Best way for me to handle banking in DR?

[srp]

I have been here two months and started an account at Banco Santa Cruz in Sosua. 1 USD &1 Peso this works well.
My U.S. bank is Citi and there is Max limit I can send at one time plus a fee of $35. Then Banco takes $10. Being retired and trying to avoid the fees I started looking for a way to have direct deposit for my SSI check.. What I was told I had to go to Santo Domingo-US Embassy to do this?? Doesn't make sense
Has anyone else tried to do this. I would be willing to switch Banks even thought Banco is convenient at this time

 

[Tamborista]

I have been here two months and started an account at Banco Santa Cruz in Sosua. 1 USD &1 Peso this works well.
My U.S. bank is Citi and there is Max limit I can send at one time plus a fee of $35. Then Banco takes $10. Being retired and trying to avoid the fees I started looking for a way to have direct deposit for my SSI check.. What I was told I had to go to Santo Domingo-US Embassy to do this?? Doesn't make sense
Has anyone else tried to do this. I would be willing to switch Banks even thought Banco is convenient at this time

Just cash a USD check drawn against your US bank account, after an intro to a cambista?
They will cash ANY check, once they "know you".

 

[SKY]

There are no more paper checks issued for US Social Security. Either direct deposit or a Debit Card. For here the Debit Card works fine though.

 

[La Profe_1]

The Consulate has the correct codes for direct deposit of Social Security to a Dominican Bank. My landlord is a US citizen and asked me to help him arrange it. His S'S is directly deposited to Banco
Popular now.

 

[Criss Colon]

"Fees", and "Security" come to my mind!!!!!
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC

 

[josh2203]

When I have had to withdraw funds from an account outside the country, I have always used a separate account + debit card for that or prepaid credit card, and in case of the debit card, transferred the amount I want to withdraw to the separate account just few minutes before withdrawing, then withdrawn it, and then checked the balance. I would never use a debit or credit card here with "wider" access to my accounts or funds, and never also had issues doing like this. Obviously there are fees involved. As my bank marks (no deduction, only mark-up) the funds I have withdrawn immediately, it?s impossible to use the card without sufficient funds.

 

[Kevin F Gardner]

Your answer re: BoA and Scotia bank is exactly what I am looking for. However, I have not been able to find any Scotia
branches or ATMs in D.R. Can you help? I am planning to move to Punta Cana area, specifically Bavaro. Thanks much

 

[mountainannie]

Your answer re: BoA and Scotia bank is exactly what I am looking for. However, I have not been able to find any Scotia
branches or ATMs in D.R. Can you help? I am planning to move to Punta Cana area, specifically Bavaro. Thanks much

What could you possibly have googled NOT to find them, I ask myself.

B?varo Carret. Friusa Melia, Plaza Brisas de Bav. 809-522-1015

http://www.scotiabank.com/do/es/0,,7118,00.html

There is no Bank of America here AND we have learned that the special relationship between these two banks may no longer exist and you may have to pay fees from your BOA account to get money from the ATM at Scotia. Others may have first hand knowledge on this if that is the info you need.

 

[sayanora]

I would get something like a prepaid visa card. Go online and put 20$ in it so the caretaker can go buy what I need and nothing else.. If you just hand over a loaded CC there is a cultural misunderstanding waiting to happen. Basically to the caretaker that means you're made of money.. Most people that are living on a budget here don't have access to credit cards and sure as hell wouldn't pass them over to someone else. This would translate into the caretaker thinking you're some rich greedy guy and lead to problems later on. The easiest solution is just to give them a credit card and say it has 20$ on it.. 800$ pesos, that's it. Man a lot of the people you will encounter to work as caretakers might not even know you can check the history on a CC online easily and think they can get away with it.. PM me and we can get on skype for a little while and shoot the **** on some of the cultural issues you'll encounter. I'm half dominican, half american and been here like 6 years now and it's a really different world in some ways.