Does anyone know if the money exchange locations on the USA side of Tecate are open Sundays? Last time we went to Baja we exchanged dollars/pesos at
Costco in Chula Vista, which turned out to be less favorable than in Tecate.
Thx,
Rayweebray - 1-19-2020 at 09:12 AM
Ray, You will find no better exchange location than your nearest ATM. Anything else will be inconvenient and expensive. This is the 21st. century.Bob and Susan - 1-19-2020 at 09:22 AM
there IS a limit at the ATM
don't assume an ATM works ALL the time
surfhat - 1-19-2020 at 09:38 AM
In order to avoid the San Isidro money changers at the Tijuana border, I found a supplier located in a bank in Carlsbad by the name of Travel X.
I don't know many outlets they manage, but the convenience of getting all the peso one needs ahead of time and not exposing our vehicles to the San
Isidro mayhem, is worth the effort.
Their rates are comparable to any others as far as I have been able to confirm, and the convenience surely is worth considering.
Happy New Year!
ATM!!
thebajarunner - 1-19-2020 at 09:41 AM
I use them all over Mexico, never a problem
If you have a need for bigger withdrawals then talk to your bank,
some banks will make an adjustment for you
I have a good friend who has a couple condos in Puerto Vallarta
He needs big bucks every months for the condo fees
Has a withdrawal limit up over $2k (US) daily
When we go down as a group every year I am the "El Fi$cal"
And I have 6 guys take the max, that gives me enough pesos to negotiate for the week.AKgringo - 1-19-2020 at 09:44 AM
In November of 2016, there was a period of time where not only the ATMs in Mulege, and Loreto refuse to dispense pesos for my US accounts, but the
banks refused to exchange my US currency for pesos!mtgoat666 - 1-19-2020 at 09:53 AM
Does anyone know if the money exchange locations on the USA side of Tecate are open Sundays? Last time we went to Baja we exchanged dollars/pesos at
Costco in Chula Vista, which turned out to be less favorable than in Tecate.
Thx,
Ray
Yes, they are open on Sunday.one of them is named baja-mex casa de cambio. You can probably call for hours.
I would not listen to advice to use ATM. If you are infrequent user of ATM outside of country, you risk using ATM and experiencing your bank
declining transaction due to fraud alert or some other snafu.
I find it easier to use a cambio at border. Yes, you may lose a few cents per dollar at cambio, relative to atm, but so what? Takes 5 min to stop
at cambio and change some cash and avoid atm problems... price of convenience advrider - 1-19-2020 at 10:00 AM
We always exchange in Tecate after we cross, rates were the same as the US side. They are open on Sunday, don't know the name of the place. stay on
the road that you cross the border on until it tee's into the main drag in Tecate, you have to go left or right, go right. About a mile down on the
right is the exchanger, you will see several on the way all with about the same prices.. David K - 1-19-2020 at 10:13 AM
I advise to convert to pesos before crossing, be it at Costco Chula Vista or at a Casa de Cambio near the border crossing. The reason is, if your ATM
card doesn't work (as noted above) or the machine in Mexico eats it, you are screwed. Best to have all that you need before crossing south.
Do notify your bank should you need more pesos in Mexico so the card will work in an emergency. The other point is that dollars are accepted
everywhere in Baja Norte and pretty much so in Baja Sur. Sure, they may not give you the latest or best rate, but as said, it is only cents on the
dollar. Dollars are a second currency in Baja Norte, locals use them all the time in markets, etc.
So, using pesos is easier, no worry about conversion math or getting the correct change and you get the most for your money. But, if you don't get
pesos for whatever reason, dollars work fine. I just don't trust sticking my card into a foreign bank ATM. If it gets eaten, the bank doesn't have
great hours and I wouldn't want to be stuck at that location waiting for it to open to get my card back.Mr. Bills - 1-19-2020 at 10:13 AM
For my last trip I ordered pesos from my bank prior to departure (Wells Fargo) at a rate more favorable than the Chula Vista Costco and the cambios on
both sides of the border in Tecate.
A friend used Travel X in Carlsbad and reported a good rate there. If I recall correctly, he was also able to return his unused pesos there without
paying an additional commission.
I only had one occasion to use an ATM in Baja on my last trip - inside a bank in Vizcaino. It dispensed the pesos I needed without a hitch, probably
because I had filed a travel plan with Wells Fargo before my departure.
BajaMama - 1-19-2020 at 03:49 PM
I use my bank - easy, convenient. I usually exchange about $1,500 worth, no fee from the bank, their exchange is a little less than official rate.
