Colombia (Lonely Planet, 5th Edition) - Jens Porup [256]
Small change is scarce on the Caribbean coast, the Pacific coast and in small towns; hoard your change. Forged peso notes do exist; to avoid forgeries change money only with licensed moneychangers and pay taxi drivers with exact change whenever possible.
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Credit Cards
Credit cards are common in Colombia and used extensively in the major cities and larger towns. When paying with a credit card, you will be asked, ‘¿a cuantas cuotas?’ (how many payments?). Colombian customers can choose to divide the payment over one to 24 months. Foreign cardholders should just say ‘one.’
The most useful card for cash advances is Visa, as it’s accepted by most banks. MasterCard is honored by a few banks. Other cards are of limited use.
You can get advance payments on cards from the cashier in the bank or from the bank’s ATM. In either case you’ll need your PIN number.
Make sure you know the number to call if you lose your credit card, and be quick to cancel it if it’s lost or stolen.
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Money Changers
You are better off using your ATM card in Colombia, as you will get a much better exchange rate. The US dollar is the only foreign currency worth trying to change in Colombia; expect dismal rates for euros, pounds sterling, Australian dollars etc.
Many but not all banks change money; in major cities and in border regions there are usually several casas de cambio. Avoid changing money on the street. Most unofficial moneychangers are laundering drug money; the ones on the street have fast fingers and often dodgy calculators, making it highly unlikely you’ll get a fair deal. Colombia produces more than 25% of the world’s counterfeit US notes, which is yet another reason to avoid changing money on the street.
Your passport is required for any banking transaction. You’ll also have to provide a thumbprint. There’s a fair amount of paperwork involved in changing money (to prevent money laundering). Most casas de cambio will see you on your way in five to 10 minutes; banks are often crowded and can take a lot longer.
Shop around for the best rate, as it can vary by several percent in the same city, or even the same block.
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International Transfers
If you need money sent to you quickly, MoneyGram (www.moneygram.com) and Western Union (www.westernunion.com) are your two principal options. MoneyGram is much cheaper, and is what most overseas Colombians use to send remittances home to their families.
Your sender pays the money at their nearest MoneyGram or Western Union branch, along with a fee, and gives the details on who is to receive it and where. You can have the money within 15 minutes. When you pick it up, take along photo identification and the numbered password they’ll give the sender.
Both services have offices in all the major cities and most smaller towns.
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Tipping & Bargaining
In midrange and top-end restaurants expect to see a 10% service charge added to the bill. In midrange restaurants it’s acceptable to decline to pay the service charge with a polite ‘sin servicio, por favor.’ In top-end restaurants refusing the pay the service charge is likely to bring a manager to your table to inquire what was wrong with your meal.
Bargaining is limited to informal trade and services, such as markets and street stalls. In areas where taxis are not metered, especially the Caribbean coast, haggling is essential. If you don’t like the price make a point of going to the next taxi in the queue. Haggling is also very productive for intercity buses. Outside of holiday periods you can usually get a 30% to 40% deduction on the quoted price simply by shopping around.
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Traveler