bahamas surcharge question

[Big Toes]

so i just now heard from the dive operator that i'm about to go visit for the next 9 days that if i want to use a credit card in the islands i'm going to get hit up with an extra 5% surcharge not just at the shop but all over the country. hearing this just in time for it to be the weekend and not being able to make it to the bank...

is this right or normal? with what we're doing down there this could be a significant chunk of change...

thanks.

 

[Marek K]

And that's on top of you credit card's foreign exchange fees?

If so, then it'd be interesting to hear how they can do that universally across the Bahamas. Individual businesses can give you discounts for cash if they want, since banks charge them for having customers use credit cards... but a blanket Bahamas-wide policy??

Sounds like a good reason to find the first ATM you can when you arrive at the airport...

*edit* See here:
http://www.undercurrent.org/UCnow/issues/y1999/UC0199/CreditCard9901.pdf

Looks like it dates from 1999, though...

 

[Big Toes]

yes. flying out sunday and was making final arrangements with the dive shop on exuma, which involved the credit card info that they had asked for, when i was told that i would be charged an extra 5% for using it. so much for the 10% discount i was promised for booking in advance...

i was then told to expect this pretty much bahamas-wide. i suppose i could have gotten travelers checks had i known about this in advance; it is now saturday. and, if i recall correctly, i pretty much got laughed at years ago when i last asked for those... and i'm sure as hell not walking around the islands with thousands in cash...

so thanks for the undercurrents info. guess i'll just be duking it out with these guys when i get down there.

erik