U s dollars in Cuba

[crowpro]

Can we use U S dollars or credit cards in Cuba.

thanks

 

[WFHFLOYD]

no credit cards that we saw last year.  change your currency at the dock for CUCs, which is the currency used by non cuban visitors.  If a Cuban vendor accepts us dollars, they will only have to change it to Cuban currency themselves, which will cost them the exchange rate.  they have no interest in dollars.   I think we may have offered a gratuity in dollars to our private tour guide and her driver in lieu of CUCs and she was actually going on an upcoming trip to the US and could use them there, but basically was ambivalent to payment currency, preferring CUCs had it not been for the plan to go abroad.  

[RJB]

1 minute ago, WFHFLOYD said:

no credit cards that we saw last year.  change your currency at the dock for CUCs, which is the currency used by non cuban visitors.  If a Cuban vendor accepts us dollars, they will only have to change it to Cuban currency themselves, which will cost them the exchange rate.  they have no interest in dollars.   I think we may have offered a gratuity in dollars to our private tour guide and her driver in lieu of CUCs and she was actually going on an upcoming trip to the US and could use them there, but basically was ambivalent to payment currency, preferring CUCs had it not been for the plan to go abroad.  

Not altogether true.  There are some vendors that will take U.S Dollars.  At a better rate than the cuc exchange rate.  Just have to ask. 

[WFHFLOYD]

that is no doubt true.  But it bears noting, I think, that the shopping one does in Cuba is different than in most other places we've visited.  It's not like there are rows of shops and bazaars.  There is a giant indoor flea market in Havana where I suppose you could 'ask' if the seller would take US dollars.  But for the amount of money we spent on that kind of stuff, the exchange rate wasn't really a big factor.  We spend less when we use cash, and I would rather offer slightly less than the asking price for an item than burden the vendor with having to exchange our currency for theirs.   We bought sweet little wooden toys (cars and percussion sticks) for the grandchildren, honey, cuban coffee, a few cigars (reluctantly), a print, and several different types of rum.   We enjoyed a lovely lunch at a private home/restaurant, and had a drink at a place that was perhaps forbidden....  the people were to a one beautiful, friendly, hardworking, but by our standards, unfortunately poor.  As they said, they have "everything they need", but would like "just a little bit more."   Wish we could find a way as neighbors to enjoy more mutually beneficial interactions.     

[alcpa1]

According to our guides in Havana in November the Cuban people have little faith in their banking system so, in essence, the majority of financial transactions are "not legal."  Credit cards are not accepted from US sources. I can't speak to European or other sources. 

In some places US dollars were accepted at the same rate as CUC's (1 to 1.) In other places we paid the 3% conversion premium. Our private tour was arranged (and pre-paid in USD) with a company in New Zealand.

We never got CUC's.

Cuba was a bittersweet experience. We so wished for a better life for those we met but that was by our priviledged standards. We could see the previous grandeur and beauty through the decay and hope for the future for the welcoming people we met.

[sammiedawg]

Private guides and the ship experts advise taking euro to exchange to avoid a 13 percent penalty assessed on American dollars.  We took euro but were still assessed the penalty at the exchange shack.  It is hit and miss.  

Credit cards could be rejected.  I wouldn’t chance it. 

 

 

[babysteps]

12 hours ago, sammiedawg said:

Private guides and the ship experts advise taking euro to exchange to avoid a 13 percent penalty assessed on American dollars

True-but do the math and account for the logistics and the "savings" may not be compelling, depending on the length of your visit.

 

I believe any exchange has a 3% fee and the US dollars are charged an additional 10%.

 

Not sure why most folks don't also suggest getting Canadian or Mexican currency which might be much easier than euros if you do decide to go the double-exchange route and live near a border... We simply exchanged US dollars but this was only for a single day. 

[HokiePoq]

Has anyone gotten Cuban currency through their bank in the US?   We've gotten most any currency from ours but don't know if US banks can get Cuban currency.

[marienbad]

Hope you can still travel to Cuba.

the Trump administration just announced restrictions on America’s citizens that limits travel to Cuba to family members of Cubans.

Not sure when this new policy will be implemented.