Money on Cozumel

[Jayfarmlaw]

Gordon is bringing a group. Presumably paying for the group. Remember the thread about needing 2 or 3 taxis to get anywhere? I'm guessing his dive bill is a lot more than $1000. Still, if the op wanted cash I would have brought the cash and unloaded most of it to them upon arrival, up to around $5k if I was trip leader.

Ahhhhhh....I remember seeing something about that. I took a group of 16 to Coz in the old days before the virus. Still paid cash. Just left the $$$ in the safe until it was time to tab out. If I remember correctly, they came to the resort to pick up the dive bags and we paid them there so I didn't have to go to town with that much on me. Walking with cash doesn't scare me. Using a Mexican ATM....yikes!!

Jay

 

[cvchief]

How about paying in Doge?

 

[BRT]

I remember 15 years ago heading from Cancun to Xcalak in a rental car knowing that we would have to pay cash for everything. And aware that anyone who knew what we were doing and thought about it would be aware we had a chunk of cash. I shouldn't admit it but we still travel that way in Q. Roo. Dive shops seem to like US dollars. One in Akumal used to have a sign on the wall that explained that because of high taxes there was a 12% discount for cash.

Many years ago we were in Merida and I saw a good exchange rate and exchanged $200 and put the peso's in my wallet. We then headed back to Q. Roo on a back road, looking at the small towns. When we decided we needed to get back on the toll road I asked a taxi driver in a tiny village to show me how to do it, and he asked for 50 pesos. When I pulled out my wallet and gave him the money a guy with him said "El tiene MUCHO dinero!" Apparently he had never seen $200 in pesos.

 

[ggunn]

Thanks for the replies, but I guess I will just continue with the ATM treks this time. Next time maybe I will do something different. BTW it’s just me and my wife diving 11 days. Most of the thundering herd do not dive.

 

[BrewingDiver]

Thanks for the replies, but I guess I will just continue with the ATM treks this time. Next time maybe I will do something different. BTW it’s just me and my wife diving 11 days. Most of the thundering herd do not dive.

That's what we did at BA. iIRC Eva gave a discount for cash too. I typically make 2-3 withdrawals for a week to 10 day trip, after the first one at the airport. I never bring pesos home and on occasion have just paid for miscellaneous small stuff in USD the last day or two rather than buy more pesos. Any left over just becomes tips. I do try to minimize the number of ATM transactions but also don't like having large amounts of cash on me or even in the room safe.

 

[GameChanger]

Xoom, (not zoom...) is my go to and is now part of paypal. Send the money to yourself and then go to the Electra across 11 from Mega to the Azteca bank in the back with your passport and the transaction number and pick it up.

And they warn you before you send it, if there will be a delay. They used to 'surprise' you with a delay.

I think the limit per send at Electra is like 66,000 pesos right now.

View attachment 659560

I have never used or even heard of XOOM so I checked it out. It looks like the max cash limit per day is $55,000 MXN. (~$2,775 USD).

So how do I match the city and state address if my ID reflects that I live in a city in Texas, but I am picking up the money in Cozumel?

 

[dflaher]

This thread is confusing me. Is the OP (Gordon) trekking to the ATM daily to pick up MXN or USD? At first I thought MXN but then don't dive OPs and hotels require payment in USD?

 

[cvchief]

I have never used or even heard of XOOM so I checked it out. It looks like the max cash limit per day is $55,000 MXN. (~$2,775 USD).

So how do I match the city and state address if my ID reflects that I live in a city in Texas, but I am picking up the money in Cozumel?

Well let me say, that xoom has mysterious rules and you may never inquire into them as no one will answer. I was going to buy a car a few years ago and I tried to 'get approved' to send larger amounts in a certain period of time. I sent in some paperwork and never really got an answer. Then I had a friend picking up at one point and they blocked him. I call and try to find out the problem. They basically refused to tell me anything about it or what I could do to fix it. I finally got a wink wink, delete him and put him back with a different email Did that and it worked ever since.

As to limits, that's weird too. As you can see, when I choose location and pick electra in Cozumel, I get 66,500. You can pick up at Oxxo to but it is a WAY smaller amount. Look up the Ched and they don't even tell you.

My approach has always been just roll with it. Don't look behind the curtain.

The only REAL issue I had was when they would randomly delay the money. You never knew why and if you call they wouldn't tell you either. They did fix that patrially in that before you send they tell you exactly how long it will take. Usually, it seconds. Like I have send money one my phone IN electra and picked it up.

On the ID, it doesn't matter. You need to use your passport to pick up and that doesn't have an address on it. Mine actually has my condo address on it, but I never show them anything but a us passport. I guess fill out whatever. I send emergency money to my niece studying in Spain with her us address.

Literally, send it, stick your passport in the passthrough to the teller, and slap you phone up on the glass with the email or text showing the transaction number.

They ARE super picky that the name on the send match the passport (or like INE card for Mexicans) EXACTLY. I got the dang 4 names slightly in the wrong order. Is paternal before maternal or ....

I had to cancel it, delete the recipient, add a new one with the correct order and resend. I did that while he was standing there in Electra.

 

[cvchief]

This thread is confusing me. Is the OP (Gordon) trekking to the ATM daily to pick up MXN or USD? At first I thought MXN but then don't dive OPs and hotels require payment in USD?

Ah, its Mexico, so they SHOULD accept the peso. Sure Dive ops often price in dollars so they get steady US value. ( I charge my diving because I charge EVERYTHING to get those point to keep that Southwest companion pass.) For my op, we look up the exchange rate of the day and convert it to pesos and run the card in pesos.

Interesting side note, it is illegal to have a menu or price list that doesn't have a price in pesos, I believe. The consumer protection agency will come after you. But they don't have a boat, so the dive ops are safe I guess.

I also imagine a number of op are charging in dollars and landing CC transaction in US bank accounts too.

 

[ggunn]

This thread is confusing me. Is the OP (Gordon) trekking to the ATM daily to pick up MXN or USD? At first I thought MXN but then don't dive OPs and hotels require payment in USD?

Paying dive bill in pesos, no problems. Paid hotel in US$ cash on arrival.