AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Travel Credit cards widely accpeted?

I will be in Belize in about a week and making some final arrangements. I am not sure if I should bring all cash or if I am able to use my credit cards while on my trip.

Visa and Master are very widely accepted, Amex a bit less so. But many small places you'll want to patronise don't take credit cards at all, so do bring cash as well. You can use a debit card to draw cash at any of several hole-in-the-wall machines.

just FYI: i don't know about your card, but my citi mc also charges a currency conversion or "foreign transaction" fee of 3% for each transaction in Bz. ($3 on every $100). we tend to bring lotsa cashola, and use my card only for big ticket items, like room & flights.

i also believe the vendors get charged high CC fees in Belize, so we try to pay cash to small businesses & stores, as a courtesy.

when bringing cash, we like to bring plenty of small bills too, for tipping, and cuz many smaller places such as street vendors often may not have change for a US $20 on a $2.50 purchase.

When I travel I use a Capitol One card. There are no foreign currency conversion fees.

I completely agree with Jane. Bring as many $20, $10, $5 and $1 as you can. It can be hard to break a $100 unless you stand in line at the bank (been there) or you a buying a round of drinks for the "house"!!

azbob, $100 wont by a round at BCs

I've never had any trouble with cash, even US $100. BC's always takes them, so do many other well frequented bars and restaurants. My visa did charge me some small service/currency exchange fees a couple weeks ago in SP. More importantly tho, be SURE to call your credit card company and tell them you are traveling... I didn't and went to check out the final day only to find my card had a Do Not Honor - possible fraud alert on it! Yikes, couldn't pay my hotel, nor could I stay... kinda makes for an interesting time.

Yup I agree, I told my gf to call her cc company before we leave to let them know we'll be in belize.

We were planning to take about $1500 in cash, about $800 in 100's and the rest in 50, and 20's.

Carrying that much in $20's make it easy to lose a bill here and there and a wad of cash that much brings too much attention I think.

spread it around in diff locations until you get to SP and lock it away in your room safe (assuming your hotel has one). $700 in 50's and 20's isn't that big of a wad. You could also take more $100's and exchange them at Milo's on Middle Street and pick up a couple extra bucks on the exchange.