Traveling next week - Cash & WiFi question

[Matt & Bing 56]

We are traveling back to the Philippnes next week to visit family and show off our daughter (22 months old).

In the past its kind of a hassle to exchange dollars for pesos (at least at a bank) as they need to record every serial number on the currency you are exchanging. Is it any easier if you bring traveler's checks?

Also, is there a lot of WiFi available or will I have to use an internet cafe's again? I know my phone won't work but I'm hoping I can get data if WiFi is available.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

[Hank_ 9,174]

I found the rates at SM mall fair and not much of a hassle when I was there.

If you had a laptop I would suggest getting a smart stik

[storminnorman 9]

Have a great trip. I travelled with ATM cards only. One I used and I had a second one different number if something was to happen. All the Malls have ATMs. Most banks here charge a small insignificant fee.

It worked great absolutely no problems. Not sure but I believe most places there won't take travelers checks or be able to break American Currency.

[redvelvet 12]

There are money changers that are reliable for exchanging dollars like the SM or Robinsons malls and Sanrys.

Most of the big malls have free wifi. Make sure you turn off your data or better yet put your US mobile phone to airplane mode so you don't accidentally connect to it while outside the country. You can use the phone for connecting to wifi.

Have a safe flight!

[Dustin and Janen 86]

Like others have said ATM and exchanging money at a mall is pretty easy.

I was just there for a month and I brought a little cash with me (couple hundred dollars) and exchanged like $50 at the hotel I was staying at (bad rate, but I need some cash). I exchanged the rest at the mall.

Since, I was there for a while I needed more than $200, so I sent myself a larger transfer through Xoom as USD and exchanged it at the mall. Towards the end of the trip I needed a little more, so I used an ATM at a bank.

Just remember the ATMs have a limit (I think 10K PHP) and the fees can add up if you need a large amount of money. I would suggest sending it via XOOM if you need more than 10K PHP.

I've heard many people warn against using travelers checks. I've never used them, so I can't advise on that.

[Dogwood_Poet 16]

ATMs in the Philippines now charge a 200PHP fee for international withdrawals, plus any fees your bank may add, so figure that in when you withdraw money. If you can use your card as credit for purchases you can bypass a lot of fees, but some smaller businesses won't let you, or don't understand how to run a VISA/MC debit as credit. My wife is visiting her family now, so I use XOOM for most transfers & she keeps the ATM handy for emergencies. But XOOM does have a lower exchange rate.

[YourHumboldtBud 2]

The last time I recall, the exchange rate for travellers checks was horrid. They used to give you LESS money than whatever the current exchange rate was for traveller's checks. Example Changing at a bank was 41.20, black market 42.3, Traveller's Checks 37.50. This was also at a time when you couldn't change money at SM unless it was the most current print, with no scratches marks, bends blemishes of any sort. I know they changed that policy and deny they ever carried on such practices in the past... I remember after we complained and got media to start inquiring that old system disappeared

Nowadays it's much better to use a service like Xoom.com to send money over. It takes only a few minutes and you can send up to like $2999 for $8 per transaction with many pick up options like SM business centers, BPI, BDO, PNB, Cebuana/M L Huillier etc... Things of note, it will be $6 to send pesos(lower than current bank exchange rate) or $8 to send dollars(you look around for the location with the best exchange rate), depending on where you may be picking up the money; certain locations while in a big city may exchange for both peso or dollars, yet a similar branch in the province may only have peso exchange. The banks are the only sure way to get dollars but be aware most of these banks have remittance cutoffs, let's say the bank will close at 5pm they will stop processing money remittances at like 3pm. I have no idea why this is the case since you can send money 24/7, just another one of those "Only In The Philippines" events. These are practices I've witnessed first hand, and I try to inform others, so they may be aware of what they could actually encounter.

For me personally the best way was to have my fiancee open a dollar account at a bank. We went with BDO who requires a minimum of $200 to open a dollar account. Then either bring the money with me or send ahead of time using Xoom, and have her deposit the money, then withdraw as needed while in PI. Then we'd have her keep track of when the exchange rate was favorable then exchange the dollars for pesos since the rate is always moving up and down. It's tedious but one of the best ways to stretch your money as far as it will go.

