Float cards can be used around the world (with the exception of locations on our Blocked Countries List) at any merchant that accepts Visa or Mastercard.
When you use your Float card for a purchase in a currency that doesn’t match your card’s denomination (CAD or USD), a foreign transaction fee applies. Here’s how it works.
What counts as a foreign transaction?
A foreign transaction happens any time you make a purchase in a currency different from your card’s denomination:
If you have a CAD-denominated card (Visa), any non-CAD purchase is foreign.
If you have a USD-denominated card (Mastercard), any non-USD purchase is foreign.
What is the foreign transaction fee?
Float charges a 2.5% foreign transaction fee on purchases made in a currency different from your card’s denomination. This fee is applied after the purchase is converted to your card’s currency using the network’s exchange rate.
How currency conversion works
The purchase is converted to your card’s currency using the exchange rate from the card network (Visa or Mastercard).
Float applies a 2.5% foreign transaction fee to the converted amount.
You can check current network exchange rates here:
How are foreign transactions and it's fee calculated when refunded?
When a foreign currency transaction is refunded, both the transaction amount and the foreign transaction fee are recalculated using the exchange rate at the time the refund is processed. Float applies the same fee logic in reverse on the converted refund amount.
Because the exchange rate on the refund date can be different from the rate on the purchase date, the CAD/USD amount you get back (including the fee portion) might not match the original CAD/USD charge exactly.
For example:
Original purchase:
100 USD converts to 130 CAD at the network rate
With a 2.5% fee, the final charge is 133.25 CAD
Refund later on:
100 USD now converts to 127 CAD at the new rate
The same 2.5% fee logic is applied in reverse, so the refund is 130.18 CAD
Both the foreign transaction and it's fee are effectively “credited back” using the same rules, but the final CAD/USD refund amount will move with the exchange rate at the time the refund is processed.
Where to see the fee
The 2.5% fee is included in the total amount shown in your Float transaction history. It won’t show as a separate line item — it’s baked into the converted transaction amount.
Avoid foreign transactions fees on USD spending by signing up for Float’s USD card. USD cards can be funded by connecting a Canadian domiciled USD bank account or converting funds from your CAD cash balance through Float FX.