Cash/credit card?

[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!

[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

[Saskgirl]

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

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 ...

[Yvonne]

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 ...

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$.

[nutz4travel]

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

[Flipadelphia26]

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.

[mindfulgirl]

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

[Flipadelphia26]

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

I am not certain of the Cambio days/hours.

ATM should not be a problem.

[Ras Walleye]

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.

[Yvonne]

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.