[Tahoma 2,292]

When Chinook and I are in the Philippines, we use a visa card to pay for big ticket items such as hotels. For pocket money, we use an ATM machine. Easy peasy...

[Mogambi 96]

ATMs are everywhere. I luckily have a bank that refunds me any ATM charges anywhere in the world, so the $3 or $4 fee that you'll find using them, I get back. But as others have said there are money changers in all SM Malls and the rates are OK.

When I brought $10,000 two times to the Philippines, we deposited them in our HSBC account there, and most high tech banks have scanning machines that scan the money, record the serial number and print out a receipt. So it was very fast. So even if you bring cash to a bank, it shouldn't be too hard, it's all automated.

WiFi, depending on your area, lots of free wifi. Starbucks, a bunch of restaurants in the big malls, etc.

Yes, if you have a PC and are worried, get a USB Stick Modem. You can then buy time. Smart, Sun, Globe, they all sell them. Not super fast, and spotty coverage a lot of the time, but enough to check email.

Internet cafes are around, and they're cheap, but they are SLOW, and usually ridiculously hot inside. Your hotel will probably have Wifi but will charge you.

[Piso Envy 5]

We are traveling back to the Philippnes next week to visit family and show off our daughter (22 months old).

In the past its kind of a hassle to exchange dollars for pesos (at least at a bank) as they need to record every serial number on the currency you are exchanging. Is it any easier if you bring traveler's checks?

Also, is there a lot of WiFi available or will I have to use an internet cafe's again? I know my phone won't work but I'm hoping I can get data if WiFi is available.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Some good ideas already mentioned. Forget travelers checks, they will want to see all receipts, including the special receipt that instructs you to not carry it along with the actual checks.

Xoom works great. Sign up for an account, link to your bank account, then send money to your wife or someone else there who has a passport for ID. Pick up at BDO or at the pawnshops.

American Express Prepaid debit card, free. - Order one online and load it up using reload cards as found at Walgreens, CVS, mini marts, or your bank account. No foreign transaction fees (typ 3%). 1st ATM withdrawal every month is free, $2 thereafter, plus what ever the bank's ATM fee is. Withdraw from any BDO ATM 10,000 PHP per transaction, I've done 2 in a row without problems. Say NO to a receipt, the printers are often broken and will "unable to process your request." Plus you have online access to americanexpress.com, a phone number you can call collect, and all the protection, benefits of travel and emergency services that AmEx credit cards have.

Most prepaid Visa/MC debit cards are for US only.

Money changers in every city, less hassle than the bank and no ID needed. Bring crisp $100 bills in perfect condition, if you give them 3 or more, they will reject one of them every time, change that one across the street or at the next place.

Free WI-Fi is very common now in malls and in the more established restaurants and hotels. Everybody knows where to get a signal, so ask someone.

Enjoy your trip!

[A and T 82]

Change money at those middle eastern money changers. Just be careful, its a lot less nonsense than dealing with the bank or malls to exchange money. Wifi, lots of free wifi in the mall but it never works 95% of the time

[Stevephoto 230]

Not much to add to this...so far every hotel (three trips including Manila, Boracay and Bohol) has had free wifi. I have tried cash and travelers checks. The checks were a pain in the butt. USD very easy to change. Now Joan has a bank account so I will probably just use Xoom to transfer the $$$ and use her ATM.

[Justud 42]

My US bank doesn't charge the 3% conversion rate so i only pay the 200php per 10K at atm. never had issues exchanging money, at hotel or malls. choose a hotel with free wifi. have a good trip

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Make sure you call all banks and cc to let them know you will be traveling. You can use Xoom to send yourself money while there

[LoveLife2 5]

I found the rates at SM mall fair and not much of a hassle when I was there.

If you had a laptop I would suggest getting a smart stik

Hank is right, I was at the Cebu SM Mall last week and on the second level is a booth that sells loads for a fair price. Enter by the Radisson hotel side and walk up stairs then the first main mall connection area has this . Not sure about traveler checks but I think that may be even more difficult. My best practice when traveling to other countries is to bring FRESH bills from my bank in sequential numbers if possible. All foreign countries look down on older USA bills.

Hope this helps.

Brad