Do most businesses take Visa or Mastercard?
Also what about Travelers checks?
Or should we bring cash.

David,

Most but not all businesses take credit cards. I always take about $200 cash and then hit the ATM if I need more. The ATM can spit out cash in guilders.

I agree with Gregg, ATM's are convenient, and mean you don't have to carry large amounts of cash daily, or go thru the signature verification ID/hassle of traveler's cheques. But be sure to know your PIN code in numbers (not as a name) because some ATM's don't have letters next to the numbers.

David - ditto to Ruth...plus the atm at the bank north of town (beside Buddy Dive, Mango, etc) doesn't charge a fee; will, in fact, give you US currency or guilders; gives you a printed receipt if requested; offers you a choice of languages...all this IF your sponsoring bank allows your atm card to be used out of the US. Most do, but we found that our bank (credit union, actually, which probably explains it)needed you to request that they "authorize" use on atm systems outside the US for specific periods of travel. No problem at all once that's done. There are very few major expenses that you can't put on plastic (even the larger supermarkets accept them, if I remember correctly) so generally a few hundred in cash or tc's will do.

DSAO

David
Credit cards are widely accepted, but a problem I noticed on my last trip was that some stores began adding a surcharge, something like 2 to 3%, on credit card purchases. I just HATE those charges, so I ended up paying cash. The Maduro & Curiel bank ATM, located near the movie theater and at the Cultimara market, in Kralendijk, accept bank cards, even my canadian one, without problem.

Our bank said any cirrus or pulse atm could be used. Are any of the banks on Bonaire on ether of these systems?

David I dont know what bank you bank with but I work for a big bank and they use both of those networks and I did not have any problems while in bonaire.

I am 99% sure Maduro is Cirrus

Let me take away that 1% of doubt, Seb... MCB is Cirrus.

Thanks everyone for the help. Our bank couldn't tell me.