- Thread starter Mikefree5151
- Start date
Exchanging Large US Bills?
Bring your cash in 20s....nothing bigger
Make sure the bills are perfect....no writing...no tears....no pieces missing*
Best place to exchange is Western Union....give the current rate...no charges
Bring your passport*
Make sure the bills are perfect....no writing...no tears....no pieces missing*
Best place to exchange is Western Union....give the current rate...no charges
Bring your passport*
and make sure there is no writing on the bill ...banks will not accept a bill with anything written by someone on it
Advice from my family members who travel here frequently...carry smaller bills, 20's, etc....keep some larger bills aside for the "just in case". Only change what you need. Again as others have said currency needs to be in "good condition".
If you are only here on vacation for a short period of time than DO NOT bring a lot of cash, or big bills If you want to bring cash make it $20 bills. Use the ATMs and pay whatever fee you have to. Having a lot of cash in the DR is not a good idea, especially for tourists. Do not exchange money at the airport kiosk. They charge you a high fee for the exchange. Also if you plan on using a credit/debit card make sure you notify the company involved that you will be using the card in the DR. Good luck and good travels.
Had a Banco Popular machine eat my card and demagnetized the strip in the process.
Go to a teller and the will manually input the card, no need to use an ATM, if you are a-scared.
If you bank with Bank of America in the States then you can go to any ATM at Scotiabank and they waive the fees. The exchange rate is always very good as well. This is one of the safest ways as you then don't have to bring a lot of cash down here and can just go to the ATM when you need some pesos. Also, I have never had problems changing $100 bills here in the DR as long as they weren't damaged or torn and that goes for any casa de cambio.
Wasn't until the ATM ate my card, now I use Western Union and my ATM card is safe in my wallet.
Bring lots of 100 bills because they'll go quick if you want to do anything other than sit in the hotel room
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The best rates I have found are at the Caribe Tours bus station in SD.
Changing $20's is easier than changing $50's and $100's.
Changing $20's is easier than changing $50's and $100's.
Just curious, how much better is Caribe Tours compared to a casa de cambio? Is it really worthwhile let's say for a tourist staying in la zona SD to cab it to and fro?
That's a lot of advise above! Wow! Take what works and leave the rest. It REALLY is not a big deal as long as you filter thru it.
U.S. $100. can be changed safely as long as you don't flash and do a few at a time as needed with extra to spare should not be a problem.
Bring your cash and you will be fine. Really... you will be fine.
U.S. $100. can be changed safely as long as you don't flash and do a few at a time as needed with extra to spare should not be a problem.
Bring your cash and you will be fine. Really... you will be fine.
I totally agree. There is a big difference in spending in the capitol and in some other parts of the country. $100 bills are fine in the capitol, not so much in other places where $20 bills are better. I arrive in the capitol and don't even think about exchanging money at SDQ. I pay the taxi in USD, check into my hotel, and go to the casa de cambio and exchange a few hundred into pesos. When I run out, I get more. After my first few years in the DR I completely stopped using their ATMs. When I leave the capitol with enough pesos to get by for a few days and go to the casa de cambio at my next destination. I have not a problem with 100 bills on the North Coast either. I haven't had a problem since I stopped using ATMs which have eaten my card, cloned it, and caused major challenges for me over the years. Hold on to some $20s and even a few smaller USD, but don't worry about using your C-Notes. Use a reputable casa de cambio and you'll be fine.
Ya. What's the currency in Swahili land? The rest of us are in the Dominican Republic and best to exchange into the local Peso's and understand the value. The more times you go to exchange the more you loose.
As I said. Take what works and leave the rest.
Whenever I post, and that is not as often now, I try to give the original poster, particularly those who have never been to the Dominican Republic, the benefit of my experience as a visitor. And I always hope, that whatever I present here will be helpful.
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I don't think so. I understood you quite well. I have often said la capital and the north coast are like two different countries. I wouldn't see a problem at all going to ANY casa de cambio in la capital with $100 USA notes. I do see there might be a problem in a small casa de cambio on the north coast or rural areas.
Also trying not to use the ATMs is a good thing. It wasn't that long ago the ATMs didn't charge a fee. I would use my PayPal card and only pay $1 total for a withdrawal. Now many of the DR banks are charging 195 pesos plus any home bank fee to make a withdrawal. That can really add up as a lot of banks limit you to 10,000 pesos and some restrict you to 2,000 pesos.