Hi,
My family will be making our first trip to Bonaire in August 'o5. What major credit cards are generally accepted? Is the Discover card usually accepted? Thanks

I've never been able to use my Discover card there. Take a Master Card or Visa.

American Express is gaining acceptance, too.

Thanks for your responses. I prefer to use Discover, but was concerned it would not be widely accepted in Bonaire. Thanks again

I would also suggest contacting your CC companies and tell them of your travel plans. This will avoid the problem of suspecting fraud when your card is processed far from home.

Discover can tell you what vendors they do business with in Bonaire. I would expect it to be a short list though.

ATM's are plentiful too.

Henry, also keep your credit card reciepts with your "valuables" a lot of places still leave the full credit card number on the reciept, and if you throw it away without destroying it first, it can be problem. There was a gal a while back who had her receipts in the bags with her purchases, and when she arrived home the bags were gone, and her credit card had been charged for a variety of internet purchase (and not by her)...

Geoffrey has a good idea, along with making a photo copy of both the front and back of your cards in case something happens to them, you will have all the info (of course, keep these documents safe as well).

Have a great time!

Discover is not accepted at a whole lot of places and American express while most places have the logo they will ask for another card since it takes so long for mercants to get paid and also if there is a dispute, it is next to impossible to settle that merchants would rather avoid them like a palague. Yes, do be sure to notify your card company that you will be using the card outside of the US since it is difficult to call them using WATS numbers.

I'm not sure what the fuss is about AMEX - we started taking credit cards for our art sales company (Bonaire Creations B.V., which offers the credit card processing at the Cinnamon Art Gallery on Bonaire), and the difference in time between processing AMEX and MC/VISA is about 2 days (AMEX taking longer). That's no great shakes, and we do find that most people making larger purchases seem to prefer using AMEX (I know I prefer using AMEX when I travel). In terms of the merchant percentages, it's about a .1% difference in fees - pretty negligible if it's going to make the customer feel more comfortable making a purchase. (I should note that we use MCB for our merchant card processing - maybe it's more difficult for merchants who use RBTT Bank.)

I do agree that there are some merchants who show AMEX logos, either on their doors or on the pay folders you get at restaurants, but then say they don't take AMEX. However, there are only a few places on Bonaire I frequent where AMEX is not accepted, but MC and Visa are (It Rains Fishes and Telbo come to mind).

More typically you'll find places which accept no credit cards at all - only cash, checks (sometimes), and possibly Maestro cards (local debit cards).

AMEX is accepted at places like Cultimara (yes - our downtown supermarket takes AMEX!), Littman's, Capriccio's, Imperial Sushi, our Gallery, all the major hotel restaurants and the hotels themselves, etc. I've never had any of these places suggest I use a different card.

As for Discover Card, you're pretty much out of luck - that's a very U.S. centric credit card, and thus not internationally known or accepted (although undoubtedly there are exceptions).

Jake

Don't forget to check w/your CC co. re: foreign currency exchange "commissions." Some VISA cards are now charging the credit card holder a 3% fee on top of purchases made outside the USA (even if a purchase is charged to the VISA in US$, like most are here). Not exactly a nice souvenir of your trip.

Re: Amex-yes Jake, it is (or was; I'm not up on these things now) very difficult for a merchant to accept AMEX if he's not banking at MCB. About the pay-folders (the things restaurants present a guest-check in)--that's a simple one: Amex was the only co. giving those away for the longest time; never saw any from Visa or MC, no matter how many requests were made.

Also you can get US dollars at the ATMs with no fee - maybe they get it in the exchange rate but it's not much if they do.