BIRD TALK

Dear bird talk,

I have been unable to complete an application to get a Wal-Mart credit card because the computer insists on a Social Security Number and, of course, I only have a Canadian social insurance number. two weeks of trying to find some way around the computer and talking to senior staff at the local store have been useless. Are other Canadian citizens able to get a credit card while here in Florida, as I am for five months a year?

Bruce McLellan
lakeside, ON

Response:
Ed: It is quite bizarre how, when you make a purchase at a store in the U.S., they often offer an immediate discount if you get their credit card. Usually, this comes to a grinding halt and wasted time when the credit department determines that you are a Canadian. I have applied for credit cards at three different banks and have been turned down three times. Oh, they say that they will fix it if I get a U.S. tax ID#, but I just have not bothered to do so. What I did do was to get a debit card from Wells Fargo. This was quick and easy. I then use CSA’s Currency Exchange program to transfer money from Canada into my U.S. account. Everything I do goes on that debit card. The best part is that I have detailed access to my account balances and expenditures on both paper and on-line.

This is far better than any cheque record that I would keep and I can easily see where every dime has gone. There are negligible fees, excellent currency exchange rates and no two-week or sometimes even two-month holds on my money.