The Journal 8 min read
Cash, cards, ATMs and tipping in Aruba
Which currency to carry in Aruba, where cards work, ATM fees to dodge, and exactly who to tip and how much.
By The One Happy Aruba Team · Updated Sep 30, 2026 · How we know
Bottom line: Aruba uses the Aruban florin, but U.S. dollars are accepted everywhere and most places price in dollars from the start—you'll rarely need to convert currency. Cards work almost everywhere except the smallest beach-bar cash drawer, and ATMs are plentiful if you need a bit of cash for tips or a roadside truck. Bring about US$100–200 in small bills for the week to cover housekeeping, guides, and the occasional cash-only situation, then put the rest on plastic.
The currency situation
The official currency is the Aruban florin (AWG), pegged at 1.79 to the U.S. dollar. But in practice, Aruba runs on dollars. Restaurant menus, resort bills, tour operators, taxis—nearly everything is priced in USD, and staff quote you the price in dollars before you even ask. You hand over a twenty, they hand back change, and half the time that change is a mix of U.S. coins and florins. The florin coins are smaller and lighter than their U.S. equivalents, so after a couple of days your wallet is a rattling museum of two currencies.
The peg is rock-solid (it's been 1.79 since 1986), so if you do get quoted in florins, the conversion is simple: divide by 1.8 and you're close enough. Most cashiers will do the math for you. The only time the florin matters is when you're buying something priced in florins and paying in dollars—they'll round to the nearest practical figure, and you're out maybe a quarter on a US$40 bill. Not worth the mental energy.
A few travelers ask whether to exchange dollars for florins before arrival. The answer is no. There's no advantage, and you'd waste time and fees. If you somehow end up with florins at the end of your trip, spend them at the airport or donate them; U.S. banks won't take them, and the exchange booth at home will give you a terrible rate.
Cards, contactless, and the dynamic-conversion trap
Visa and Mastercard work everywhere: resorts, restaurants, car rentals, grocery stores, even the guy selling cold coconuts at Baby Beach. American Express is hit-or-miss—the big hotels and many restaurants take it, but smaller vendors and some car-rental desks do not, so pack a Visa or Mastercard as your primary. One community member summed it up: "Many establishments do not accept American Express."
Contactless and tap-to-pay work at most modern terminals. Apple Pay, Google Pay, no drama. The infrastructure is newer than parts of the rural U.S., so you'll tap more often here than you do at home.
The one card hazard is dynamic currency conversion (DCC). When you pay, the terminal may ask whether you want to pay "in your home currency" or "in local currency." Always choose local currency—in this case, USD if the merchant processes in dollars, or AWG if they process in florins. If you choose "home currency," the terminal's processor sets the exchange rate, and it's almost always 3–5% worse than what your card issuer would give you. This scam is especially common at resort gift shops and jewelry stores. Just tap "local currency" or "no conversion," and your bank handles it at the interbank rate.
Before you leave, call your card issuer and let them know you'll be in Aruba. Most banks are smart enough not to flag Caribbean transactions anymore, but a heads-up never hurts. One traveler noted they used their debit card without issue after "contacting the issuing bank beforehand to avoid transaction blocks."
Check your card's foreign-transaction fee. Many travel cards (Chase Sapphire, Capital One Venture, most credit unions) charge zero; others ding you 3% on every swipe. Over a week that adds up. If your card has a fee and you're booking this trip more than a month out, open a no-fee card and use it for everything. We cover points-friendly flights and routing in detail here.
ATMs: which ones, fees, and how much to pull
ATMs are everywhere—Oranjestad, the resort strips, grocery stores, gas stations. The major banks are Aruba Bank, RBC, and Caribbean Mercantile Bank (CMB), and their ATMs are reliable and stocked with U.S. dollars (you can also pull florins, but why bother). The machines dispense twenties and sometimes tens, so if you need fives or ones for tips, break a twenty at a bar or restaurant.
Fees are the usual international ATM racket: your U.S. bank likely charges a flat fee (US$3–5) plus a percentage (1–3%), and the Aruban ATM may tack on another US$3–6. That's US$6–11 per withdrawal, so pull enough to cover several days rather than hitting the machine daily. If your bank reimburses ATM fees (Schwab, Fidelity, some credit unions), you're golden—use the ATM whenever you want.
How much to withdraw? Most people pull US$100–200 at the airport or resort and that covers them for a week. If you're planning a couple of boat trips or an ATV tour and the operator asks for cash (rare, but it happens), you might pull another hundred mid-week. Otherwise you'll leave with a stack of ones you forgot to use.
One quirk: some ATMs ask whether you want to withdraw "with conversion" or "without conversion." This is the same DCC trap as with cards—choose without conversion so your bank does the exchange at the real rate.
