Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) ATMs and Currency Exchange

Canada · YYZ airport money guide

Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) ATMs and Currency Exchange: Canada Airport Money Guide

This guide lists every ATM and currency exchange point we could confirm at Toronto Pearson International Airport, sorted by terminal and by which side of security it sits on. Use the finder above to filter by terminal. Below, you will find how to get Canadian dollar (CAD) at the lowest cost, whether you are landing in Toronto or only passing through YYZ on a connection, and which screens and counters to say no to.

Pearson has ATMs available airside and landside in both terminals, and it is very easy to withdraw cash on arrival. Pearson’s official exchange partners are International Currency Exchange (ICE) and CIBC, both operating in Terminals 1 and 3, before and after security. Where to find ATMs and ICE currency exchange across Pearson’s Terminals 1 and 3, which option gives the best rate, and how much cash you need for Toronto.

Terminal financial overview

Toronto Pearson has two terminals, 1 and 3, linked airside and by the free Terminal Link train. Getting Canadian dollars is easy, but a bank ATM beats the exchange counters for most travellers. This guide shows where the machines and exchange partners sit, how to avoid markups, and how to pay your way into the city.

Pearson has two terminals, 1 and 3 (there is no Terminal 2). They are connected airside and by the free, 24-hour Terminal Link train, and the UP Express train to downtown departs from Terminal 1.

Both terminals have ATMs and the ICE and CIBC counters, so you can get Canadian dollars wherever you land. For the UP Express train downtown, head to Terminal 1; the free Terminal Link train connects from Terminal 3.

Across 2 terminals, this page lists 5 ATM locations (3 airside, 2 landside) and 4 exchange counter, kiosk or machines (1 airside, 3 landside). ATM brands include CIBC, Bank ATMs, Multi-currency cash machine. Terminal 1 has the widest choice.

• Terminal 1: Air Canada, Star Alliance and others; UP Express station. 3 ATM locations, 2 exchange points.
• Terminal 3: WestJet, oneworld and others. 2 ATM locations, 2 exchange points.

Inside vs. outside security strategy

For the best value, withdraw Canadian dollars from a bank ATM and choose dollars rather than your home currency. If you are connecting airside, the gate-area ATMs cover you. If you are arriving, an arrivals ATM is quickest before the UP Express. Use ICE or CIBC when you need another currency or your card is not working.

As a rule at YYZ: withdraw CAD from a bank ATM landside when you arrive, buy only small amounts at a counter, and sell leftover Canadian dollars back before security when you leave. Airside counters exist for convenience, not value, and once you are through passport control you cannot walk back out to compare.

Avoiding Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) markups

Dynamic Currency Conversion is the offer to charge a foreign card in its home currency instead of CAD. It looks helpful because you see a familiar number, but the ATM or shop sets the exchange rate, and it is usually several percent worse than the rate Visa or Mastercard would apply. Airports are where most travellers meet it first.

Whenever an airport ATM or a card terminal offers to charge you in your home currency instead of Canadian dollars, decline it and choose Canadian dollars. That “convenience” option, called Dynamic Currency Conversion, lets the machine set its own exchange rate, which is typically 3–7% worse than the rate your own bank or card network would use. Paying in the local currency always routes the conversion through your card network (Visa, Mastercard), which is almost always cheaper.

1. At an ATM, when the screen asks to convert or offers a "guaranteed rate", choose decline or without conversion.
2. At a card terminal, if asked "CAD or your currency?", pick CAD. If staff choose for you, ask them to redo it.
3. Read the operator fee on the ATM screen before you confirm. If it is high, cancel and try another bank's machine.
4. Check your receipt: a printed exchange rate or the word "DCC" means a conversion was applied.

Local cash vs. card tips for Toronto

You need little cash in Toronto. Cards and contactless are accepted almost everywhere, including transit, taxis and shops. Keep around C$20–C$40 in small bills for tips and the occasional cash-only spot. Tipping in Canada is customary and similar to the US — roughly 15–20% in restaurants, a dollar or two per bag for porters, and 15–20% for taxi drivers — so small denominations are useful.

Before you fly, check two things with your bank: the foreign transaction fee on card payments and the fee for overseas ATM withdrawals. A card that waives both makes paying in CAD the cheapest way to spend in Canada. Tell your bank you are travelling if it still asks, carry a backup card from a different network, and keep the airport counter for small top-ups only.

Prices and operators at airports change. We checked this page against the official Toronto Pearson and operator listings on 20 October 2026; confirm hours on the airport's own map on the day you travel.