Quick answer. Withdraw pesos from the Scotiabank ATM in arrivals and decline dynamic currency conversion. Scotiabank is the Dominican Republic's Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, which is unusual in the Caribbean and worth using if you hold a BoA card. The bigger SDQ mistake is treating Santo Domingo like Punta Cana: this is a capital city where restaurants, supermarkets and hotels in the Zona Colonial run on cards, so you do not need a thick stack of pesos. What you do need cash for is the informal layer, the conchos and motoconchos, the colmado on the corner, and the Mercado Modelo. Note the geography too. Las Américas sits near Boca Chica, roughly 30 km east of the city, so the transfer is a genuine leg of the journey and there is no rail link into town.
Where to get Dominican Peso at SDQ
Santo Domingo has one clearly correct answer and several expensive ones. The ATM fee here is a flat peso charge rather than a percentage, so the cost of a withdrawal falls the more you take out at once. The math below assumes you withdraw the peso equivalent of $100.
| Option | Where | Markup | Total Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotiabank ATM at SDQ with a BoA card | Terminal A arrivals | Interbank rate, Alliance partner, no surcharge | ~$100 |
| Scotiabank or Banco Popular ATM, larger withdrawal | Terminal A arrivals | Interbank rate + flat peso fee spread over more cash | ~$97 |
| Bank ATM + Schwab (fee refunded) | Terminal A arrivals | Interbank rate, ATM fee refunded | ~$100 |
| Small ATM withdrawal, flat fee on a low amount | Terminal A arrivals | Interbank rate + the same flat fee on less cash | ~$93-95 |
| Airport exchange window | Arrivals | Counter spread over the interbank rate | ~$88-92 |
| Paying dollar cash at the hotel's own rate | In the city | House rate set by the property | ~$88-93 |
Where the ATMs are at SDQ, and how much of Santo Domingo actually runs on cash
Las Américas is the Dominican Republic's capital gateway, and it behaves differently from the resort airports on the east coast. Arrivals holds ATMs from Scotiabank, Banco Popular Dominicano and Banreservas alongside the usual exchange window. Scotiabank is the one to look for first: it is the country's Bank of America Global ATM Alliance partner, so a BoA debit card skips both the operator surcharge and BoA's 3 percent non-network fee, a combination you will not find in most of the Caribbean. Banco Popular has the deepest network once you are in the city and is the reliable fallback. Watch the per-withdrawal caps rather than the headline fee: the flat operator charge is the same whether you take out 2,000 pesos or 10,000, so a single larger withdrawal beats three small ones, and some machines cap far lower than you would expect. Decline DCC and choose Dominican pesos every time.
Terminal A (main arrivals)
American, Delta, United, JetBlue, Copa, Avianca, Air Europa, Iberia and the Caribbean regional carriers
Clear customs and stay in the arrivals hall: the Scotiabank, Banco Popular and Banreservas machines sit near the exit doors, past the exchange window. Withdraw once and take a larger amount, since the fee is flat. Choose pesos, never dollars, when the screen offers conversion. The authorised taxi rank and the ride-hail pickup area are immediately outside.
Do you actually need cash at Santo Domingo (SDQ)?
Only for the informal side of the city. The taxi, the Uber, the Zona Colonial restaurants and the supermarkets are all card territory. Here is what getting into town costs:
Authorised airport taxi to the Zona Colonial (~US$40): Fixed rate posted at the rank, roughly 30 to 45 minutes along the Autopista Las Américas; drivers take pesos or dollars and most now take cards, though confirming before you load the bags saves an argument.
Uber (~US$25-30): Bills to the card in the app at the Visa or Mastercard rate; widely used across Santo Domingo, though airport pickup rules shift so check the app on landing.
Hotel or pre-booked transfer (~US$35-50): Paid in advance online, which removes the arrival negotiation entirely; the usual choice for late-night landings.
