Cash, Traveler's checks, debit card?

I need some advice on what to use these days in Jamaica. I haven't been able to travel in 9 years so I'm wondering if things have changed in this regard. Before I would always bring traveler's checks. At home I never carry cash and always use my debit card. If I'm not wrong what could possibly happen other then loss or theft but that could be the case no matter which option I go with. I'd feel better with a simple card. Easier to watch out for than anything else I think. If I lost mine my wife has hers.

Yes? No?

Cash is king :)

big roll of ones...some cash...and a debit card or two for the ATM's which give out the best rate....
people don't use traveler checks anymore.....never change money at the airport.......

Cool Runnings, Marko

11 trips so far and we have never taken anything but cash.

I used to get Jamaican cash from the bank here, but now I just use my bank card and withdraw cash as we need it in Jamaica. I always use the Scotia ATM's (no fees for me - they're my bank here at home), we haven't had a problem yet. I don't like carrying a lot of cash with me...

Took travellers checks last year and had a hard time cashing them at beach road cambio. Had no problem in town next to Hi Lo. Big headache. This year we are bringing cash

We had always used travelers checks and the challenge last time we got them (May of this year) was finding anyone who even had them available to purchase. We were still able to exchange them at the cambio by Hi-Lo. Next trip (December), we have some leftover J, will bring a wad of cash (I have started saving ones and fives), and use the ATM. I don't think we'll go back to getting travelers checks. The charge for the ATM is about what it cost us to buy travelers checks.

I keep one ATM card in Jamaica which I use to send money and get cash while I'm there.

I use Ja dollars exclusively.

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Originally Posted by Lorax2

Cash is king :)

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I agree. Thanks.

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Originally Posted by gregandkelly63

11 trips so far and we have never taken anything but cash.

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Cash is my second favorite thing to spend. Second to time.

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Originally Posted by Mr B

Took travellers checks last year and had a hard time cashing them at beach road cambio. Had no problem in town next to Hi Lo. Big headache. This year we are bringing cash

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For me the only downside of spending cash is the failure to have a record of where it goes. That's why I use nothing but my debit card at home. I haven't had cash since I carried it for a phone call or taxi.

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Originally Posted by 2nutz4travel

I used to get Jamaican cash from the bank here, but now I just use my bank card and withdraw cash as we need it in Jamaica. I always use the Scotia ATM's (no fees for me - they're my bank here at home), we haven't had a problem yet. I don't like carrying a lot of cash with me...

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I didn't know you could get JA dollars anywhere but JA. I have several thousand JA from my last trip. I bring it to pay for the taxi although not needed.

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Originally Posted by captaind

I keep one ATM card in Jamaica which I use to send money and get cash while I'm there.

I use Ja dollars exclusively.

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Sounds like a good plan.

Thanks.

I can get $JA from my bank... I asked about it before our last trip and found that their rates were worse than at MBJ. I bring a debit card and take $JA as needed (usually from the Times Square ATM), and find that since my bank refunds ATM fees I get a better exchange rate than at the cambios.

I also bring a credit card that stays in the safe for emergencies... thankfully we've never needed it.

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Originally Posted by Marko

big roll of ones...some cash...and a debit card or two for the ATM's which give out the best rate....
people don't use traveler checks anymore.....never change money at the airport.......

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I second this the way to go rolls of small bills...

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Originally Posted by Mr B

Took travellers checks last year and had a hard time cashing them at beach road cambio. Had no problem in town next to Hi Lo. Big headache. This year we are bringing cash

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What kind of problem did you have? I used that cambio my 2 trips last year and the one in April. One time I went, they told me to come back a couple of hours later...I guess they didnt have enough cash.

I can get travelers cheques free at my bank and I like to take about $150 worth in case the ATM machine isn't working (hasn't yet happened to me, but have read it happens a lot).

I have a Scotiabank account that I opened exclusively for Jamaica trips. It's a basic savings account and I get charged $1.25 each ATM withdrawal (even at my home branch), but that's all I get charged when withdrawing in Jamaica too. I believe Bank of America is affiliated and there are no (extra) fees withdrawing from the Scotiabank ATMs in Jamaica either.

I only use Jamaican dollars there now.

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Originally Posted by HarryS

I can get $JA from my bank... I asked about it before our last trip and found that their rates were worse than at MBJ. I bring a debit card and take $JA as needed (usually from the Times Square ATM), and find that since my bank refunds ATM fees I get a better exchange rate than at the cambios.

I also bring a credit card that stays in the safe for emergencies... thankfully we've never needed it.

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My bank also refunds ATM fees. The last time I used Traveler's Checks there was no fee from my bank. I still like the idea of a refund if lost or stolen unlike cash. I'm just not sure how long that process takes. I have never had a credit card in my life and still have a portion of my first paycheck stashed at my mom's house. That was well over 50 years ago. I also have a time capsule buried in her back yard with cash and other things from that era. Gee, I wonder how much that coin collection is worth. :)

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Originally Posted by Melody

What kind of problem did you have? I used that cambio my 2 trips last year and the one in April. One time I went, they told me to come back a couple of hours later...I guess they didnt have enough cash.

I can get travelers cheques free at my bank and I like to take about $150 worth in case the ATM machine isn't working (hasn't yet happened to me, but have read it happens a lot).