How much cash to bring for a week
If you're the kind of traveler who puts everything on a card, bring US$100 in mixed bills—mostly fives and tens, a few ones—and that's plenty for daily housekeeping tips and the occasional cash-only snack shack. If you like having cash as a backup or you're planning to tip generously, bring US$200. Anything beyond that and you're either overthinking it or planning to fund a poker night.
Most expenses go on a card: your resort folio, dinners out, car rental, excursions, groceries. The fixed-fare taxi system publishes rates on taxi.aw and drivers expect payment in cash or card—most have card readers now, but cash is faster. Tours and boat operators almost always take cards, though a couple of smaller outfits still prefer cash; they'll tell you when you book.
The beach-bar economy is about 50/50. The bigger spots take cards; the tiny palapa bar might be cash-only, though they'll usually walk you to an ATM if you're short. One traveler mentioned a Sunday buffet at Seabreeze for US$49 per person—that would go on a card. Another raved about a couples massage on Renaissance Island, noting "credit card required"—so even the spa on a private island runs plastic.
Keep your cash in your hotel safe or split it between your wallet and a second stash in your luggage. Aruba is one of the safest islands in the Caribbean, but petty theft from rental cars and beach bags does happen, especially at remote beaches. Don't leave a wallet on your towel while you snorkel at Mangel Halto and expect it to be there when you get back.
Tipping: who, how much, and when
Tipping in Aruba sits somewhere between U.S. expectations and European restraint. Many restaurants add a 10–15% service charge automatically—it's printed at the bottom of the menu or the bill—and that charge goes to the staff. Check the bill before you add more. If service was genuinely great, add another 5–10% on top; if the service charge is already there and service was fine, you're done. If there's no service charge, leave 15–20%.
One community member warned: "Service charges are longstanding but inconsistent across establishments. Check bills before tipping and calculate totals to reach approximately 20% rather than layering additional gratuity." Translation: some places print "service charge included" but still leave a tip line blank, hoping you'll double-tip out of habit. Do the math.
Here's the breakdown by role:
| Role | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Housekeeping | US$2–5 per day | Leave daily; new staff may clean each day. Put it on the pillow or desk. |
| Restaurant server | 15–20% (or 5–10% if service charge) | Check the bill first. |
| Bartender | US$1–2 per drink, or 15–20% on a tab | More if they're making you a proper cocktail. |
| Taxi driver | Round up, or 10% if they helped with bags | The fare is fixed; rounding to the next five or ten is normal. |
| Tour guide / boat crew | US$5–10 per person | Cash, at the end. More if they went above and beyond. |
| Porter | US$1–2 per bag | Rare—most resorts don't have porters at check-in. |
| Spa therapist | 15–20% | Often added automatically; check the bill. |
At all-inclusive resorts, housekeeping and bartenders still appreciate tips—the "everything's included" model doesn't always mean staff are well-compensated, and US$2–3 per day for the person scrubbing your shower is the right thing to do. Some resorts pool tips; others distribute them individually. Either way, tip.
Photographers are a gray area. One traveler noted: "Tipping photographers is discretionary but appreciated when they provide extra service beyond the agreed scope, such as additional poses or extended time." If you book a session and they deliver what you paid for, the quoted price is enough. If they stay an extra half-hour chasing the golden-hour light or throw in a dozen extra edited shots, a US$20–40 tip is a nice gesture.
What travelers report
The community consensus is that Aruba is low-friction for money. One traveler mentioned using a debit card "without issue" after a quick call to the bank. Another praised a taxi driver who "provided a contact card and arranged alternatives when unavailable"—the kind of service that earns a generous tip and a saved phone number for the next trip.
A renter using Sixt noted they "purchased supplemental liability coverage for approximately $43" on top of the basic policy—that would go on a card at the counter. (We cover car-rental strategy and insurance separately; most U.S. credit-card rental coverage is honored here, so read your card's terms before you pay for redundant CDW.)
On the tipping front, travelers were split. Some reported excellent service and tipped accordingly; one called out Driftwood Fishing Charters, which "offers the option to have the catch prepared at an affiliated restaurant"—a setup where you'd tip the boat crew, then tip the restaurant separately if the meal is great. Another slammed Wacky Wahoo for "poor service quality, excessive wait times beyond estimates, and an unpleasant dining atmosphere"—the kind of meal where you pay the printed service charge and not a dollar more.
The most practical advice came from someone who noted: "Bring small bills." A stack of fives is the difference between smoothly tipping your guide and awkwardly asking for change after a snorkeling trip. U.S. currency works everywhere, cards work almost everywhere, and if you forget both, there's an ATM two blocks away. Aruba makes money easy.