When using a credit card in Belize, at a restaurant, grocery store or any shop that accepts credit cards, is the card charged in $US or $BZ? Can I request it be charged in $US? Just wondering which of my major credit cards to bring, as one charges a foreign conversion fee (MasterCard) and one does not (Visa). Thanks!

Our VISA has a 3% "foreign transaction fee" -- doesn't matter if it is charged in US $or not. When not using cash we use our debit card which has a 1% transaction fee so still a charge but less.

No. The merchant charges in Bz and its converted (for a fee) by the originating bank in the US. Use your Visa.

Bear is right, use your Visa.Also try to find the cheapest ATM,you will need some cash. I think Scotia Bank has cheapest fee not sure......Anyone know???

Use your Visa. Mastercard always charges me a 3% fee. Visa charges me 3% or $3.00, whichever is cheaper. Then again cash is your best friend!

American Express doesn't charge any foreign transaction fees. We use AMEX any where we can and pay cash for everything else.

All my cards charged, Visa, American Exp., MasterCard until last year when I did some research and found Capital One MasterCard...no fees no charges and 1% payback when purchasing international.

MaryMo....I find it hard to believe that American EXp doesn't
charge you exchange fees....better check your statement.
Is yout card registered in the US?

It's true -- the Amex Platinum and Centurian cards have no foreign exchange fees. Of course the Platinum annual fee is US$450.

We also have an American Express but it is a Costco TrueEarnings card. They charge 2.7% fee. Our credit union debit card charges 2%. And... I double-checked the Visa (Chase/Amazon) again and what do you know? They are now charging 3%. One more card to check, hubby's company Citibank card. Really don't like to carry a lot of cash so we may be using the debit card.

Amex is not as widely accepted on the island as Visa and M/Card, only through Belize Bank merchants and their fees are higher.

That's what I thought, and why I didn't include it in the initial selection. Good to know!

Like, as already suggested, I use a Capitol One Visa and the charges are very small. I find that card to be the best and it is my choice in Belize.

I'm not sure in Belize but when I was in Mexico recently I used my USA bank ATM card in an ATM machine at the bus station and the fees where, I think, about 1% or less. I was going to look it up but can't log into my account at the moment. I think it was $1.45 for 2,000 pesos or about $135 USD.

Does anyone have experience with using a bank ATM card in San Pedro. I would like to know.

I'm a little amazed at the the original poster. Should I use a card that charges a transaction fee, or a card that doesn't?!
I got a Cap 1 card years ago, specifically for Belize b/c it didn't hit me the 3%. Charges in Belize always in BZ$, they, the CC co, adjust based on that days market(it is not 2 to 1 on your cc)

It's a new benefit for 2012. I just looked on my statement -- no fees.

My main question was if charges could be made in US$. The rest was thinking out loud, personal reasons for which card to use. Come to find out all my cards charge a fee. But you're correct in that there are cards that do not charge fees and I will need to look into those. Some may not charge a conversion fee but their annual fee (see MARYMO's American Express Platinum) far outweighs the 3% conversion fee for our once-yearly international trips.

Sorry Dana, Looking back at my first answer, I simply said "No" and you might have overlooked that reply. If you think about it would you imagine that a Belizean visitng the US would get his tab charged in Bz$?

Now maybe there is some special international card merchant account operating in USD that has such a provision but the merchant is probably going to have to pay (dearly) for that customer convenience and they're already getting nicked a xaction fee of 3 to 4% right off the top for the "convenience" of accepting your card in payment. The chances are slim that any merchant in Bz, (lol, other than like, maybe, Francis Ford Coppola's places), are going to be doing that.

Based on our experiences and the explanantions given to me, the merchant's credit card account/bank requires that the charge be made in the currency of merchant account origin. The banks are (now) required to apply the prevailing daily rate of exchange to in any currency conversion (thanks for reminding me of that kreh) so they have to see original currency charge. Now you might see a bill presented for your convenience in USD (based on the merchants interpretation of 2:1) but the charge is made in the unadulterated Bz amount and forwarded from the merchants bank to the cardholders bank for "legal" conversion.

If there is one constancy it seems to be how banks can work together to make money off the card holders and merchants on both sides of the "fence" and either of those parties will pay extra for any additional "convenience". Maybe call your credit card company and ask the question for a definitive answer, but I already suspect what the answer will be.

I should have mentioned that my American Express is also a Costco card. But my Capital One Platinum is just an regular CC that doesn't charge exchange fees.
Good Luck and go slow!

Bear, I saw your reply and understood. No, US merchants do not charge in any other currency but US$, but they also don't accept anything but US$, cash or credit. Belize accepts both their own and US$, so it was worth asking. From previous experience, St. Kitts for example, most of the merchants accepted $US and would charge credit cards in US$ (their currency is the East Caribbean dollar). I believe Anguilla did the same but don't quote me on that.

Belize has US$ Offshore Banking in and while I'm not certain on the detail I beleive this is why it's not possible/illegal to have US merchant Accounts here.

Here's a half decent list of "American" credit cards that don't have FTF:
http://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/top-credit-cards/no-foreign-transaction-fee-credit-card/

My friend has a Schwab card that she swears by, with no FTF, and I just picked up a Chase Ink (their version of AMEX) solely for the free FTF (and the sign-up bonuses).

I also thought the AMEX Cosco had no FTF, but after the last trip to Asia, I got RAPED by the fees, and won't do that again. Now I call to confirm w/ the CC company before leaving US.

Absolutely Dana, always worth a question. Maybe they were using an Int'l credit card merchant account funded in dollars. They might be less expensive with fewer bank regulations in the British West Caribbean than Bazeeze. You can get an Int'l card account in Bleize that is funded and uses USD here in Belize but they cost an arm and a leg and the credit issues are ridiculous.

Ah Dana! The good old $$BeeWee...we were on St Kitts & Nevis like 30 years ago, fabulous place, Brimstone Hill, I could have wandered that fort for days; stayed at the OTI Ocean Terrace Inn (Golden Rock on nevis). No casino (on either island at that point)the friendliest people, went back again about 5 years after that and the changes had already started.

We use a Chase Sapphire VISA, Great card. Hell can you belive that I actually complimented a credt card company, sheesh I must be gettign senile...