If you do a search on currency, you'll come across a few opinions on this topic on other threads :daveandmo: We're ordering pesos from our bank and taking with us.:flagcanada:
On the 'Dollars or Pesos' thread, here is what Steve commented: "I'm not sure where this "Mexican staff prefer dollars" comes from, I think it's an Internet myth - I've seen it many places, not just on this board. Outside of the hotel zone people dont use dollars and of course the staff do not live in the Hotel Zone. Places like Walmart and restaurants in the central downtown area will accept dollars but that's just a convenience to US tourists. You certainly can't pay your electric or phone bill in dollars and local shops where these guys and girls live wont take them either. If you tip in dollars they probably save them up and convert them to pesos anyway at the bank. Tipping in pesos saves them the trouble. As the original poster is from the UK I really wouldnt bother with dollars at all, converting from pounds to dollars to pesos just adds in an extra complication you could do without. BTW the peso is now 13.5 to the dollar, the dollar is strengthening against all currencies not just the pound, so it's no longer an easy 10:1 conversion any more. Far simpler to use pesos and apply a 20:1 conversion rate for real money."
We use USD. Never met anyone that wouldn't take them. It may sound selfish but then I don't have the trouble of exchanging monies & what I take home, I can spend @ home. The exchange rate isn't an issue, they figure it out & it's not hard to check.
Well this is our 8th trip to Mexico and we've never had a problem giving US money and never had a complaint from the staff of any of the resorts we have been to ... Right now the exchange rate is good so it is a good time to take advantage and anything left over will be put away for next years trip! LOL Unless we bite the bullet and go to Cuba!! Rick still says no way!! LOL Faye & Rick :lotsofmichaelfs:
I still stand by that, but my reply was in reference to someone saying the staff preferred tips in dollars, rather than personal money. I'm sure the staff will be happy to take tips whichever way they come, although US$ will be a slight inconvenience to them for the reasons stated above. If you're not really intending to leave the hotelzone much, then USD suffice as well as pesos - tours and nightclubs can be paid in either currency. You may get stung on the exchange now and again which would be rare the other way around. But if you are familiar with USD then you might as well use them. Just that for people outside the US they are usually equally as unfamiliar with the USD as they are the Peso - so I'd suggest they use the Peso and avoid the exchange rate stings and juggling 2 unfamiliar currencies instead of 1.
