Cash Point @ Playa Dorada

[daydream]

Can anyone tell me whether the cash point at the plaza in the Playa Dorada complex accepts debit cards carrying a CIRRUS symbol?

Many thanks
Daydream

[OttawaTom]

Cash Point?

If you mean the ATM's, you can use your Cirrus debit card.

Tom

[la_barbie]

I dont understand people and wanting to use their debit cards and not bring any money with them.... do you not realize your gonna get service charged there for using it and a nice *** service charge from your bank at home and the exchange is just ridiculous !

[Malibook]

Originally Posted by la_barbie

I dont understand people and wanting to use their debit cards and not bring any money with them.... do you not realize your gonna get service charged there for using it and a nice *** service charge from your bank at home and the exchange is just ridiculous !

Originally Posted by Malibook

Hola everybody.

I have always taken US dollars to the Dominican because there has always been a significant premium paid on US dollars over every other currency, relative to the official exchanges.
One could often get more than the offical exchange for US$ where other currencies were usually less, sometimes much less, which more than made up for the bank charge to buy US$.
Last week the cambios were giving less than the offical exchange for US$.
By the end of the week, the US$ was getting 28-29P while the official exchange was still 31.
After quickly blowing my spending money, I decided to get cash advances on my credit card instead of cashing the Canadian dollars I had.
This turned out to be a great decision and should have been my main source for cash.
Mastercard gave me the current offical exchange accurate to many decimal points.
MC was giving me 25-26 pesos per CDN$.
The cambios in Puerto Plata were offering 21-22 and as low as 17.5 at the Paradise.
The Paradise always gave an extra peso or so over the Plaza for US$ but for some reason they have an outrageously low exchange for CDN$.
The MC service charge per transaction was $4.50 CDN (115P) which is about what the banks would charge to change $300 CDN to US$.
I was taking out 5 or 6 thousand pesos per transaction so I ended up saving over 700 pesos per transaction over changing CDN cash.
The bottom line is that considering the 1.5% or so the banks charge here to buy US$, the lower than offical exchange for US$ presently, and the ridiculous rate given on CDN$, credit card advances is by far the best way to go.

Salut all.

Of course I will still take enough US cash but I will freely use the ATMs as well.

[daydream]

Originally Posted by la_barbie

I dont understand people and wanting to use their debit cards and not bring any money with them.... do you not realize your gonna get service charged there for using it and a nice *** service charge from your bank at home and the exchange is just ridiculous !

Hi

The reason why I am asking is because Nationwide in the UK are the first high street bank to offer debit cards that can be used to draw cash out abroad with no charges. However the condition is that you use a cash machine wth a CIRRUS symbol.

I think there is still the chance that the ATM owner can charge you but Nationwide themselves will not make a charge......I will be visiting the DR for 3 months and do not want to bring lots of cash with me, hence I would prefer to draw out as an when I need it.

Thanks
Daydream

[carina]

I still have an account at my Swedish bank, I rarely use that money, but they as well do not charge anything if I use the ATM mashines over here.
The exchange rate is lower though as I would get the banks official rate, and not the better ones that is offered by some exchange offices.

But there is no charges by the Swedish bank, and neither by Popular or Progresso. Leon take a charge if you use their ATMs, and the mashine tells you the amount they will charge before giving you the money at the newer ones in Puerto Plata ( Esso, and Kennedy ).