Payments in shops and restaurants?

[aknguyen]

Do the shops and restaurants accept US cash? Some of the websites I've found only list prices in pesos so I'm wondering if I need to bring some with me.

[ABQrobin]

Most shops will take cash, but never larger than $20 bills, and they may give you back change in pesos.  They will have the exchange rate posted on the wall most likely.  Try to pay in $5s and $1s, and get it as close to price peso exchange amount.

[aknguyen]

OK, thanks. I'll do that.

[dow cruiser]

Don't use a credit card. Ours was scanned twice for one purchase by a shady cashier in a store right on the pier. Capital One wouldn't take the charge off because the card was scanned. I told them the CC machine was under the counter and it still took two more phone calls to straighten out the fraudulent charge of $358 on a $128 original purchase. We earned our lesson!

[WisRiver]

We winter in the Progreso area.  When we were in Progreso several days ago, a restaurant had a menu in US dollar and Pesos.  The US dollar prices were about double the price in pesos, 30 pesos for a beer (about $1.61) at todays bank exchange rate.  The US dollar price was $3.  If you can get pesos at a reasonable price, use pesos.   Otherwise use US dollars being aware of the exchange rate.  Finally use a credit card (not a debit card).  If there is credit card fraud, it is easier to dispute the charges.  We only use our debit cards to get pesos from bank ATM machines.