Punta Cana Currency

Punta Cana currency is the DOP, the Dominican Peso, although US dollars are accepted at most tourist destinations. If you are going shopping and paying with US dollars, just make sure that you know the current exchange rate (see the currency converter at the bottom of this page).

US dollars are our Punta Cana currency of choice

We’ve always found that US cash is the easiest and most versatile form of money to bring with you. Only carry what you need with you, leave the rest of it in the safe in your hotel. When going out on excursions, subdivide the money in your pockets so that you only need to take out what you need. You don’t want to be flashing money around in an impoverished area! Another important note: people never have change and even if they do, they often tell you that they don’t so bring small bills.

Everyone tends to go to the bank before they leave on vacation to get a stack of large bills which they realize is a pain only when they get to Punta Cana. We suggest that you bring around $100 in one dollar bills – they’re perfect for leaving tips and for making exact change for retailers.

Dominican Pesos in Punta Cana

Bringing some Dominican Pesos with you is a good idea as they are an easier form of Punta Cana currency to spend in some shopping areas and restaurants. If you have too many of them, they can easily be used for leaving tips and any retailer will accept them. You can change dollars to pesos at the front desk of every hotel, but you’ll get a better rate if you visit a foreign exchange house before you leave home.

Credit cards in Punta Cana

Credit cards are accepted almost everywhere in Punta Cana now and are great for day trips to urban areas where you don’t want to have too much cash on you. There have been many reports about people double charging credit cards in Punta Cana, but just keep track of your bills and let the credit card companies sort out any wrongdoings on the part of their retailers. Be aware that most credit card companies now charge an exchange fee for converting pesos to dollars, usually works as a percentage of the bill. Good idea to check with your card company before you leave for Punta Cana.

ATMs in Punta Cana

There are ATMs in town and at a lot of the hotels. They usually charge about a $5 user fee, which isn’t a huge deal when you need cash. ATMs aren’t a great thing to bank on using while you’re in Punta Cana as they tend to be scattered around somewhat aimlessly and are often out of funds. But if you are in need of Punta Cana currency find an ATM – most of them work on the Plus network and will work with most North American bank cards.

Traveler’s Checks in Punta Cana

Traveler’s checks can be cashed at the front desk of most hotels, but they will usually only give you pesos for them and you’ll be paying their conversion fee. While traveler’s checks are safer than cash – they are a bit of a pain in the butt as far as Punta Cana currency goes so we never use them anymore. If you’re having trouble exchanging your traveler’s checks – try the casino at your resort. They’ll often accept traveler’s checks for gambling chips that you can then convert back into US dollars.

Tips for Punta Cana currency

• Bring lots of small bills as most retailers claim not to have change and great for tipping at resort.
• Only carry the amount of cash that you need on you
• Subdivide cash in your pockets to prevent flashing money around
• Don’t use traveler’s checks if you can help it
• Casinos at resort are a good back door way of cashing traveler’s checks
• Keep credit card info in your safe in case you lose your card
• Credit card companies charge a conversion fee
• ATMs charge a $5 fee and will work with most North American bank cards
• Beware of street currency changers in urban areas – they often double fold bills to count them twice.
• Know the exchange rates before you leave (see the currency converter below)