Currency

[kevinpurvis]

Hi,

Im worndering what is best currency to take? shoud i just take american dollars or should i get dominican rep dollars also?

Will i be able to use my debit card?

does holiday village have cash points?

should i take travalers cheques?

any suggestions? i dont really want to take loads of cash and leave it in the hotel safe?

 

[fightfish]

Use your ATM card while here, and/or bring dollars or euros, but exchange them outside of your resort at a casa de cambio. You will get a much better rate that way. Don?t exchange on the street.

 

[dv8]

DR currency is peso, not dollar.
take little cash and use ATM or pay with a card - possible in most shops and restaurants. while paying with a card you may need to provide photo ID but it's perfectly safe.
i have never even seen a travellers check in my whole life so i would not consider it's worth using them...

 

[John Evans]

make sure there are no extra devices or plastic around or in the slot of atm machines .....like you would at home

 

[Snowbird]

I disagree

Use your ATM card while here, and/or bring dollars or euros, but exchange them outside of your resort at a casa de cambio. You will get a much better rate that way. Don?t exchange on the street.

In each of my 12 visits to the Dom. Rep., and the Playa Dorada area, I could always get a better exchnage rate at my hotel. This past January, the hotel rate for USD was 33. The cambios were 32.8, 32.7, etc. As a result, I will always change my USD for pesos at the hotel if I want to make an exchange.

Enjoy your Dominican experience!!

SB

 

[fightfish]

Regarding using plastic at establishments. I think it is best to get cash from an ATM and use that cash at a restaurant for instance. This cuts down on possibilities of fraud by small business employees which happens often enough to warrant monitoring.

I may be wrong about the exchange rates inside AI?s, but I don?t think so. Easy to check their rate vs. the rate in the town?s cambios, but in general, the resorts charge much more for products inside than outside prices, and I think that goes for money exchange as well, but maybe not. Easy enough for you to check. HAve fun...

 

[J D Sauser]

In each of my 12 visits to the Dom. Rep., and the Playa Dorada area, I could always get a better exchnage rate at my hotel. This past January, the hotel rate for USD was 33. The cambios were 32.8, 32.7, etc. As a result, I will always change my USD for pesos at the hotel if I want to make an exchange.

Enjoy your Dominican experience!!

SB

Getting a good or even fair exchange rate at a hotel here should in my opinion be categorized as a commendable exception.

ATM cards are indeed an appealing option, still, should we remind that ATM fraud, while an exception too, is being reported several times a year and so have problems resulting from the use of credit cards at small establishments and shady vendors.

I personally thus prefer to recommend bringing AMEX traveler checks in USD 100.oo's and change them into local Pesos as you go at banks. Yes, most vendors will not take them (as opposed to the US) but banks will and at a good rate and without any additional commissions. Just bring your passport with a matching signature along to the bank.
TC's do not expire and left overs can also be re-deposited into an account after coming back home.

... J-D.

 

[Music Factory]

take some US$, of course your credit card (but plastic can be stolen and ATM does charge you too!!), and get some traveller checks (these will take a "casa de cambio" !!! Don't change currencys at your hotel, because their rate is very low. As new in the country you also shouldn't change at the street, because you can get foult very easily with false money ect. If you go and chage at the bank their rate also will be a bit lower as on the strees and as at the casa de cambios, but it's the safest way to do so. Also you need to have in mind that, in case you have many domincan pesos left, you can't change them back, ONLY if you have any paperform that says that you did changed money (these will be given only at banks and at some casa de cambios). you might can change back pesos in US as 30% of the total you have changed before. But aware that you will get a much lower rate to get your US back. Also you might have to deal with their answer... sorry right now we doesn't have US$ !!!!
I think the best way is to have cash, a credit card and the traveller checks !!!

 

[Malibook]

In each of my 12 visits to the Dom. Rep., and the Playa Dorada area, I could always get a better exchnage rate at my hotel. This past January, the hotel rate for USD was 33. The cambios were 32.8, 32.7, etc. As a result, I will always change my USD for pesos at the hotel if I want to make an exchange.

Enjoy your Dominican experience!!

SB

Some hotels have bank run cambios and do give good rates but most hotels give horrible rates.
Paradise and Fun Royale have a Banreservas cambio on site.
The reception at Paradise gives a terrible rate but right across the lobby at the cambio is much better.

I found Western Union was a bit better and some of the cambios in Sosua were even better but they don't post their rates so I get my Dominican brother to change my money for me.