We are coming to Santo Domingo for a week in february and the hotel and everything will be paid prior. We want to bring spending cash... but I want to know what is the best to bring... USD? USD then convert to Peso's? Visa Cards? Master Cards? ATM/Debit Cards? USD Travellers Checks? Peso's Travelers Checks? (My Bank Issues them). What of those are the most convenient/safest? Or should there be a combination of the above. We have to pick up our rental car from the airport and I assume they will allow our credit card for that, but from there on out... what should I expect or plan to bring? Please advise.
- Thread starter HeatherS
- Start date
Money, Money, Money!
My advice would be ATM and traveller's cheques. Bring some cash to get you settled in (taxi to hotel, etc), and know that US dollars are always welcome. Credit cards may be safer in SD than on the North Coast where we lived, but we heard many stories of numbers getting stolen by businesses where you use your credit card....we didn't use ours much.
marc
marc
USD Always
If you have a lot then travelers cheques for most with some cash on hand - you can get some pesos more or less reasonably at the airport.
I have never seen RD$ peso traveler's cheques and I bet nobody in the DR has either so skip those.
ATM fees can be pretty steep per transaction and the machines can be pretty stingy with the daily amount like 2,000 or 3,000 pesos which is not much. So ATM cards as a fallback sure. (See warning on official rates below)
Credit cards can be an OK deal at hotels, car rental ( essential) better restaurants and stores. Probably surcharged at smaller ones.
Since the credit card (fraud use of) is the bank's problem go ahead and use it if you get points etc., and be careful as it may clear at the official rate, like 20 or 21 on days you may be able to get more than that with cash for pesos at a cambio.
If you have a lot then travelers cheques for most with some cash on hand - you can get some pesos more or less reasonably at the airport.
I have never seen RD$ peso traveler's cheques and I bet nobody in the DR has either so skip those.
ATM fees can be pretty steep per transaction and the machines can be pretty stingy with the daily amount like 2,000 or 3,000 pesos which is not much. So ATM cards as a fallback sure. (See warning on official rates below)
Credit cards can be an OK deal at hotels, car rental ( essential) better restaurants and stores. Probably surcharged at smaller ones.
Since the credit card (fraud use of) is the bank's problem go ahead and use it if you get points etc., and be careful as it may clear at the official rate, like 20 or 21 on days you may be able to get more than that with cash for pesos at a cambio.
Thank you for all the suggestions. So I was planning to bring $600 USD spending money.
I figure I will do it half and half. Half Cash Half Travelers Checks and then bring my credit and debit cards in case of an emergency.
Sound Good or still No?
I figure I will do it half and half. Half Cash Half Travelers Checks and then bring my credit and debit cards in case of an emergency.
Sound Good or still No?
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bring some sort of a calling card as well.... when i tried calling canada and the states from the DR, the people to whom i made the collect calls received some outrageous charges on their bills.
make sure you look into that if you're planning to make any calls home.
make sure you look into that if you're planning to make any calls home.
Re: USD Always
Daily withdrawel limits are set by the issuing institution of your bank card. The machines know nothing about that limit and have a "per transaction" withdrawel limit, typically RD$4000. So you can withdraw the higher withdrawel limit on your card by making multiple transactions at the same machine. I've withdrawn RD$32,000 or more from a single machine over several minutes. American Express reimburses me for ATM fees because I have a high-value brokerage account.
ricktoronto said:
Daily withdrawel limits are set by the issuing institution of your bank card. The machines know nothing about that limit and have a "per transaction" withdrawel limit, typically RD$4000. So you can withdraw the higher withdrawel limit on your card by making multiple transactions at the same machine. I've withdrawn RD$32,000 or more from a single machine over several minutes. American Express reimburses me for ATM fees because I have a high-value brokerage account.
The calling cards I brought here from USA did not work here. Just get Codetel calling cards...my opinion
was just there in December, and...
If I had to do over again, I would have brought more cash and relied less on the ATMs for only one reason. I was getting between 20 and 21 pesos per dollar at the ATM plus about 2 bucks per transaction fee when I could have been getting 23/24 pesos per dollar at a cambio. I just assumed that my normal daily limit of US$300 per day was still in effect on the credit card, though I never got near that amount in one day.
When I used my credit card to pay for my hotel, I got about the same rate as with the ATM. You spend several hundred dollars and those couple pesos per dollar really start to add up. I've never used travelers checks anywhere so I can't comment on those, and also, as has been stated, neither of my phone cards worked even though they were 'international' calling cards that I bought in the US.
