Dominican Republic - Money

Cash

Dominican Republic peso (RD$) of 100 centavos. Keep exchange receipts to change RD$ back on departure.

Effective 1 July 2015, the I cent and 2 cents EC coins were withdrawn from circulation. The coins are no longer valid. Persons can present the coins at any of the commercial banks which operate within the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) to receive face value.

A price rounding system has been implemented within the ECCU countries for the settlement of cash transactions only, whereby the total payment, inclusive of duties, fees and taxes, is rounded symmetrically to the nearest five cents. Non-cash payments using cheques, debit and credit cards are not impacted and therefore will not be rounded.

It’s always wise to carry cash in RD Pesos as you can then shop at small supermarkets etc., which often don’t have card machines.

Banking

It’s been reported that at some large establishments and ATM machines, when given the option of USD or RD Pesos, always choose RD Pesos to avoid extra considerable bank charges.

Don’t expect every ATM machine to be working all the time and remember to remove your card promptly. Be prepared to queue even at an ATM. Avoid banks and machines around the first and the fifteenth of every month as this is pay-day and very busy. There is usually a numbered ticket queuing system.