Rental car (~US$40+ per day): Counters are in the terminal and bill to a card, but keep small peso notes for the Autopista toll booths and for parking attendants in the city.
⚠ DCC trap. When the ATM or terminal asks if you want to be charged in your home currency instead of the local currency, always decline and choose the local currency. Accepting locks in a 3-13 percent markup that your no-FX-fee card cannot undo. Full DCC explainer →
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need cash to get from Santo Domingo (SDQ) to Santo Domingo?
No. The airport taxis, Uber and pre-booked transfers all take cards. Carry pesos for the conchos and colmados once you are settled in the city, not for the ride in.
Can I order Dominican Peso before flying?
You can, but it matters less here than in a cash economy. CEI Currency Exchange ships Dominican pesos to your US address in 2-5 days, which is useful if you land late and want taxi money in hand. Otherwise the Scotiabank machine in arrivals is a better rate.
Where are the ATMs at Las Américas International Airport?
In the arrivals hall after customs. Scotiabank, Banco Popular Dominicano and Banreservas all have machines there. Take the Scotiabank one if you hold a Bank of America card, since Scotiabank is the DR's Global ATM Alliance partner and the withdrawal comes through without the surcharge.
Should I exchange money at SDQ?
Only if you have no card at all. The airport exchange window sells pesos at a visible spread over the interbank rate, while the Scotiabank or Banco Popular ATM 20 steps away gives you the Visa or Mastercard rate for a flat fee of a few dollars. Change enough for the taxi if you must, then withdraw properly.
Is Scotiabank really a Bank of America partner in the Dominican Republic?
Yes, and it is worth checking before you fly because Scotiabank's Caribbean and Latin American footprint has been shrinking. Scotiabank stayed in the Dominican Republic and remains the Global ATM Alliance partner here, so BoA cardholders withdraw without the 3 percent non-network fee. That is not true everywhere in the region: Scotiabank sold its Costa Rica retail business, for example, which left that country with no Alliance partner at all. Confirm on Bank of America's own partner list close to departure rather than trusting a guidebook.
How much cash do I need in Santo Domingo?
Less than the resort towns need, but not zero. Restaurants, hotels, supermarkets and the bigger shops in the Zona Colonial, Piantini and Naco all take cards without fuss, and Uber bills in the app. Pesos are for the informal layer that never went digital: the conchos and public carros that run set routes for small change, motoconcho riders, colmados, market stalls at the Mercado Modelo, parking attendants, and tips beyond the 10 percent service charge that is already added to restaurant bills. A few thousand pesos covers several days of that.
How do I get from SDQ into Santo Domingo?
By road, and it is further than people expect. The airport sits near Boca Chica about 30 km east of the city, with the Autopista Las Américas running in along the coast, so allow 30 to 45 minutes and considerably longer in rush hour. Authorised airport taxis charge a fixed rate to the Zona Colonial that is posted at the rank and paid in pesos or dollars. Uber operates in Santo Domingo and is usually cheaper, though airport pickup arrangements change, so check the app on landing. The Metro does not reach the airport.
Should I pay in US dollars or pesos in the Dominican Republic?
Pesos, essentially always. Hotels, tour operators and some restaurants quote in dollars because the tourist economy is priced that way, and they will happily take dollar bills, but the house rate they apply is theirs to set and it rarely favours you. Paying by card in pesos runs the transaction through the Visa or Mastercard rate instead. The same logic applies at the terminal when it offers to charge your card in dollars: that is dynamic currency conversion, and it costs several percent.
Can I spend leftover Dominican pesos after I leave?
Not usefully. The peso is not a currency that trades well abroad, so bureaux outside the country either refuse it or quote a punishing spread. Withdraw in step with what the trip actually needs rather than front-loading a big cash pile on day one. If you do end up holding a stack, spend it before check-in, or use the bank window in the SDQ departures area to convert back, keeping in mind that reconversion is easier when you can show an exchange or ATM receipt.