Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A. BEFORE YOU READ: What do you know about the euro? Work with your partner orally.
A. Look at the bank notes above and match them with their names. Add the nationality name.
__________ rupee
__________ pound
_________ dollar
__________ baht
__________ dollar
__________ kroner
__________ rand
euro
CURRENCY
COUNTRY
CURRENCY
Peso
Australian dollar
Barbados dollar
Forint
Rupee
franc)
Rupiah
Real
Rial
Canadian dollar
[punt])
Krone
Jamaican dollar
CURRENCY
COUNTRY
CURRENCY
Yen
Ringgit
Ruble
Mexican peso
Rand
Nepalese rupee
Krona
Swiss franc
Norwegian krone
baht
Guaran
Pound sterling ()
Peso
dollar
A. Read the text above and get ready to answer these questions orally:
1. Which are the different places available to exchange foreign currency?
2. Does this conversion service always have a cost?
3. What about exchange rates? Do all these centers offer the same rates?
B. Vocabulary work: fill in the blanks with words from the text.
1. The price of one currency in terms of another is called ______________________.
2. The pound, the yen, the U.S. dollar and the euro are considered as _________________________.
3. Some banks do not charge _________________ when they exchange currency.
4. To operate in an ATM you must first enter your __________________________.
5. ATMs are very practical: you can pay taxes, make a deposit and, if you need cash, you can
_______________ money from them.
ADVANTAGES
Your
Local
DISADVANTAGES
Bank/
Online
Airport Exchange
ATM
Hostels/Hotels
Destination Banks
Street
difference between rates is often just a fraction of a pound. Even if you're exchanging 500, the
difference could be as little as 50p.
To get the best value on tourist exchange rates, look at the complete service on offer. For example:
For branch pickup, wheres the closest branch to you?
Do they offer home delivery?
Do they offer to buy back your unused currency?
The Post Office foreign exchange offers all this and more.
Delivered to your front door or pick up from one of 11,500 local Post Office branches.
Free delivery for branch collection and orders over 400 for home delivery Monday-Friday.
A. Read the text and discuss with your partners:
There is no limit on the amount of any currency that may be brought into or taken out of Japan. However, if
you transport (any currencies, checks, securities or other monies) exceeding 1,000,000 yen worth in
Japanese currency into or out of the country, then you must complete a customs declaration.
The unit of currency is the yen ( or ). US$1=121.65 (as of 6.11.2007).
The denominations are: (notes) 10,000, 5000, 2,000 and 1,000, and (coins) 500 (both new and old
coins), 100, 50 10, 5 and 1.
Banks
Generally, banks are open from 9:00am - 3:00pm. Cash machines (ATMs) are often closed at the weekends,
but an increasing number of convenience stores are offering 24 - hour ATM services.
Exchanging money
You can exchange foreign currency for Japanese yen at banks and shops designated as "authorized money
changers." The exchange rate fluctuates daily in accordance with the money market conditions. Arriving in
Japan without Japanese money should not present problems as foreign currency may be exchanged for yen
at banks in the arrival lounge of the Narita or Haneda Airports.
Credit cards
International credit cards like American Express, VISA, MASTERCARD, Diners Club and JCB will be accepted
at hotels, main facilities, and stores. You can use those cards to purchase air-tickets and Shinkansen train
tickets. Certain types of public transport (like some taxi companies) also accept them. It is, therefore, very
convenient to have a credit card, as it serves as identification when checking into a hotel and exempting one
from having to make a deposit.
However, it does not mean that the credit cards are universally acceptable. To purchase a short distance
train ticket on either JR or a private railway, a credit card may not be used. Neither can they be used for bus
lines. Furthermore, not all the convenience stores, privately owned shops and super-markets accept the
credit cards. In some cases, even if the cards are acceptable, there may be certain limitations. It is a general
rule to pay in cash, if the sum is less than 1,000 yen. There are some taxi companies that do not accept
credit cards as well as those which only accept them when the fare exceeds 5,000 yen. Unlike the United
States, where it is possible to live without cash as everything can be paid for by credit card, in Japan one
needs to carry some cash at all times.
ATMs
If you want to withdraw cash from an ATM (automated teller machine) using a credit card, it must be the
one that has been issued in Japan. Many ATMs in Japan do not accept the cards issued abroad. It is
necessary, therefore, to get information in advance from the credit companies about the kind of ATM that
will accept certain cards issued abroad.
The 24,000 ATMs in the post offices throughout the country will accept withdrawals on credit cards issued
abroad. On or around such machines, a notice "International ATM Service" and stickers showing VISA, VISA
Electron, PLUS, MASTERCARD, Maestro, Cirrus, American Express, Diners Club International, JCB, etc., logos
are displayed.
Travelers' checks may be used in most banks, hotels, ryokans (Japanese-style hotels) and super-stores.
Taxes
There are certain taxes that tourists are required to pay during their stay in Tokyo. A consumption tax
(shohizei) is one of such taxes, which is five (5) percent of the price of commodities and services you are
buying. The consumption tax is already included in the indicated price. Another is a hotel tax (shukuhakuzei)
which occurs when you pay 10,000 yen or more for the room charge per night per person to your hotel. At
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hotels and ryokans in Tokyo, the rate of the hotel tax is 100 yen for a room less than 15,000 yen and 200
yen for a room 15,000 yen or more.
