Save Money at the ATMs

When You pull out money here, it can be expensive. Even with the Dominican National Banks. The Dominican Republic operates in Dominican Pesos (DOP) and when you pull out money it will be in DOP. Basically all ATMs will charge you a fee to use them, usually between 0 and $20 depending on amount of money you’re taking out; This is unavoidable.

Now the ATM will ask you if you want the local Dominican bank to exchange your money from your home currency into pesos or do you want your home bank to do the conversion. They’ll ask you this question in a bunch of ways depending on the ATM, “Do you want to pull out in DOP or USD” “Which bank do you want to do the conversion” Accept Conversion“ etc etc. Read this carefully as they charge 20-30% of the value of your withdrawal if you allow the local bank to convert. So click, DOP, Home Bank, No Conversion and save yourself 100s of $$$.

This also applies every time you swipe your card here, the little machines will ask to you want to charge in Pesos (DOP), or USD. Your answer should be Pesos.