Have a great trip!
st louis mike
If I had to do over again, I would have brought more cash and relied less on the ATMs for only one reason. I was getting between 20 and 21 pesos per dollar at the ATM plus about 2 bucks per transaction fee when I could have been getting 23/24 pesos per dollar at a cambio. I just assumed that my normal daily limit of US$300 per day was still in effect on the credit card, though I never got near that amount in one day.
When I used my credit card to pay for my hotel, I got about the same rate as with the ATM. You spend several hundred dollars and those couple pesos per dollar really start to add up. I've never used travelers checks anywhere so I can't comment on those, and also, as has been stated, neither of my phone cards worked even though they were 'international' calling cards that I bought in the US.
Have a great trip!
st louis mike
Whenever I go, I take US$ cash and US$ travellers checks. Never had a problem using either, although I do change some to pesos too.
I always use a Codetel card for phone calls.
I always use a Codetel card for phone calls.
I usually just use my ATM and take maybe 100USD in cash and then charge stuff. My credit union gives me free withdraws per month and I've usually gotten great rates both at ATM's and Credit cards. I tried to do the traveller check thing but it usually took so long to find a place to change it and ATM's are widespread and easily accessable.
HeatherS,
For a small amount like $600, I would bring the whole thing in cash with an ATM card for a backup. I would not waste my time getting traveller's checks, finding a place to cash them, etc. for that amount.
It should consist of 5 $100 bills and small stuff. That will make it easy to carry/conceal. KEEP NO MORE THAN $200 in your purse/wallet - the rest in an inner pocket.
Be sure that you can make $10 in change to buy the tourist card. Also, be able to pay airport tips with an assortment of $1 bills, and be able to come up with $18-20 to pay the cabbie in Santo Domingo or Puerto Plata (much less in Santiago).
Of course you will change $200 to pesos the first time you visit an exchange house. Don't change it all at 1 time of course because with the peso being even weaker than the dollar, you might get a better rate tomorrow. Also, you don't want to wind up with way too many pesos.
The best way to telephone home is from a call center. They are everywhere in the towns, although maybe not in the all-inclusives. The cheapest is Turitel. Unfortunately, although their signs still stand, most of their locations are no longer active. Tricom is 2nd best and very numerous. Its rate to the US is in the range of about 6 pesos per minute. BTW, if you need to call an 800 number, you can do so by dialing 880 instead. You cannot call an 800 number at all from Turitel (nor even a Dominican one, I think - international only).
Have fun.
For a small amount like $600, I would bring the whole thing in cash with an ATM card for a backup. I would not waste my time getting traveller's checks, finding a place to cash them, etc. for that amount.
It should consist of 5 $100 bills and small stuff. That will make it easy to carry/conceal. KEEP NO MORE THAN $200 in your purse/wallet - the rest in an inner pocket.
Be sure that you can make $10 in change to buy the tourist card. Also, be able to pay airport tips with an assortment of $1 bills, and be able to come up with $18-20 to pay the cabbie in Santo Domingo or Puerto Plata (much less in Santiago).
Of course you will change $200 to pesos the first time you visit an exchange house. Don't change it all at 1 time of course because with the peso being even weaker than the dollar, you might get a better rate tomorrow. Also, you don't want to wind up with way too many pesos.
The best way to telephone home is from a call center. They are everywhere in the towns, although maybe not in the all-inclusives. The cheapest is Turitel. Unfortunately, although their signs still stand, most of their locations are no longer active. Tricom is 2nd best and very numerous. Its rate to the US is in the range of about 6 pesos per minute. BTW, if you need to call an 800 number, you can do so by dialing 880 instead. You cannot call an 800 number at all from Turitel (nor even a Dominican one, I think - international only).
Have fun.
For $600 bring cash.
I ususally bring around US$500 or so in cash and maybe another $2,000 or so in TC's - for only $600 you may as well just bring 6 X 100 US bills ( new ones, big heads) and change one every couple of days. You always have the debit/credit for backup or points accumulation etc.
HeatherS said:
I ususally bring around US$500 or so in cash and maybe another $2,000 or so in TC's - for only $600 you may as well just bring 6 X 100 US bills ( new ones, big heads) and change one every couple of days. You always have the debit/credit for backup or points accumulation etc.
Re: Re: USD Always
Remember the Banco Reservas machine at the old Boca Chica Resort now Dominican Bay? I could not get more than RD$1000 at once and RD$2000 in total when it worked which was never.
