USD
US Dollar
1
1
USD banknote
1 USD banknote · Great Seal
About 93 cents
United States
travel money guide
Money in the United States
Meet the dollar before the first diner bill, self-service terminal and tip screen. The United States is card-first, but cash and a little checkout math keep the smaller moments easy.
Cards handle the country. Cash still buys the little things. Tax and tipping make the final total more interesting than the menu price.
CurrencyUS dollar
CodeUSD
Banknotes$1 to $100
CheckoutTax often added later
Best setupCard + dollar backup
The quick answer
Should you carry cash in the United States?
Bring a low-fee card, a backup stored separately and a modest dollar reserve. Then leave room in the budget for sales tax and tips, which can appear after the price you first saw.
A dollar bill is easy to recognize, but the payment culture has layers. Most purchases work beautifully by card; cash helps with small vendors and change; tax and gratuity can make a restaurant or service total materially different from the menu.
Let cards do the heavy liftingHotels, transport, shops and restaurants are built around card and mobile-wallet payments.
Keep dollars for the edgesSmall tips, a cash-only stand, laundry, lockers and an occasional payment-terminal problem are where a modest reserve helps.
Budget beyond the menuLocal sales tax and a customary service tip can change the final total after the price that first caught your eye.
Meet the USD
Paper money
US dollar bills are a colour-light puzzle: the notes are nearly all green and the same size, so the large numeral and portrait matter more than a quick glance.
USD
US Dollar
2
2
USD banknote
2 USD banknote · Declaration
About 1 euro 85 cents
USD
US Dollar
5
5
USD banknote
5 USD banknote · Lincoln Memorial
About 4 euros 63 cents
USD
US Dollar
10
10
USD banknote
10 USD banknote · US Treasury
About 9 euros 26 cents
USD
US Dollar
20
20
USD banknote
20 USD banknote · White House
About 19 euros
USD
US Dollar
50
50
USD banknote
50 USD banknote · US Capitol
About 46 euros
USD
US Dollar
100
100
USD banknote
100 USD banknote · Independence Hall
About 93 euros
The designs read like a compact civic history: national founders and statesmen on the portrait side, with the Great Seal, memorials and landmark buildings on the reverse. Cash by Country artwork is an original, simplified interpretation and is not legal tender.
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United States travel money guides
American money is simple in your hand and more layered at checkout. Meet the notes, build a card-first wallet, understand sales tax, tip without panic and carry just enough cash for the exceptions.
01 Meet the greenbacks
US Dollar Notes and Coins
Recognize all seven Federal Reserve notes, the coin names visitors hear and the security details worth knowing.
Meet the dollar 02 Build the card-first wallet
Cash, Cards and ATMs in the US
Use cards confidently, choose dollars at the ATM and keep a practical cash fallback for the small exceptions.
Plan your payments 03 The checkout surprise
Why the Checkout Total Changes
Understand sales tax, why labels often show the pre-tax price and how to leave room for it in the travel budget.
Decode the total 04 Tip without panic
Tipping in the United States
Use clear guidance for restaurants, bars, taxis, hotels and the tip screen without guessing at every counter.
Read the tip 05 Pack a useful reserve
How Much Cash Should You Carry?
Build a small dollar reserve for tips, small purchases and card failures rather than carrying the trip budget.
Plan your dollars
Source desk
The United States source desk
Sources include the agencies that issue US currency, explain border reporting and set consumer-protection rules around payment disclosures.