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.
