If you are paying with cash, and you give the cashier a two dollar coin, you will get change back amounting to 55 cents, probably 2 quarters and a nickel. If paying with a credit or debit card, the exact price will be entered on the point of sale machine.
Canadians use debit cards a lot more than Americans do. I only carry a $20 bill in my card case for the odd time where I need to actually use cash. 99 percent of my transactions are cashless. When we go grocery shopping, the check out is instant, using the "tap and go " system. Just lay the debit card on top of the point of sale machine for 5 seconds, and the payment is done, and the receipt is issued, or you can have it sent to you by e-mail into your inbox at home, your choice.
To expand further, my account with CIBC is located in downtown Toronto, but I have not been in that branch physically for at least 5 years. How does that work ? Everything is done electronically, I can't remember the last time I wrote a cheque to anyone. Today my Wife moved an amount from her BNS bank account to my CIBC account, using the INTERAC system. It took 5 seconds, and cost neither of us any fees.
Here is a link to a Royal Canadian Mint webpage that illustrates the various Canadian bank notes. By the way, the RCM produces coins and currency bills for more than 60 other nations around the world. RCM also produces 24 karat gold coins that are bought by collectors/ investors such as myself . Link.
pictures of current canadian currency - Bing
JImb.