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Paper currency
comes in
denominations of:
20, 50, 100, 200,
and 500 pesos.
Coins come in
denominations of 1,
2, 5, 10, plus 20
and 50 centavos
which are not
commonly used.
10 pesos is
generally the street
exchange for $1 US
Dollar and are
therefore the most
widely used coins.
The 5 pesos coin is
what is used for the
bus and is the
equivalent of .50 US
cents.
Exchanging Money
in Puerto Vallarta
is relatively
painless.
Casas de cambio
(exchange houses)
are conveniently
located on every
corner, however they
do not always
provide the best
rate. Banks
and credit cards
offer the best rate,
while resorts and
restaurants are
almost always
over-priced.
American retail
stores often offer
good rates as well,
for example Wal-Mart
and Sam's Club
usually keep bank
exchange rates.
Tip: ALWAYS
COUNT YOUR CHANGE IN
FRONT OF THE CASHIER
at banks and
exchange houses.
Bring / keep small
change- tipping
is customary for
everyone from the
man who carries your
luggage, to the boy
who bags your
groceries, and the
concierge who shows
you to your room.
Be sure and bring
plenty of singles to
hold you over until
you can exchange
your currency.
Read our
Puerto Vallarta Tipping Guide
for
more information.
You will also want
to gather small
change (10 pesos
coins and 20 pesos
paper) since getting
change for larger
bills can often be
difficult and
inconvenient.
Credit Cards-
Visa, MasterCard,
and American Express
are accepted
throughout Puerto
Vallarta, but
smaller merchants
and service
providers will
require cash.
It's wise to bring
at least 2 credit
cards, leaving one
in your hotel room
safe and keeping the
other with you- just
in case (maybe you
go snorkeling and
forget to take your
wallet out- it's
been known to
happen.)
Remember to contact
your credit
companies before
heading abroad to
avoid fraud
suspicion when you
use your credit card
in Puerto Vallarta.
If you plan to use
these for cash
withdrawal, remember
to double-check your
pin since dialing
800 numbers provided
on the backs of
cards can be
challenging and
expensive.
Read below for
information on
credit card slips.
Banks and ATM's
in Mexico-
Banks offer the best
exchange rate
outside of credit
cards. They
are closed on
holidays- Mexican
Holidays so be sure
to carry enough
funds with you to
carry you over if
necessary.
Bank hours are from
9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
during the week and
9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on
Saturdays, closed on
Sundays. ATM's
are available 24
hours and generally
add a fee of less
than 1 US dollar for
each transaction.
ATM's in Puerto
Vallarta are both in
Spanish and English,
but can still be
tricky. Most
only offer
withdrawal in pesos,
so remember that 500
on the screen means
$50 US Dollars
rather than $500
dollars, for
example.
Western Union
- There are a number
of Western Unions
throughout Puerto
Vallarta, often tied
in with other money
wire companies for
your convenience.
Checks and
Traveler's Checks-
Using personal
checks from American
banks is almost, if
not completely
impossible since the
bank will require a
waiting period of up
to 7 weeks for the
check to clear and
local merchants
absolutely will not
accept international
personal checks.
Travelers Checks are
a convenient option.
Most banks charge a
small fee for
cashing them.
If lost, or
ordering, the phone
number for American
Express Traveler's
checks and Citibank
are located in the
InsidePV.com
important
phone number
directory.
Deciphering
checks/bills,
receipts and credit
card slips:
Most printed
receipts and credit
card slips will have
the total written
twice; once with M.N.
written next to it,
which means
moneda nacional
or national
currency. Dlls.
is usually written
next to the American
or Canadian total.
IVA - this is the
15% tax added to
almost everything
from restaurants to
plane tickets to
souvenirs. An
additional 2% bed
tax is usually added
by hotels and
resorts.
Tip: When adding a
tip to a credit card
slip, be sure and
ask the server the
correct way since
this can vary from
each restaurant.
Otherwise, you may
think you're leaving
$5 USD, but are
actually leaving 5
pesos (.50 US cents.)
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