Dollars or pesos — what each currency is good for
The Dominican peso (DOP) is the working currency of Santiago and the Cibao. Hotels and larger tour operators often quote in dollars, but supermarkets, local restaurants, gas stations and taxis price in pesos, and small vendors may not want dollars at all.
US dollars are still useful for the transfer itself, for hotel bills, and for tipping. But budget some pesos for daily spending in Santiago city, Jarabacoa or Puerto Plata town — it avoids the informal exchange rate some small vendors apply when handed dollars.
The practical split most travellers end up with: dollars for the transfer and the hotel folio; pesos for restaurants, taxis and shopping. Check the current exchange rate before you fly so you can spot a bad one on the ground — rates move, and any figure printed here would be stale within weeks.
Cash at the airport — exchange desks and ATMs at STI
Cibao International Airport has an exchange desk and ATMs in the small arrivals area, dispensing pesos, with some ATMs offering dollars. You will see them shortly after customs, on the way to the exit where your driver waits.
Airport exchange desks trade convenience for rate — the spread is usually worse than banks or exchange offices in Santiago city. Changing a small amount at the airport for the first day and the rest later in town is the common-sense middle path.
The important point for arrival day: none of this is urgent. With a booked transfer there is nothing you must pay for between the arrivals exit and your hotel. Your driver is outside with your name on a printed sign, and the ride is already priced.
Paying for your transfer — no cash scramble on arrival
Keep the agreed transfer fare separate from optional gratuities. Confirm the payment currency before travel, and use the published VIP rate rather than an old fare quoted elsewhere.
VIP prices are one-way, per vehicle for 1–6 passengers. Taxes included. Santiago $59; La Vega $89; Jarabacoa $149; Puerto Plata $145; Sosúa $159; Cabarete $169 USD. VIP 7–14: +$40 USD.
This removes the classic arrival problem: needing local cash, in the right denomination, at an unfamiliar airport, in the first ten minutes of the trip. A pre-booked private transfer means the first money decision of the trip can wait.
If anyone at the curb tells you the transfer 'needs to be paid in cash now' and offers to help, that is not our desk. Real questions about your booking go to WhatsApp +1 849 377 5889.
Tipping your driver — the honest answer
Tipping is voluntary, full stop. It is also genuinely appreciated: for most transfer drivers, tips are a real part of the week's income, and a driver who loaded suitcases in the heat and drove the mountain pass safely has earned the gesture if you feel like making it.
There is no official percentage. Travellers commonly hand over a few dollars per person or a flat note per family for a standard airport run, and more when the service went beyond the drive — car seats installed and ready, a supermarket stop, patience through a delayed flight. Dollars and pesos are both welcome; small bills are the useful thing to have.
A tip is never requested or expected as a condition — the quoted price is complete. If a driver or anyone else pressures you for a tip, message +1 849 377 5889.
Small cash moments on the ride
The ride itself has no cash moments: tolls on the Autopista Duarte or the Gregorio Luperón highway are included in the destination price, and the driver never asks for money mid-route. If you request an unplanned stop — a supermarket, an ATM, a pharmacy — say it at booking or on WhatsApp where possible.
What a legitimate stop looks like: the driver pulls into a real supermarket or bank branch, waits with the car, and nothing about the price changes unless the desk quoted the stop in advance.
The return and the rest of the trip
The return pickup works like the arrival: fixed destination price, paid as quoted, timed to your flight with the buffer your destination needs. Keep a few small bills back during the trip so the last day is not a hunt for change.
If you end the trip with leftover pesos, spend them before the airport or change them back in Santiago city rather than at the departure hall — the same convenience-versus-rate trade as on arrival, in the other direction.
Send the flight, get the price in writing
Hotel name, flight number, date and party size. We reply with the fixed rate, track the flight and meet you inside arrivals with a name sign. Pay the driver on arrival.
Book on WhatsAppQuestions we get on this
- Can I pay for everything in Santiago with US dollars?
- Not as reliably as in a resort zone. Hotels and larger operators often take dollars, but local restaurants, taxis and supermarkets price in pesos. Budget pesos for daily spending beyond the hotel.
- Do I need cash for my airport transfer at STI?
- No. A booked transfer is a fixed US-dollar price per vehicle, paid as you agreed at booking — tolls included. There is nothing to pay between the arrivals exit and your hotel.
- Should I exchange money at Santiago airport?
- Only a small amount if you want pesos for the first day. The airport exchange desk trades convenience for a worse rate than in-town options in Santiago city. Check the current rate before you fly.
- How much should I tip a private transfer driver in Santiago?
- There is no rule. Travellers commonly give a few dollars per person or a flat note per family for a standard run, and more for extra service like car seats or a supermarket stop. Dollars or pesos both work, and tipping is voluntary.
- Are there ATMs at STI airport?
- Yes — ATMs sit in the small arrivals area and dispense pesos, with some offering dollars. Your card issuer and the ATM operator set any fees, so check with your bank before travel.
- Will the driver ever ask for cash during the ride?
- No. Tolls are included in the quoted destination price and the driver never requests money mid-route. If anyone pressures you for cash or a tip, message the desk on WhatsApp +1 849 377 5889.