Local Tip
Heading into town on the Canada Line? Eastbound journeys from YVR now include a C$6.50 AddFare, up from C$5 on 1 July 2026, and it is taken automatically when you tap a bank card or a Compass Card with stored value.
Where to change money in Vancouver
Destination Vancouver suggests either the city's many cash machines or a local bureau. Downtown, the best-known independent is VBCE in the financial district; it opens on weekdays only, so weekend arrivals should use ICE at the airport.
- Vancouver Bullion & Currency Exchange (VBCE), 120-800 West Pender Street Where Pender meets Howe Street. Besides US dollars, euros and sterling, VBCE deals in more than 80 other currencies, and travellers can simply call in. Hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday; it is shut on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays.
- ICE, Vancouver International Airport Three counters, one of them never closing (details below). You can also reserve currency online and pay only on collection.
Changing money at the airport
ICE runs the exchange counters at YVR. Off an international or US flight, head for the International & Transborder Arrivals hall on Level 2, where the landside counter opens 6am to 1am daily. One floor up, on Level 3 just inside Door 6 and facing the check-in desks, the International Departures counter is open 24 hours, which helps if you land after 1am. The third counter, in Domestic Departures on Level 3 beside Air Canada check-in and facing the security checkpoint for Gates A to C, opens 6am to 10pm. Hours are as ICE listed them on 2 October 2026. YVR's own website blocked our requests, so cash machine locations in the terminal could not be confirmed.
ATMs and cards in Vancouver
Destination Vancouver says Visa, Mastercard and the other big card brands are accepted in most places, yet it still advises keeping some cash on you, and cash machines are easy to find around the city. Canada stopped distributing the penny in February 2013, so a cash bill is rounded to the nearest five cents, while a card payment is charged to the exact cent.
Paying for transport in Vancouver
TransLink's fare gates and bus readers take contactless Interac debit, Visa, Mastercard and American Express, plus Apple Pay, Samsung Pay and Google Pay. A tap is charged the single adult cash fare, which from 1 July 2026 is C$3.50 for one zone, C$5.10 for two and C$6.70 for three; Compass Card stored value costs less, C$2.85 for one zone. Buses are always one zone, and so is the whole network after 6.30pm on weekdays and at weekends. A fare covers 90 minutes of transfers on the same card; tap the card itself, not your whole wallet, or another card may be charged. Children aged 12 or younger travel free of charge.
The Canada Line runs between YVR-Airport and Waterfront Station downtown. Eastbound trips from Templeton, Sea Island Centre or YVR-Airport stations to Bridgeport or beyond carry the C$6.50 AddFare on top of the zone fare; journeys to the airport do not.
Good to know
- Hotel rooms in the City of Vancouver carry 8% PST, a 3% municipal and regional district tax and a 2.5% Major Events tax that runs from 1 February 2023 to 31 January 2030; 5% GST is then charged on the room and those taxes together. The province's own worked example turns a C$200 night into C$238.35.
- In shops and restaurants, British Columbia's general PST rate is 7%, with the 5% federal GST on top.
Key Areas in Vancouver
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Exchange bureaux, banks and cash machines, as mapped by OpenStreetMap. The map loads only when you ask for it.
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Vancouver travel money FAQ
Where is the best place to exchange money in Vancouver?
VBCE at 800 West Pender Street is the main walk-in bureau downtown, handling over 80 currencies from 9am to 5pm on weekdays. Outside those hours, go to ICE at YVR, whose Level 3 departures counter is staffed around the clock.
How do I pay for the Canada Line from Vancouver Airport?
Tap a contactless card, phone or Compass Card at the gate on entry and again on exit. Leaving the airport eastbound, you pay the zone fare plus the C$6.50 AddFare in a single charge.
Can I change money at YVR if I land late at night?
Yes. The Level 2 arrivals counter shuts at 1am, but ICE's International Departures counter near Door 6 on Level 3 is before security and open 24 hours, so arriving passengers can use it too.
Checked October 2026. Fees, fares and opening times change, so check locally before relying on them. Sources: ICE Canada · Vancouver Bullion & Currency Exchange · Destination Vancouver · Government of Canada (Department of Finance) · TransLink · Government of British Columbia
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