Duty-free shops
As an exception, non-residents of Japan, including tourists from foreign countries, are exempted from the
consumption tax under certain conditions for certain items purchased at duty-free shops as souvenir to be
brought outside Japan. Excluding consumables such as foods and drinks, cigarettes, medicines, cosmetic
items, camera films, batteries, etc., general commodities will be tax-exempted at such shops only when the
total of your shopping exceeds 10,000 yen per transaction. Duty-free shops are found only in limited areas.
In Tokyo, the most crowded area with the duty-free shops is Akihabara, which is known among tourists from
overseas as a place to shop made-in-Japan electric appliances that are convertible worldwide at tax-free
prices. Some of those electric stores sell traditional souvenirs and those can be also tax-exempted if your
total payment at one store sums up 10,000 yen or more.
A. Read about money matters in Japan and correct these statements. Give correct information in your
own words.
1. Tourists coming into Japan must always complete a customs declaration form indicating the money
they are carrying with them.
2. In Japan you cannot withdraw cash from an ATM on a Sunday.
3. It is not possible to exchange your currency for yen when you arrive at the airport.
4. Tourists can purchase all kinds of transport tickets and pay for them by credit card.
5. Taxi companies never accept credit cards.
6. No matter what credit card you own, you will not be able to withdraw cash from an ATM.
7. Prices in Japan are exclusive of the consumption tax.
8. The hotel tax has a fixed rate.
9. All items bought in a duty-free shop are tax-exempted.
10. You will find a duty-free shop wherever you go in Japan.
B. Vocabulary work.
1. Which nouns can you make from these verbs?
VERB
Exempt
Accept
Own
Issue
Withdraw
Purchase
NOUN
2. Fill in the blanks using nouns or verbs from the previous exercise.
a. Nobody is ______________ from paying taxes.
b. Some banks only _____________ credit cards for their customers.
c. You can make all the _________________ you want from an ATM as long as you have money in your
account.
d. When tourists ______________ handicrafts they usually pay in cash.
e. ________________ of credit cards is a common practice in most shops.
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2010
the
dollar
..............................................................................................................
but
in
2011.................................................................................................
METHODS OF PAYMENT
How are
you paying?
Can I pay
by cheque?
Only major
cards accepted.
I prefer
paying in
cash.
5% surcharge
on credit card
payments.
Do you accept
travelers cheques?
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Cards
A credit card system is a type of retail transaction settlement and credit system, named after the small
plastic card issued to users of the system. A credit card is different from a debit card in that the credit card
issuer lends the consumer money, rather than having the money removed from an account. It is also
different from a charge card (though this name is sometimes used by the public to describe credit cards)
in that charge cards require that the balance be paid in full each month. In contrast, a credit card allows
the consumer to 'revolve' their balance, at the cost of having interest charged.
DEBIT CARD
CHARGE CARD
As well as convenient, accessible credit, the cards offer consumers an easy way to track expenses, which
is necessary both for monitoring personal expenditures and the tracking of work-related expenses for
taxation and reimbursement purposes. They have now spread worldwide, and are offered with differing
credit limits, repayment arrangements such as automatic payment from a personal bank account (some
cards offer interest-free periods, while others do not, but compensate with much lower interest rates),
and other benefits (such as rewards schemes in which points earned by purchasing goods with the card
can be redeemed for further goods and services or credit card cashback).
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___
___
___
___
The credit card user receives a statement that indicates the money he/she owes to the cerdit card
company.
___
Before the payment is made, the merchant verifies that the credit card is valid.
( )
( )
( )
4. The cardholder can choose to pay the total amount he owes or part of it.
( )
C. Which are the pros and cons of using credit cards for the following people?
CARDHOLDERS
MERCHANTS
PROS
CONS
D. What about Debit Cards? How are they different from credit cards? What do they have in common
with them? Work with a partner and make a list of differences and similarities.
DIFFERENCES
SIMILARITIES
E. Now read the text on the next page and check and complete your ideas.
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TRAVELLERS CHEQUES
A. Match the questions to the answers.
1. What are travellers cheques?
2. What types of Foreign Currency Travellers Cheques are
available?
3. Why are they considered the worlds safest currency?
4. Do Travellers Cheques ever expire?
5. How do I cash Travellers Cheques?
6. Do I get change back if I do not use the full face value of a
Cheque?
7. Is there a fee to cash Travellers Cheques?
No, they dont. Unused Travellers Cheques can be used for a future trip, or like cash at
locations in your area.
Normally there are no fees to cash Travellers Cheques at merchants. However, some banks and
business, primarily outside the U.S., may charge a fee.
To cash a Travellers Cheque, date it in the upper right-hand corner and fill out the "pay to the
order" line. Then countersign the Cheque in the lower left-hand corner.
They are available in the following currencies and can be used wherever these currencies are
accepted: Australian Dollar, Canadian Dollar, Euro, Japanese Yen and Pound Sterling.
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Because they carry their specimen signatures with them. Each check is signed by the purchaser
when the checks are bought; the purchaser then signs them again (often called countersigning) in the
view of the person to whom the check will be transferred. The two signatures can be compared to
avoid misuse if the checks are stolen or lost.
Sure, cheques work just like cash, so you will receive change back.
They are special-purpose checks issued by widely-known banks or businesses. They are
designed for use by individuals away from home, where businesses are less likely to accept a personal
check.
B. Now explain in your words what travellers cheques are and how they work.
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