FAQ
Using a Card Outside the United States
The short answer
A Dolly Visa card can be used anywhere Visa credit is accepted, and a Dolly Mastercard can be used anywhere Mastercard is accepted, unless that country or that kind of store is blocked on the card. The purchase is converted to dollars, and the card’s limit is checked in dollars. Mailing a physical card to another country is a separate question. Some countries cannot be shipped to at all.
The limit is in dollars
A dinner priced in euros or pounds is approved in dollars. The amount on the receipt in local currency will not match a quick guess at the exchange rate, and it may not match the pending amount you see the same day. The posted dollar amount is the one that counts against the card.
Because the limit is in dollars, a card that looks fine in local currency can still be over its cap once the charge is converted. A tip added later is converted too, and can push the card over.
A decline abroad is often a setting
Visa credit being accepted at the store is not the whole test. The production can block merchant countries, and it can block kinds of stores. A card that works in Los Angeles can decline in the same kind of shop overseas because that country is off for that card.
The account still has to have the money, in dollars, before the swipe. A card does not spend in a foreign currency of its own.
Practical notes for a shoot outside the U.S.
- Cash is not available on cards issued after January 23, 2025. Do not count on an ATM.
- Tell the accountant which countries the card should work in before the crew travels. Turning a country on after a decline at the counter is slower than setting it before the flight.
- Keep the receipt in the local currency and in dollars if both are printed. Code from the posted dollar amount.
- Shipping the plastic card is separate from using it. Dolly ships from the United States, and some countries are on the no-ship list. A virtual card in Apple Pay or Google Wallet is the way to spend in a country where the plastic cannot be mailed.
Frequently asked questions
- Where can I use the card?
- A Visa card works anywhere Visa credit is accepted, and a Mastercard works anywhere Mastercard is accepted, unless the production has blocked that country or that kind of merchant.
- Why is the dollar amount different from the receipt?
- The store charged you in local currency. The card records the purchase in dollars. The posted dollar amount is the one that hits the limit and the books.
- Can you mail a card to the country we are shooting in?
- Sometimes. Cards ship from the United States, and some countries are blocked for shipping. Check the shipping FAQs. A virtual card in a phone wallet does not have to be mailed.
- Can the crew take cash out abroad?
- Cards issued after January 23, 2025 cannot withdraw cash, in the U.S. or anywhere else.
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