Cash/credit card?

Hi,

Can I please get some cash advice? We are leaving on Sunday for our first-ever trip to Negril (honeymoon)! One thing I'm not entirely clear about is the cash situation. I've read that we should avoid using credit cards at restaurants and grocery stores due to incidents of people stealing CC numbers. Is this true? Also, if we were to bring cash, what's the recommended amount for a 7 day trip? I think we plan on converting to Jamaican currency . . . but can we do that on a Sunday? And is it best to do this at the MBJ airport or at a grocery store? (For reference, we are staying at Villas Sur Mer on the cliffs.)

Thanks in advance!

Forget using your credit card. Either bring travelers cheques and cash them for Jamaican currancy at one of the cambios or use your debit card in the many ATM's around town

I didn't use a CC a single time the last time I was down in Negril. (that said, it wouldn't hurt to have one stashed in your room in case you need it)

My GF and I each budgeted for $100 a day. We ended up coming home with extra money - which we pushed into our next trip.

The airport rips you off with their exchange rate. Bring a bunch of $1 bills with you to tip, that should be all you need until you have a chance to change money on the island. Have you driver take you to a cambio. They have the best exchange rates.

I found it much easier to deal in local currency, as the places you visit are more likely to have change in JA. Also a lot of the places lit their prices in JA, so it just makes things simpler.

Thanks so much, Boogzy and Flipadelphia! Do you think I'd have any trouble finding a cambio or ATM on a Sunday?

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Originally Posted by mindfulgirl

Thanks so much, Boogzy and Flipadelphia! Do you think I'd have any trouble finding a cambio or ATM on a Sunday?

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I am not certain of the Cambio days/hours.

ATM should not be a problem.

I know my favorite cambio, fx trader by the Hilo is closed sunday but the ATMs are available 24/7. There is one next to Hilo and several at the Scotia bank.

I've had my credit card number compromised more often in the states than in JA. W/ the automatic swipe, much less an issue anymore. Back when an imprint of the whole card was made & a paper copies remained, too easy anywhere for anyone to steal your cc info. Those haven't been around for a few years so you might be too young to remember :-) My issue w/ using a cc is the 3% fee they charge. Doesn't matter if your charge is in US $$$, you will be changed a 3% currency conversion fee. Take the travelers checks & exchange for J$ as needed. Bank of America is associated w/ Scotia Bank (in town) so no cost to w/d $$$ there using the ATM. Just be sure you request J$. You'll get a great exchange rate, better than at the cambios. BTW... skip the guys outside the cambios who want to give you a better rate. They don't. They'll manage to put some of your $$$ in their own hands instead of yours. Cambios are closed on Sundays. Hope this helps.

Another reason to stay away from CC is the conversion charges made by your company. I just got my statement and was charged $26 conversion for charging the room fee at our hotel!

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Originally Posted by Boogzy

Forget using your credit card. Either bring travelers cheques and cash them for Jamaican currancy at one of the cambios or use your debit card in the many ATM's around town

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And we have always used our credit card to pay for dinners and when we stock up at the HiLo and never had an issue and we have been to Negril 5 times. But we do always take cash in case we can't use our CC ...

Hey Mindfulgirl! Have a safe and fun trip.....we also arrive Sunday, woo hoo!

I typically bring some Js from my previous trip and a little cash and then just hit up the ATM to get Js. That is just how I do it and it seems to work just fine
But one word of advice, if you plan to use your debit or atm card, call your bank first and tell them you are traveling to Jamaica and need to be able to use your card. Many cards now have international blocks on them and unless you call and authorize you won't be able to use them at all outside the country.

Have fun, maybe we will see you around!

I use credit cards for my hotel charges and hit up the ATM for local currency. I also bring down some cash to exchange at the cambio. The cambio down the street from where you are staying is called Banmarc. Any red plate cab can get you there.

Ditto on the marley advice about calling your bank. My bank shut my ATM card down one year the very first purchase I made.

I am with the cash crowd myself though. I take a couple of credit cards, but I generally go almost all cash while there.

The place next to hi-lo had rates which were significantly better than the exchange rates I saw in the USA or at the airport our last trip at the end of nov.

Go buy a prepaid credit card for like $1500.Dont use your bank card that has all your money in it and yes,avoid using the card for payment.Go to the HiLo(not the airport) and get Jamaican money.Much easier.

