Paying For Things In Bonaire

[kattle32]

Sort of a random question, I know. We're going back to Bonaire mid-May. I've got fight and accommodations paid for with an AMEX that we're using to get bonus sign-up miles.

Problem is I don't think AMEX is very welcome there. Anyone had success using prepaid VISA cards (as opposed to just using a VISA credit card)?

Trying to plan how to get the most during this trip!

Thanks,
Kat

 

[jimw]

One or 2 car rentals take Amex and Amex has a special insurance deal for pickup trucks. I just got a new overview document from them. I have used it on Bonaire and elsewhere--Call Amex before you go to set it up. Ask here and on www.bonairetalk.com where Amex is accepted. There won't be a great many places. A prepaid Visa should work as well as any Visa card and they are accepted most places.

 

[herman]

You are correct, Amex is not accepted much on Bonaire. I see no reason to get a prepaid Visa, been using my "regular" one for years with no problem.

 

[The Chairman]

They accepted my Visa and MC debit cards with no problems.

 

[mbs]

Was amex that bad there? We used to use our delta amex and don't recall a problem. But has been a few years since we switched to united visa. No clue on prepaids internationally...

 

[choiahoy]

Most places didn't take my Amex.

 

[uncfnp]

You are going to risk a business not accepting your Amex. Is there a reason for using a Visa prepaid vs an actual Visa credit card? There are several good travel Visa options available now including the Venture card.

I do not like to travel internationally without a card that is widely accepted.

 

[TulsaTime]

Anyone had success using prepaid VISA cards (as opposed to just using a VISA credit card)?

I've not been to Bonaire at all but there's one difference between credit and prepaid cards that you need to be mindful of and that's the pre-authorization that occurs at restaurants and pay-at-the-pump gas stations.

Using the gas station as an example, when you first insert your card before pumping, they have no idea how much gas you're actually going to pump so they pre-authorize the card for a certain amount, usually $75-100. When you're finished pumping, the actual amount is sent for final reconciliation but this reconciliation may not occur for anywhere from a few hours to a day. This means that that pre-auth amount of $75-100 is tied up until reconciliation and so you may have money on the card but can't actually use it.

Same thing applies to restaurants in order to allow for a tip after the card is first authorized.

 

[Silty Sam]

It's a good idea to let your bank know in advance that you'll be using the card internationally.

 

[KathyV]

I you decide to get a new visa to use during your trip to Bonaire, be sure to get a card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. I know that US dollars are the official currency on Bonaire but you can still get charged foreign transaction fees when you use your credit card in another country, and they can be 1, 2, or 3%!