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How to pay in Maldives | Money exchange and card use
Before traveling to a new country we are always plagued by the question: Is it worth it and how to pay there? Do you accept cards? Where do I exchange money? And you are right to ask yourself because specifically Maldives is a very curious country to pay, its local currency is not always accepted, there are very few ATMs and the few that exist charge high commissions...
Before and during our trip to the Maldives we did not know this and we had many doubts about how to pay the minimum commissions. But don't worry because now we are clear how to pay in Maldives And we're going to explain it to you.car in detail in this article.
Currency in Maldives
In Maldives the official currency is Rufiyaa or Maldivian Rupee, with slight variations over the years the exchange rate is around $1=16MVR and €1=17MVR.
Despite the Rufiyaa being its official currency Maldivians prefer payments in dollars and if you go to a resort, which are usually private islands, payment in dollars is mandatory.
Do they accept Euros in Maldives?
Small businesses do not accept euros, but many hotels and tour agencies do. Even if they accept euros, I DO NOT recommend you ever use them. because they apply (in the vast majority of cases) the same conversion rate as for dollars, that is, €1=$1. This means that your expenses They can end up costing you between 10% and 20% more. caro because the rate is usually 1=$1,15. Therefore avoid paying with euros at all costs.
Dollars, the best way to pay in Maldives
The best way to pay in Maldives so as not to lose money is in cash with dollars brought from home. For me the easiest and most practical way to get them is through the web Exact Exchange. These are some of the benefits and facilities;
- They have the best exchange rate in SpainIf you find a better one they will match it and there are no commissions additional.
– If you have dollars left over you can go to an office and they will buy back up to 50%.
– Changing more than €500 will give you send home for free (valid for the Peninsula) or you can also pick it up at their offices.
If this option does not convince you, you can also ask your bank or go to an exchange office in your city.
Do they accept cards in Maldives?
Well it depends, if you are going to travel to local islands as was our case, I would not trust the use of cards too much. On the other hand, if you visit a Resort, as I understand it, all payments can be made by card.
Our experience in Guraidhoo, Maafushi y gulhi is that tour companies, some restaurants and some hotels accepted card payment, but always with an extra 5% commission. Other small businesses did not accept card payments.
So you cannot blindly trust in being able to use the card and you will also always pay an extra 5%, something that carrying dollars in cash from home will avoid.
How to pay in Maldives: Recommended cards
We always travel with two travel cards each, which we use to pay and socar Money is essential in all destinations. Although carrying cash is the best way to pay in the Maldives, I recommend bringing at least a travel card. TradeRepublic y N26 are our favorite wallet cards.
If you don't get to use it, think that you already have it for other trips, it has no maintenance cost, you only pay for shipping home once.
With the N26 or with Traderepublic In the Maldives you will avoid the abuses that traditional banks make when paying in any currency other than your own.
ATM ATMs in Maldives
As the years go by and tourism on local islands in the Maldives becomes popular, banks and ATMs appear on different islands, but still they are very rare so running out of money depending on which islands can be a problem.
If you don't have cash you will find a ATM at the Airport and also on some islands like Maafushi or Rasdhoo, Do a good search on Google Maps before you go to make sure because in many others there aren't any.
The ATM in Maldives charge a commission of about €5 In exchange, nothing cheap. With the travel cards that I recommended in the previous section, you still have to pay this commission because it is charged by the Bank of Maldives, but you do avoid other commissions from your Spanish bank that are usually much higher.
How to pay in Maldives with Rufiyas?
Although the entire article recommends that you take dollars to the Maldives once part of these dollars will be to exchange Rufiyas also known as Maldivian Rupees. These will be very useful for paying in small food stores and restaurants where the price is in Rufiyas and if you want to pay in dollars they will round up so little by little you will lose money.
An example; If a dish costs 40 Rufiyas in dollars it would be $2,61 but the price will be rounded up to $3. It is also because cents on the dollar are practically non-existent there that is why such rounding is so brutal.
To get Rufiyas you can change at the airport, both in the official exchange house and in some gentlemen who are there offering a better exchange rate (it is their business and although it may surprise you, they are trustworthy). If you change at the exchange house and keep the receipt, they will buy back the remaining rufiyas upon your return. I don't know if there is any limit or how it works exactly, so it's best to make sure by asking.
But don't worry, the airport is not the only place where you will be able to exchange currency. In many of the establishments you ask, for example a souvenir shop, change dollars to rufiyas And if they don't, I'm sure they know someone who does.. We changed twice in stores and once in a Guraidhoo Dive Center.
Conclusion, how to pay in Maldives?
I know that paying in the Maldives can be a bit of a hassle so here is a small summary of how to pay in the Maldives;
Restaurants: Cash in Rufiyas
Excursions: Cash in dollars
Accommodation: Cash in dollars
Supermarkets: Cash in Rufiyas
souvenirs: Cash in Rufiyas
We hope that this article on how to pay in the Maldives is as useful to you as it would have been for us to read it before traveling to the Maldives. If you want to know more about our trip you can see the stories featured on Instagram or read our others articles.
thanks for these guides!!!!!!!!!!!!
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