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We are flying from Toronto, Canada to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.

My question is regarding the currency that is accepted in DR. Resorts mainly, gift shops, on-resort grocery store, and tipping, (we have no plans for visiting towns or out-of-resort excursions)

  • Will Canadian Dollars (CAD) be accepted as payment and/or tips?
  • Will US Dollars (USD) be required?
  • Will I need to change to local currency, and if so, should I do it at Punta Cana airport, or at point of departure?

Secondly, is tipping common (it was almost required when we traveled to Cuba), and what is the common amount to tip to restaurant servers? How would I go about tipping the front-desk receptionist (or are they above this?)

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Dominican Republic's currency is the Dominican Peso, DOP.

It might be possible that Canadian dollars are accepted, but I suggest to use US dollars (USD), as they are widely accepted. In touristic areas (and resorts), restaurant menus and stores have their prices in USD. You can use either USD or DOP, they will be both accepted most of the time in touristic areas.

If you are changing currencies, most resorts have currency exchange, so you can do it inside the resort. Contact the resort you are visiting for that matter or they might already have that info on their website. I don't know about Punta Cana airport, it is possible they have an office of one of the local banks and you might be able to do the exchange there, but I don't have experience on that. 1 USD is about 43 DOP (as of may 2014. Google has a currency converter, you can check the query "1 usd to dop").

About tipping, I'll quote this:

Restaurant bills already include a ten percent tip. It is customary to give an additional 10% for good service. Most people do not tip taxi drivers, however if you feel so inclined for good service, a tip will certainly be appreciated.

Source (and you can also find more information on other topics in this link): http://www.godominicanrepublic.com/about-dr/practical-information-for-travelers/

And I'll add, apart from restaurants, it depends on the city you are because some cities are higher cost living than others, but 30-50 pesos is an ok to good tip. 100 pesos is a very good tip. If they gave you a good service, feel free to tip.

Edit: link and quote were updated at godominicanrepublic.com. Reflected those changes here.

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Yes, your Canadian money is accepted in the punta Cana area you don't need to do currency exchange but if you are going outside the resort you can ask them at the front desk to have a currency exchange for you. Also, usually when you pay a bill tips are included but is always nice to tip your room maid and those that take you around the resort, they will be more than willing to be the first to help you if you were to need anything. I am Dominican so I know my customs.

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