The Dominican Republic ATM Travel Guide
ATMs in The Dominican Republic don’t usually pose any challenges, however there are a few exceptions where we’ve heard of problems.
If there are no ATMs close by, the ATMs in The Dominican Republic are not working with your card, or you want to avoid paying ATM fees / make larger withdrawals, check back here for our guide below. It explains how you can send yourself money online and pick it up at an authorized local cash pick up point.
It is a very similar process to buying something online with your debit card and is probably the quickest way to send money to yourself in The Dominican Republic.
There’s also currently a promo code so you pay NO FEE on your first money transfer.
Here are two useful links to find the nearest ATMs In The Dominican Republic : Visa / MasterCard
The Dominican Republic ATM Fees & General Information
Most ATMs in The Dominican Republic charge fees. This is usually around 200 Peso, though standalone machines in shops and tourist areas can be even higher.
You will also probably get charged a fee by your own bank.
Having a Wise (formerly TransferWise) MasterCard can help reduce your home bank fees and gives a great exchange rate on purchases. With their borderless account / card you can hold your money in more than 40 currencies and use the debit card to get your cash out with low conversion fees and zero transaction fees. Click here for more info.
Withdrawal limits depend on the bank, and are usually between 5,000 and 10,000 Pesos, meaning fees from multiple withdrawals can really add up.
It’s also worth noting that in small villages, cash machines may have limited funds available.
With the method of sending yourself money to The Dominican Republic outlined below, you can send much more than ATM withdrawal limits and avoid having to make multiple withdrawals and the associated fees.
Major hotels take debit/credit cards, but cheaper accommodations, tourist sites and restaurants tend to only take cash.
You’ll find Visa and MasterCard are equally accepted by ATMs in The Dominican Republic.
Unfortunately, ATM fraud in The Dominican Republic is not uncommon. Avoid private/standalone cash points and look for those attached to banks as they are less likely to be skimmed and offer fairer fees and currency exchange rates anyway. Check out our Travel Money Tips for what to look out for and more general information covering pre-trip planning, fees, scams, and general safety.
Getting Cash Without Using ATMs In The Dominican Republic:
– Send Money To The Dominican Republic & Pick It Up Locally
With so many overseas workers sending money home to their families, there are lots of local cash pick up points to collect these funds.
In a similar way, you can use your ATM card (debit/credit) or bank details to securely send yourself funds online through a reputable International money transfer service that has a partnership with a local cash pick-up point.
Check HERE to see if there is a local authorized cash pick-up point where you are.
In The Dominican Republic, this is any branch of:
- Banco BHD
- For USD choose the Leon Branch
- For DOP choose the “other BHD” option
- Banco Promerica
- Banco De Reservas
- Banco Union
- Banco Del Progreso
- Caribe Express
If there’s a branch locally, then follow the step-by-step guide below.
– Step By Step Guide…incl fee free promo code
Note: The process is quicker than the detailed guide suggests. It is currently possible to send from 50 countries, however, Israel and a few others are not yet included due to local government policies
- To begin, click World Remit LTD
(IMPORTANT: If you don’t see ‘Dominican Republic’ in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines) - Once You have chosen ‘The Dominican Republic’ as the Country To Send To, click “Get Started”
- On the next page make sure the Cash Pickup tab is ticked and click “Continue”
- On the next page, where it says “Select a cash pickup payout network” choose the local pick up point you identified to be convenient in the previous section.
- Enter the amount to send in your currency or receive in Dominican Peso (DOP) or USD depending on which pick up network you chose in the previous step. The exchange rate & fee (which you can remove with a promo code later) will automatically show. Once you’re happy click “Continue”. You are then prompted to register / create an account.
There is no need for a referral code on this page as you will apply your fee-free promo code on the payment page as you process your money transfer. - Once registered you will input details of who you are sending the money to, so for the recipient, put yourself (as your name appears on your Passport) and use the address of your current accommodation. You will also be required to provide a local mobile number, however if you don’t have one, people have successfully used all zeros, or asked their accommodation to use their number. For the sending reason, select “Sending Funds To Self”.
- When it comes to payment details, it is important to make sure your name and address match the name on your Debit card and the billing address is used. Don’t forget to use the promotion code “FREE” (without quotes) on the payment page to get your first transfer FEE-FREE!
If your card payment fails for any reason, select the Sofort option and pay using your online banking log-in details. - Almost instantly you will receive a welcome email (don’t worry if this does not arrive) and a confirmation email of your transfer informing you to wait for a further email. In most cases this takes 10-30 minutes (longer if paying via bank details & not debit card or your financial situation is complicated). The final email will say whether identity / regulatory checks have been completed and inform you if your transfer is available to pick up. Note: Sometimes further information may be required from you before they can process the transfer in order to comply with regulatory requirements, however this is unlikely in most cases.
- Once complete just go to the pickup point you chose, show your Passport and for:
Banco BHD, Banco Promerica, Banco De Reservas, Banco Union, Banco Del Progreso network: quote “BTS” and the 11-digit reference number.
Caribe Express network: quote the 10-digit reference number to collect your money.
We update this guide every month or so, however, if you have any feedback to help keep this guide up-to-date or make it more comprehensive and easier for others to follow, please Message us on Facebook
Sending Money To A Bank Account Instead
You can also use the above method to quickly transfer money to an overseas bank account, perhaps to pay for your accommodation or an activity. The promo code above for NO FEE on your first money transfer also applies for these transactions.
Click HERE for this service.
IMPORTANT: If you don’t see ‘Dominican Republic’ in the Choose a Country To Send To list, this is because you must first choose which overseas country to send money from. The “Send From” option can be found at the top of the page on PC/Laptop. On mobile it is the last option in the drop down menu at the top of the page represented by the 3 horizontal lines.
Once You have chosen ‘Dominican Republic’ as the Country To Send To, click “Get Started”
On the next page make sure the ‘Bank Transfer’ tab is ticked, click “Continue” and proceed with your transfer.
For more information visit this FAQs section.
Wise, formerly TransferWise is another service that also offers bank transfers. If you are new to the service, and follow THIS LINK, you will automatically pay NO FEES on your first transfer of up to £500 (or the equivalent amount in any other currency).
Arguably the best thing about them is that they give you the mid-market rate on the currency exchange, so it’s much cheaper than a traditional bank to bank wire transfer. You won’t need any SWIFT or IBAN numbers, just the name of the account holder, their account number, the bank name and branch location.
Useful Links: