How and where to change money in Dominican

Most tourists go to the Dominican Republic on holidays on the All Inclusive system, but money is still needed: buy gifts and souvenirs, go to a taxi to see something interesting, pay for excursions. In detail about the Dominican money, we already talked in the article "What money in Dominican Republic", and now let’s talk about how and where to change them.

What currency to take, and what it is not recommended

The best currency for a trip to the Dominican Republic is American dollars. Officially, the dollar is not currency of the country, but in fact, Dominicans are used on a par with their Dominican Peso.

The pesos rate is in a chronic fall, over the past 20 years, Dominican currency depreciated 5 times. Naturally, Dominicans do not want to keep or invest money in the peso, for any long-term deeds they prefer dollars.

Dollars willingly take taxi drivers, even their price lists are written in dollars. Probably, due to the falling course, the peso has no taxometers. Read the details in our article "Taxi in Dominican Republic – prices and rules".

Dollars can pay with guides for services and excursions, in souvenir and grocery stores, hotels, cafes and restaurants. A more difficult question: how it is more profitable to pay – dollars or pesos? There is no accurate answer, depends on a particular store or restaurant. It happens that when paying dollars make a discount, the merchant loves the American currency. It happens that on the contrary, the price of the store is exhibited in the peso, and dollars are accepted at a disadvantage.

Prices in stores can be in dollars, can be in a peso, here the Dominicans have no generally accepted norm. Need to ask, at what course the merchant takes another currency and draw conclusions – it is beneficial to buy here or not. At the popular resorts of Punta Cana, Bavaro and other prices in stores more often in dollars, in cities Prices in Peso.

In any case, reserve the calculator. We recommend buying a simple and cheap calculator, and not use the smartphone. In Dominican, thefts often happen to tourists, the dear smartphone attacker can just grab and escape. Read the details in our article "What is not recommended to do tourists in Dominican".

We will talk about dollars in detail later, but now about the rest of the currencies. Euro is not recommended, because in the euro stores are rare. And even if they are taken, then in the course equal to the dollar, which is extremely unprofitable. Change the euro on the peso is difficult, and the course is unfavorable.

Even worse, if the thought will come to the Dominican Republic with our rubles. They are not accepted here anywhere and do not exchange. Rubles here become just colored pieces. Theoretically, they can be changed in large branches of banks in Santo Domingo.

According to the laws of the Dominican Republic, the import and removal of the national currency is strictly prohibited. That is, leave the thought to buy Dominican Peso at home and go with them to rest. Even if by a happy accidents will be able to buy them in Russia, they must be confiscated at customs at the entrance to the Dominican Republic.

Features of using dollars

If you decide not to change money, but pay dollars, then get ready for several unpleasant surprises.

Start in advance small bills of US dollars. Merchants often have no surrender, or they lie that no. The word "passing" in Spanish sounds like "Menudo". The phrase "no delivery" sounds like "Noou Menudo".

They are trying not to give surrender at all, offering these money to bestow them as tea. It happens that they give delivery in the Dominican Peso or try to give delivery with candy, chocolates or other goods.

Feel free to travel to the bank in Russia and ask for dollars to give you minor bills. Be polite, will not refuse.

Stay aware of the current Dominican Peso course to be able to recalculate the price in dollars. Carry a calculator with you if the oral account is given badly. Actual currency rates below.

1 Dominican Peso = 1.299 our rubles
1 Dominican Peso = 0.018 American dollars
1 Dominican Peso = 0.015 Euro

1 our ruble = 0.770 Dominican Pesos
1 American dollar = 57.034 Dominican Peso
1 euro = 67.323 Dominican Pesos

Currency exchange

Change the currency in the offices of banks, in exchange offices or remove the peso from your plastic card. In the tourist zones, banks are rarely found, and exchange items are at every turn.

In Spanish, exchange items are called Casas de Cambio ("Casas de Cambio") or just Cambio (Cambio). They can be found in large hotels or shopping quarters.

On the street, exchange items often look so much that they are terribly. Watch the photo below, click on the photo to enlarge. In addition, street exchangers almost never publish the course openly, as is customary to do in Russia. Need to go and find out that uncomfortable. We recommend using exchanger in hotels.

Some exchange offices will require a passport, in some it is not necessary. Ordinary opening hours of exchange offices: from 8-00 to 18-00. On Sundays, they or closed, or work from 9-00 to 13-00.

When buying Dominican Peso, keep the check on the exchange. Inverse exchange is possible only within 30% of exchange sums and only upon presentation of a passport and a direct exchange check.

And one more advice – do not change money in airport exchange offices, the course is terrible here.

Use of credit cards

Cash Dominican Pesos can be obtained from ATMs. This is a convenient way, although not always favorable. Commissions and exchange differences can lead to losses up to 15% of the amount. In addition, Dominican ATMs can charge up to 5 dollars just for the operation of the removal. Removing the money is limited, usually this limit – 10,000 pesos.

Dominican Republic – one of the leading countries by the number of corpus of credit card data and theft of money from credit cards. If you read the site of the UK Foreign Ministry, then there are no tourists at all. It is not recommended to take credit cards with you, pay only in cash.

For these reasons, if you decided to use the card in Dominican, then make yourself a separate debit dollar card, put money on it and use only her. Such cards our banks are now made free, give Cashback from them and accrue interest on the balance of funds.

Other problems are possible. ATM can "burn" card or not to issue money. We recommend using only an ATM at the hotel and only when the hotel has a hotel guide. Especially this advice is relevant if you do not speak English.

Pay the card in the Dominican Republic, but there are nuances. In what currency the seller or guide did not declare the price, payment will occur in Dominican Pesos, such are the laws of the country. Sellers often raise up to 5%, if you find out that the buyer will pay for the card, they compensate for their banking commissions.

Credit card in Dominican Republic is useful, but only as a means of "for every fireman".

Several security tips

– If you exchange money, try not to take bills 2000 pesos (in the photo on the left, click on the photo to enlarge). These bills fake much more often than others, there is a big chance to get a fake. Some shops and restaurants are not fundamentally accepted by customers 2,000 pesos.

– A bill of 20 Dominican Peso is made of plastic and is very different from the rest of Dominican Banknotes. Do not wonder.

– Forget about traveler checks, in the Dominican Republic they are not accepted by anywhere.

– Theoretically, all banknotes of Dominican Peso are liquid, even very old. Here you can not be afraid to get a banknote that came out of circulation.

– Carefully count money without departing from the exchange office. Pesos bills are very similar to each other in design and color scheme, they are easy to confuse. Consider carefully, check the nominal banknotes.

– As soon as they counted, remove the money in my pockets. Thefts in Dominican are often happening, and "shine" cash is to attract thieves.

– If you want to rent a car for rent and independently ride around the country, then ask for a trifle in the exchanger, it will come in handy for paying for pay roads.

Successful communication with money in Dominican Republic, and read our interesting articles about this country for tourists (Links below).