I just bring cash and Amex travelers cheques for the rest.
And I don't pay fees for international ATM's and I have a $2000 a day limit in $, so RD$14,000 or so.
Jim Hinsch said:
Remember the Banco Reservas machine at the old Boca Chica Resort now Dominican Bay? I could not get more than RD$1000 at once and RD$2000 in total when it worked which was never.
I just bring cash and Amex travelers cheques for the rest.
And I don't pay fees for international ATM's and I have a $2000 a day limit in $, so RD$14,000 or so.
Bring cash, maybe some traveler's checks
For that amount bring cash and keep it seperated and in safe places. I usually bring 800US and I have that split between cash and traveler's checks for 6 nights. Bring an atm/debit/credit card for a backup. I have had to use ATM card a few times but make sure it is when bank is open so you can get your card back if machine isn't malfunctioning. I have found that about 1 in 3 machines didn't work in the DR at least with my card or were malfunctioning. I found ATM's don't give as good as an exchange rate but for 1 week, it won't make much of a difference, whether you use Western Union/exchange houses/banks, etc especially for only 600US. Keep everything locked up of value(passport, jewelry, etc) and don't carry a lot of cash on you and make sure you have various denominations because taxis and small businesses often "won't have change for larger US bills and will give you a bad exchange rate." Use only pesos. Use regular safety precautions and you will have a great time.
dale7
For that amount bring cash and keep it seperated and in safe places. I usually bring 800US and I have that split between cash and traveler's checks for 6 nights. Bring an atm/debit/credit card for a backup. I have had to use ATM card a few times but make sure it is when bank is open so you can get your card back if machine isn't malfunctioning. I have found that about 1 in 3 machines didn't work in the DR at least with my card or were malfunctioning. I found ATM's don't give as good as an exchange rate but for 1 week, it won't make much of a difference, whether you use Western Union/exchange houses/banks, etc especially for only 600US. Keep everything locked up of value(passport, jewelry, etc) and don't carry a lot of cash on you and make sure you have various denominations because taxis and small businesses often "won't have change for larger US bills and will give you a bad exchange rate." Use only pesos. Use regular safety precautions and you will have a great time.
dale7
johnsr, you can buy them from any Codetel office or booth. They have booths in a number of large stores, for example, to make it easier for people to pay bills, recharge cel phones, etc.
You can also find them for sale in some drug stores and supermarkets.
You can also find them for sale in some drug stores and supermarkets.
If you want to get a card now, the below link offers a card you get now by E-mail, no connect fee, and can be used to call the USA from just about every country and can be used in the USA if you don't use up all the minutes. It comes out to about RD$10/min, which is worse than a call center but better than some of the calling cards I've seen in the DR.
<a href="http://www.nobelcom.com/nobelcom/jsp/productselection/productselection.jsp?from_country=87&to_country=1&AFFN=778931"> <IMG src="http://a1423.g.akamai.net/7/1423/2872/v096/images.nobelcom.com/newActive/images/Raja/images/products/GLOBALCALLbig.jpg"></a>Click this card
<a href="http://www.nobelcom.com/nobelcom/jsp/productselection/productselection.jsp?from_country=87&to_country=1&AFFN=778931"> <IMG src="http://a1423.g.akamai.net/7/1423/2872/v096/images.nobelcom.com/newActive/images/Raja/images/products/GLOBALCALLbig.jpg"></a>Click this card
Where Aren't They Sold?
Everywhere. Cambios, colmados, mercados, hotels, hard to miss actually. Use with the blue phones in hotels - for long distance go to a calling shop and use the phone there. I called 10 minutes to Canada from Boca Chica and despite the claimed 13 RD$ a minute it cost 38 pesos.
johnsr said:
Everywhere. Cambios, colmados, mercados, hotels, hard to miss actually. Use with the blue phones in hotels - for long distance go to a calling shop and use the phone there. I called 10 minutes to Canada from Boca Chica and despite the claimed 13 RD$ a minute it cost 38 pesos.
Borrow somebodies Orange phone.
Calls to the US or to Canada cost the same
as local calls.
If it is activated on phone cards the cost per minute to the
States or canada is 5.5 pesos.
if the activation is on a contract could be half that..
So far as I know the cheapest way to call North America.
Calls to the US or to Canada cost the same
as local calls.
If it is activated on phone cards the cost per minute to the
States or canada is 5.5 pesos.
if the activation is on a contract could be half that..
So far as I know the cheapest way to call North America.