We bought some JA $ here before leaving and withdrew some from the ATM at the Scotiabank (I have a Scotia account here so no fees). The exchange was slightly better from the ATM, but not enough to make a difference. I used my main CC at the hotels, I don't pay any conversion fees, so that works out well. I also took another CC with a low limit to use, I only actually used it at the Mega Mart in Mo Bay. Cash is much easier, many places require ID when you use a CC. I'm not used to using cash at home, so I found it a bit of a pain to use cash. The ATM's also limit the amount you can take out, one day it would only let me take $25K (Jamaican), another day it was $15K (same ATM)...

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Originally Posted by Saskgirl

And we have always used our credit card to pay for dinners and when we stock up at the HiLo and never had an issue and we have been to Negril 5 times. But we do always take cash in case we can't use our CC ...

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You are being given a low exchange rate at HiLo if you use your cc. They convert your charges in J$ to C$. I could only give you US - J examples since I don't know what the Canadian - J exchange rate is. The rate they give you when converting $$$ is NOT in your favor, that's for sure. Unless Canadian banking fees are different, you're also being hit w/ a % fee for currency conversion regardless of the charge being in Canadian, US, or J$.

Mega Mart put through the charge in Jamaican dollars and my bank converted to CDN. The rate is very close to the rate I paid at the ATM & to buy the Jamaican dollars before I left. No extra charges, sure the conversion is buried in the rate, but that is also the case when I withdraw cash from the ATM. These are the rates I paid, not a big difference at the end of the day:

JA$ bought in Canada .011700
Scotia ATM wd in Negril .011002 & .011038
Visa charge (Mega Mart) .011037

We have always used traveler's checks or cash. A small amount of U.S. for tips, transfers and day trips. Rooms are always paid with a credit card. I've never used a ATM in the 15 years we've been going to Jamaica. My bank has stopped selling travelers checks. So......looks like I will have to use a debit card and ATMs now. I have two questions......................

1. What are the ATM fees at the HiLo and the Scotia Bank.
2. Are there any ATMs on the West End?

This will probably work out better than travelers checks in the long run. My bank charged 4% and I usually was lazy and cashed a lot of them a M&L grocery at a terrible rate. :(

By the way......................We have less than a month til We Fly. Whooooopie!!!

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Husker John,
If you bank with Bank of America you have no fees if you use the Scotia ATM's. If you do not have an account you can open one for free.

my bank started charging for Travllers Checks but my credit union doesn't, I use TC or the ATM if necessary

I'd avoid the CC, I had one skimmed a couple years ago at a well known resturant. And literally within and hour someone had run it through at another hotel and took $240 dollars out. It even said "swipped" at the other hotel. These guys were pro's. If you use one, use one with a low limit, I have one like that for use there, and it was the one that got skimmed. The folks next to us at the same resturant weren't so lucky. The card was used to buy $3000 US of electronics in Mobay the very next day. They were staying at the same hotel as we were and asked if we had seen anything funny on our card. Thats when I check and sure as heck it had been skimmed.

We've done a little bit of everything. Traveler's checks exchanged at the cambio for J$, we like this best but TCs are getting harder to come by. We have exchanged $50US for $J at the airport (yes, ripoff), we bring small bills and $J from the last trip and skip the airport now, but it did give me a little peace of mind to have some $J on us. We do use the credit card for the hotel and charges there, and purchase with our Debit card at Hi-lo and get cash back (this was free with a limit to the $J you can get back like at groceries in the U.S.). And we use a Capital One credit card and they do not charge the 3% fee, it is hard to find a card that doesn't.

My advise would be to take travelers cheques and cash them for Jamaican currancy at the cambio. As for Sunday Most are closed. Your hotel should exchange your money on Sunday not a great rate, get just enough to make it to Monday. DON'T EXCHANGE MONEY ON THE STREET even if they give you A better rate. DON'T EXCHANGE MONEY ON THE STREET you will get ripped off. Also take 5's 10's 20's keep them for later use and some 1's. When your out figure out which is best US or J's. Enjoy your stay. Limo MOn Soon Come

I use credit at Ivans and mostly cash for the rest. Don't convert money at airport as it is a lower rate in Negril.

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Originally Posted by mindfulgirl

Hi,

Can I please get some cash advice? We are leaving on Sunday for our first-ever trip to Negril (honeymoon)! One thing I'm not entirely clear about is the cash situation. I've read that we should avoid using credit cards at restaurants and grocery stores due to incidents of people stealing CC numbers. Is this true? Also, if we were to bring cash, what's the recommended amount for a 7 day trip? I think we plan on converting to Jamaican currency . . . but can we do that on a Sunday? And is it best to do this at the MBJ airport or at a grocery store? (For reference, we are staying at Villas Sur Mer on the cliffs.)

Thanks in advance!