I have a Scotiabank account that I opened exclusively for Jamaica trips. It's a basic savings account and I get charged $1.25 each ATM withdrawal (even at my home branch), but that's all I get charged when withdrawing in Jamaica too. I believe Bank of America is affiliated and there are no (extra) fees withdrawing from the Scotiabank ATMs in Jamaica either.

I only use Jamaican dollars there now.

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Have they discontinued any of the coins? I have some huge coins from past visits. They must be making then out of hub caps by now.

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Originally Posted by Al Drake

For me the only downside of spending cash is the failure to have a record of where it goes. That's why I use nothing but my debit card at home. I haven't had cash since I carried it for a phone call or taxi.

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As a retired ship captain it's second nature for me to keep a log.

I have a complete expense report of all my trips as well as money spent to upgrade my yard, business expenses, money sent to the kids etc.

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Originally Posted by Al Drake

Have they discontinued any of the coins? I have some huge coins from past visits. They must be making then out of hub caps by now.

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I haven't seen any large coins so maybe they are discontinued.

I used to always bring travellors checks, but in the last year or so, it became not worth it. Now I bring some cash to get started, then use the ATM,s

There are still coins here...none have been discontinued since you were here last but the shape of the 10J coin changed.
Also, newly added was a 5000J bill.

I "remember when" lol, those $5000 dollar bills were almost impossible to spend!, Change anyway, but now that's like $50 US, not really a big deal now.

That was like a Bob Marley lyric thing for those that didn't get it,lol

I went in every couple days to cash travellers checks. one day they said they were not cashing checks today, another day I had to come back later only to get half what I wanted cashed. Another day they said they had no money yet but took another person with cash to exchange. that one really got me going

debit cards/credit-2 different ones-that way if one gets "eaten" by the atm -and I've seen it happen(and its a huge hassle getting it back) I will have a back-up .....

I always carry some emergency cash too.....one main reason is-if the electricity goes out (and it does) you cant access ATMs...or (and this happens alot too) if the ATMS run-out of $$$....

I was at NCB (National Commercial Bank) recently when a German tourist came in to cash American Express travelers checks. The bank would not cash them. I told her to go the nearby FX Traders (exchange) but do not know what happened. Don't bring travelers checks. --Fadder Jimaica

The ATM at HiLo is on a back up generator and always runs... I will be checking on the others at Scotia...

I had one night where every single ATM was down. Scotia, NCB, Scotia at Times Square, ATM at the airport. So glad I had some backup stash.

not only down but many times out of cash too(esp on sundays-after the weekend)

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Originally Posted by HarryS

I can get $JA from my bank... I asked about it before our last trip and found that their rates were worse than at MBJ. I bring a debit card and take $JA as needed (usually from the Times Square ATM), and find that since my bank refunds ATM fees I get a better exchange rate than at the cambios.

I also bring a credit card that stays in the safe for emergencies... thankfully we've never needed it.

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For our trip last year, there was a 12% variance in the banks favor for converting us to JA here in the states. The rate was substantially worse than what you get at the airport (which is bad enough itself). I was really surprised at just how bad the rates were.

I don't think we've used travelers checks in a number of years though. We used to get them free, either from American Express or the bank, but the last time I looked into it, the hassle and expense was too much to bother with.

Take the Cash straight out of the Airport and hit the Cambio close by on the Hip strip - They have a very competitive rate and not long line ups usually.!

I have used travelers checks for every trip for 14 years. I get them free at AAA. Never had a hassle or problem using the FX Trader by the HiLo or anywhere else on the island. I also bring cash for tips, taxis and misc. and credit card for hotel and anything major. AAA says that they won't have the checks much longer so I will have to use the ATMs then, resistance is futile...

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Originally Posted by booger

I had one night where every single ATM was down. Scotia, NCB, Scotia at Times Square, ATM at the airport. So glad I had some backup stash.

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I have always said your stash will get you though times with no cash better than cash will get you trough times with no stash.

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Originally Posted by Al Drake

I have always said your stash will get you though times with no cash better than cash will get you trough times with no stash.

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LMAO! I'm stealing that one......

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Originally Posted by IRIEchic

I second this the way to go rolls of small bills...

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Last reach I instructed our newbie travellers not to bring any bills larger than a $20. Well, he didn't listen and not being used to the colourless US currency, gave a $100 tip by mistake. This happened more than once before he realized the mistake upon taking inventory of his money. We called him the "high roller" for the next 14 days. :)

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Originally Posted by Al Drake

I have always said your stash will get you though times with no cash better than cash will get you trough times with no stash.

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agreed love this quote

Will they give you a couple of 5000$ Js if you change out ..say 300US ..or do you have to specifically ask? Tired of the big ass wads of 1000s you take away from the cambios..

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Originally Posted by fargoman

Will they give you a couple of 5000$ Js if you change out ..say 300US ..or do you have to specifically ask? Tired of the big ass wads of 1000s you take away from the cambios..

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I'll give you two 5000j notes for $300 :).

You will have a very hard time changing those $5000 bills.

On more than one occasion I've paid with a $1000 bill when buying a beer ($300) and then had to wait while someone took the money and came back with the change because they didn't have it on hand. I think anything bigger than $1000 wouldn't be worth the trouble.

That being said, there's something fun about walking around with $30,000 in cash. I always enjoy the ATM receipt that shows my balance in $JA... makes me feel like a rich person, if only for a moment. (Of course, I don't walk around with that much $JA... it ends up back in the room locked in the safe.)

I've used the 5K notes quite often to pay for supplies for the yard project.

Much easier to carry ten bills in my pocket than fifty.