Oh, it's safe at the airport all right, you won't feel anything @ all when they rape you by 15-20% on the exchange rate.
There are plenty of safe casa de Cambio's near your hoe-tel.
- Thread starter joselowe
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Should I get pasos?
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Oh, it's safe at the airport all right, you won't feel anything @ all when they rape you by 15-20% on the exchange rate.
There are plenty of safe casa de Cambio's near your hoe-tel.
the last thing you should trust is the ATM. by the following day after you use your debit card, you will be buying Maui Jim sunglasses in Dubai.
If you must visit a country where they use dollars rather than the national currency, then you should try Salvador, Ecuador or Panama.
It is not difficult to deal with pesos, though.
It is not difficult to deal with pesos, though.
There are plenty of cash mashines in the arrival hall at SDQ I always get my first pesos there with my maestro card and never had any trouble why should these mashines be less safe than any other cash mashines in the DR
If it has a VISA # on it , of course it can be done.. all you need is the Card #, Name, and CVV #..and they can clean you out.
If they get the Pin #, they can make an altered card and take out cash as well.
In Fact, my credit union REFUSES to even process my Jet Blue Airline tickets online, I have to call it in every time , and they waive the fee for the call in, all because of the amount of FRAUD they encounter with Flights specifically to the DR. ..
So saying it cant happen is just silly.. it can, and does happen.
Your cell phone has a calculator and it will be cheaper to have the pesos to tip and pay cab fare because you will run out of $1 bills.
NO! Change some of your US currency into DR Pesos. They can probably do this at the hotel you are at or you can use your US debit card to access any ATM in the DR. Let your bank in the US know you will be doing this. Bars and restaurants generally give you a bill in Pesos and things in stores are in Pesos. If you use your credit card to pay for this you may pay an additional 10-15% for the use of your credit card. That is in addition to the local and federal tax which is already, I believe at 18%. Stick to cash if you can. If you go out bring enough cash or one credit card. Leave the rest of your valuables in a safe in your room. Do not wear expensive watches or jewerly. As a "gringo" who are already a target. Use common sense and be aware of your surroundings. You are not in Kansas anymore. Good luck.
So basically I should just try to get pesos in the US and bring it with me and then just try to calculate how to spend the pesos
From what I've gathered
A. Don't bother using my debit/credit card at the atm at airport for pesos cause I'll get scammed
B. Don't use my debit/credit card at restaurants cause I'll be charged 15-20% interest
C. The only legit way to get pesos in DR is to go to a casa cambia even though 1. I don't speak Spanish 2. Won't have transportation to go there since I'm only by myself visiting for 3 days
So basically I need to try to get Dominican pesos here in the US to be safe?
From what I've gathered
A. Don't bother using my debit/credit card at the atm at airport for pesos cause I'll get scammed
B. Don't use my debit/credit card at restaurants cause I'll be charged 15-20% interest
C. The only legit way to get pesos in DR is to go to a casa cambia even though 1. I don't speak Spanish 2. Won't have transportation to go there since I'm only by myself visiting for 3 days
So basically I need to try to get Dominican pesos here in the US to be safe?
NO, you can use USD for your taxi to Santo Domingo, and buy RD Pesos in Santo Domingo.
There are casa de cambios, with an "O" all over the place.
USA, airports, and hoe-tels are the WORST places to change money.
You are making this an ordeal.
some of the responders and you might be overreacting.
The exchange rate at the airport is bad
go to a bank to change money, use your hotel... both will speak English usually
accept nothing less than 45 pesos to your $1 US
I have never been charged extra for a credit card -- and I live in the DR unlike some responders.
The exchange rate at the airport is bad
go to a bank to change money, use your hotel... both will speak English usually
accept nothing less than 45 pesos to your $1 US
I have never been charged extra for a credit card -- and I live in the DR unlike some responders.
He may have trouble with that.
I haven't gotten over 44.70 in a few months now and am fairly certain where I go to exchange has the best rate in Santiago.
Anything below 44 is a rip-off though, that is for sure.
Banco Progreso is about that... 44.7
the math is bad..... 44 will do too
I'll take your correction...thanks
the math is bad..... 44 will do too
I'll take your correction...thanks
For goodness sake, don't over think this. You are only here for three days, how much money can you possibly spend? Regardless of where you change your money (not at the airport, not at the hotel) you're not going to go into debt. Unless you are changing thousands of dollars, a few pesos difference here and there is not going to amount to a lifetime of indentured servitude. If you're finances are so precarious that a few pesos on the dollar makes a difference, you probably shouldn't be travelling. What would you do if you fall off a motococho and need front a $8,000.00 medical insurance claim?
Changing money is going to be the least of your problems here. Bring USD. Figure out how much you need each day. Change some money. If you need more change some more. Try not to end up with more pesos than you need. Take any unspent USD back home with you.
Changing money is going to be the least of your problems here. Bring USD. Figure out how much you need each day. Change some money. If you need more change some more. Try not to end up with more pesos than you need. Take any unspent USD back home with you.
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