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I guess I am a rare one. We have been to Jamaica 10 times and I have never once used a credit card (haven't had one in the last 15 years) and also have never used a debit card in Jamaica. I have never exchanged US currency to Jamaican nor have I ever used a travelers check in Jamaica.

I usually take about $2,000 in cash for a week even though we stay at an all-inclusive. (I usually bring about $1,500 back home).

Before we travel, I go to the bank and get a couple of hundreds in $5 and $10's for tips and small purchases and about $300 more in 20's. The rest is in $100's. I have never been anywhere in Jamaica that will not take US dollars and I usually tell them ahead of time that that's all I have. No problems. The exchange rate is easy enough for me to do the math in my head.

I have carried a money clip in my front pocket for years and have never carried much money in my wallet. When we travel to Jamaica, I have a little bit of cash stashed everywhere on my person and my carry-on which is with me at all times. (On my last reach there was even about $400 in the case behind my Kindle.) Once we get to the resort, the money goes into the safe. We take money out of the safe as we think we will need it when we go on excursions such as the pub crawl, etc.

I know it seems like a wacky system, but it has always worked for us.

BTW.......before we travel, I let the bank know we will be in Jamaica just in case of emergency we might be using the debit card. I also transfer a few thousand dollars to the checking account in case I need to use it for some emergency.

Those who are having problems finding travelers checks, if you are a member of AAA they will provide travelers checks at no fee. I always travel with cash and travelers checks. If I don't have currency from my last trip I will exchange a small amount at the airport till I can get the better rates elsewhere. I also agree the best method is to have US and $J with you and pay according to the bills currency. If a bill is in US they will skim if you pay in $J and if the bill is in $J and you pay in US the same will happen.

Traveller checks & a little cash is the way to go.Not a good idea to post how much in cash one brings on a public board alot of prying eyes.Just sayin ! lol

Thanks for the warning. I'd like to see the person that could take it from me.

You probably wouldn't see him......

100.00 per person, per day is a groovy and normal(Non-AI) figure for us....

We were in Negril this past July and rarely use a credit card there...

Imagine my surprise on Dec. 26th when my bank texted me a potential fraud alert.

On the way back, we stopped in Miami. Someone, possibly from a Miami airport restaurant or shop

used my Debit card, charging 38.50 at two different Publix stores on Dec. 26th, lol,,,

Soooo, keep your cards close to the vest and for emergency. This was the 1st time someone hustled my card in 9 trips to Jamaica

and I've got a feeling, it happened in Miami,lol! Finally, make sure and alert the card company of the card you are taking and the dates.

Happy Travels

Skb

Oh my. Now I'm worried. Someone is going to figure out who I am and where I'm from and what I look like. Then they are going to figure out when I am going to Jamaica. Then figure out which flights I'm going to be on. Then, since they know I am carrying cash on my person, will figure out where I am carrying my money and separate me from my carry on luggage and steal it because I'm too stupid to know they have done it.

Great. Now I have to cancel my trip. :(

roll of One's....some cash and a debit card and you are all set........
been here a lot this year and it always has worked for mi........
credit card is only used in an emergency situation....
was talking to a branch manager recently and said Traveler Checks are barely used any more.....and they have only sold them a few times in all of 2012....

Cool Runnings, Marko

Living credit card free at the moment. Wondering if anyone here has ever used a prepaid"travel"card. One that can be used on the island.:confused:

No problem greg & kelly have seen alot posted over the years about how much people bring where they stay ect.It was a friendly warning don't cancel your trip,lol.Sometimes you have to watch out for other tourist more than the locals. Enjoy !

Agreed Biggs and thanks. Until people get to know me my sense of humor seems odd.

Now that I think about it........after people get to know me my sense of humor seems odd. Hmmmmmmm

On the plane I put away my US cash and put Jamaican in my pocket. I always carry a few thousand JA and stop at the ATM.

At this point in my return I now think in JA dollars as soon as I reach. When we land till I'm in line to board going home I only use JA.

For visitors it may be better to use US. At the very least you won't have to figure out the exchange rate and currency system.

I use my CC (with no foreign transaction fee) to pay the bill at SS.

A few years ago I bought a money belt for $15-20 or so. It looks like a real belt & I can easily stash $400-$500 in 50s. I've used it with no problems in Jamaica & in Europe. When I get to the hotel, I'll put the cash in the safe. I agree with most posts that you are better off using cash for small purchases & save your credit card for paying for expenses at your hotel. Be sure to take lots of small bills with you & when you use JD make sure that you understand the price in US or Canadian. It can be disconcerting at first until you realize that the $400 J that you are paying for a beer is only a few dollars at home.