ATMs, Cash, or travelers Checks for CDJ?

[Mishu]

What did you guys take? I guess ATMs are the best, how is the availability in Juarez? Extra fees? I am a little worried about taking large amounts of cash. What do you guys suggest?

[Chapital]

we took a combination of cash, had cash in the account to use a debit card and charged what we could to credit. We also had some travellers checks and did not need to try to cash them in CDJ, but when my husband tried to cash them in Mexico City a couple months later he got all kinds of grief...basically took him a full day going from bank to bank trying to find one that would do it, and then over a hour for them to actually cash them...crazy! So, I wouldn't recommend travellers checks.

[Amazonmamita]

We brought some cash and used ATMs, and used our debit cards. We use Bank of America and I looked online, they are in agreement with Santander Bank in Mexico so I used those ATMs to avoid the high fees.

[Dorothea]

ATM or debit/credit card... We did keep some cash for meals, etc.

[Mishu]

We planned to take cash and debit card. I just don't want to run into any problems withdrawing money.

[Auntlily]

I'm glad someone asked this question.

What about paying at the medical? Do they ask for pesos or usa dollars? Cash or credit/debit?

How about for the interview (k-3 no waiver)? cash/credit pesos/dollars?

Anyone:gaah:??????????????????????

[nineten]

Amazonmamita, thanks for informing us about Santander Bank in union with BofA.

It's been several years ago but I'd used AAA traverler's check all over Mexico and never had a problem. I'm going to call them and ask if all is still going well with using theirs. (I'll also be getting the temporary int'l driver's license thing through them also in case the police were to take my license, etc.).

[christytorres]

Medical if I am not mistaken wants American dollars..but I might be wrong..for the like the Wavier..its cash or credit/debit..the card has to be in the person's name who is using it. We had both cash and debit card.

[Mishu]

Should we have U.S. cash for the medical or debit card?

[Dorothea]

They want US dollars. But I believe they take credit cards. :)
There are lots of ATMs around. There's a mall around the corner from the consulate and they have an ATM in the grocery store. The fee isn't too bad at all.

[Chapital]

Travellers checks might be used more easily at border areas and touristy places, but in regular neighborhoods in Mexico City it was almost impossible

[kanklet]

For the first appt. we took some cash for meals and for the medical appt. but then it turned out that we took too little for the medical appt. and so we had to go withdraw the money from an atm. we almost didnt make it on time to pay but we made it. Also, we thought thet only accepted us dollars but my husband paid some dollars and pesos. they take both you just have to pay the equivalent.

The second time for the waiver appt, we took everything cash, which was a lot of money because we had to pay two waivers, 601 and 212 so 545x2 plus our airplane fare. like 400us. i was a little worried but my husband and i divided the money, i kept the pesos 5mil pesos and he kept the us dollars 1600 us. he wanted to pay the waivers cash because you can use credit or debit, but we didnt want to risk them freezing our accounts because they would see a lot of money being spent in mexico, so we took cash and we had no problems. just dont ever leave any money in the hotel, of course, and if you have a lot of cash on you then put most of it away in a secret compartment on you, like in the tiny pocket in your jeans and leave like 10dollars or 15 for "el ratero". We have become familiar with mexico in the last 2 years and that all they need, even less maybe like 50pesos.

Well, take care everybody.