Office and pay for it with a $50 ATM withdrawal. The Post Office will give you cash back. No fees involved. I found plenty of ATM machines in 1993. I suspect they have increased by now. If you have to go the fee route, plan on withdrawing as much as possible at a time to reduce the percentage it costs.

Weary.

hammock engineer
02-22-2006, 13:22
Are travelers checks in $20 incraments a viable option? I was thinking the $20 amount, since the smaller stores may have problems with giving you the money back if you buy something for $1 or so with a $50+ check.

jhanrahan
03-03-2006, 01:02
Buy a stamp at the Post Office and pay for it with a $50 ATM withdrawal. The Post Office will give you cash back. No fees involved.

What you are saying is that the Post Office will give cash back on visa purchases? Thats interesting. They have never offered, but then I have never asked. That would make things alot easier. Also I imagine most grocery stores that you would visit offer the cashback option too.

Frosty
03-03-2006, 01:16
What you are saying is that the Post Office will give cash back on visa purchases? I don't think so. They give cash back on debit card purchases, but not credit card purchases. Most supermarkets will let you get money also with a debit card purchase.

Peaks
03-03-2006, 18:49
OK, I carried cash on the trail, and replensihed it with ATM's. I found enough ATM's along the trail. The only time it was a problem was when a thunderstorm knocked out both ATM's in Rangely. But my back-up was Traveler's Checks.

I'm not sure about getting cash from the PO. Didn't work for me when I tried it.

irritable_badger
03-03-2006, 19:23
Also I imagine most grocery stores that you would visit offer the cashback option too.
It depends on the merchant (store) but I would not depend on anyone doing this. It is extremely risky for the merchant to give you cash. If you have stolen the card or deny the charges they just lose the cash they fronted you. (I doubt you stole a card, that's just an example)

Footslogger
03-03-2006, 19:31
[quote=irritable_badger]It depends on the merchant (store) but I would not depend on anyone doing this. It is extremely risky for the merchant to give you cash.
============================================
If this is true then things have changed considerably since my thru in 2003. I had only 3 re-supply (food) mail drops and bought as I went. Just about every time I got to a town and shopped for food I used my Debit Card and asked for some cash back that I used for small purchases along the way. I was never denied cash back in any grocery store. Generally I carried between $100 and $150 dollars with me at all times.

'Slogger

irritable_badger
03-03-2006, 19:37
[quote=Footslogger][quote=irritable_badger]It depends on the merchant (store) but I would not depend on anyone doing this. It is extremely risky for the merchant to give you cash.
============================================
If this is true then things have changed considerably since my thru in 2003. I had only 3 re-supply (food) mail drops and bought as I went. Just about every time I got to a town and shopped for food I used my Debit Card and asked for some cash back that I used for small purchases along the way. I was never denied cash back in any grocery store. Generally I carried between $100 and $150 dollars with me at all times.

'Slogger[/quote

My mistake; I should have clarified. You can get cash back from a debit card almost anywhere but you can't do it with a credit card.

The debit card money is in your personal back account and is held in escrow by the bank so the merchant know's they will get any cash they front you. Any issues of stolen cards/chargebacks will be resolved between you and the bank.

With a credit card the money isn't sitting in an account somewhere so there is no recompense available for the merchant if they front you cash. The merchant has no recourse if they put out cash on a credit card purchase so 99.9% of them will not take the chance.

wilderness bob
03-08-2006, 22:43
I found plenty of ATM's along the trail in 05. My only problem was when the ATM ate my card in North Carolina and my cash in Vermont. Both times was when I was standing in front of an ATM designed to be utilized from a car. These type of ATMs are designed to be used at a lower level, I did not see the card or money come out of the dispenser, it is an ergonomics thing (looking down at the openings that are concealed under small overhanging weather protection pieces). One other piece of advice, have your bank send you a new ATM card before you leave. The trail is rough on cards and to start with a new card is the way to go. Plus have a credit card as a back up. See you up the trail, WB