Ya, it ends up costing me about $20 for the difference but the convenience of not having to stop is worth it to me.vespaio - 1-19-2020 at 04:48 PM
Thanks for the many choices. I'll probably exchange currency before entering Mex.BajaBlanca - 1-19-2020 at 08:20 PM
Wells Fargo has a wonderful system in place for sending cash to yourself in Mexico.
It is called EXPRESS SEND. You can send up to US$1500 a day to yourself or anyone else at almost any store in Baja - Walmart for example, to many
banks, telecomm locations and more.
The first transaction MUST be sent from wells fargo to yourself, after that it is done online in seconds. It has been a life saver for us in La
Bocana.
EDIT TO REMOVE OXXO AS A PICK UP POINT
[Edited on 1-20-2020 by BajaBlanca]JZ - 1-19-2020 at 09:06 PM
If you have a need for bigger withdrawals then talk to your bank,
some banks will make an adjustment for you
I have a good friend who has a couple condos in Puerto Vallarta
He needs big bucks every months for the condo fees
Has a withdrawal limit up over $2k (US) daily
When we go down as a group every year I am the "El Fi$cal"
And I have 6 guys take the max, that gives me enough pesos to negotiate for the week.
I have a $2K limit on two of my debit cards. The problem isn't with the US bank.
It's that a lot of MX banks limit how much you can take out, either per transaction or per day. This increases the fees. And definitely not all
banks in MX work. It's quite hit or miss. I've also seen banks that did work, stop working.
I still take money out in MX, but it's definitely a good idea to get a chunk of cash converted to pesos. mojo_norte - 1-20-2020 at 06:51 AM
Wells Fargo has a wonderful system in place for sending cash to yourself in Mexico.
It is called EXPRESS SEND. You can send up to US$1500 a day to yourself or anyone else at almost any store in Baja - Walmart or OXXO for example, to
many banks, telecomm locations and more.
The first transaction MUST be sent from wells fargo to yourself, after that it is done online in seconds. It has been a life saver for us in La
Bocana.
OXXO - seriously - wow. How do you mean the first transaction must me sent from Wells Fargo to yourself? to you have to send from a Wells Fargo branch
in person?BajaBlanca - 1-20-2020 at 07:26 AM
Let me clarify, the first transaction has to be set up, in person, at wells fargo and from then on, it can always be done online. The name of the
person must be exactly as shown on their passport or whatever document will be used for ID.
You can send the cash to anyone, anywhere in Mexico. (Perhaps other countries too but we only do Mexico).UnoMas - 1-20-2020 at 07:30 AM
Ray,
I use ATM's all the time but only ones that are attached to banks in case there is a problem, it also gives you more per with drawl than the others. I
have two Debit cards, one business and one personal.
I have been getting 8,000 pesos per card at the banks and have found that Banamex has the lowest fee. The fee is the same if you take 5,000 or 8,000
so I always get the max. It is a good idea to take some pesos with you to start until you find a bank to use your card, U.S. dollars work in a pinch.
Been using my debit card for 20 years and have always been able to get money.BajaBlanca - 1-20-2020 at 07:42 AM
and we had SO MUCH hassle with the cards doubling the charges. We always got the cash returned but it took quite a while and it is the US bank that
returns the money.BajaBlanca - 1-20-2020 at 07:50 AM
I just went online and checked and the locations one can pick up cash DOES NOT include Oxxo (sorry mojo-norte) but does include:
BBVA, SANTANDER, BANORTE, BANSEFA, FAMSA, SORIANA, TELECOMM-TELEGRAFO AND WALMART.wilderone - 1-20-2020 at 07:52 AM
That small shopping mall (cluster of shops around a gas station) on the US side, with the convenience store is open Sundays, and very early too. They
exchange pesos and also sell car insurance. When I'm on a camping trip and know I'll be offroad most of the time, I buy insurance online for the
return trip days, and buy at this little store for the days for the trip down. They have hot coffee, muffins. bajatrailrider - 1-20-2020 at 08:08 AM
Wells Fargo has a wonderful system in place for sending cash to yourself in Mexico.
It is called EXPRESS SEND. You can send up to US$1500 a day to yourself or anyone else at almost any store in Baja - Walmart for example, to many
banks, telecomm locations and more.
The first transaction MUST be sent from wells fargo to yourself, after that it is done online in seconds. It has been a life saver for us in La
Bocana. I have been using Express send for years . They don't let you send more then 500.00 per day at a charge of 5 bucks. They give a very
high rate you have to have copy of I'd to give them . Wondering how you get to exchange 1500. When they have limit of 500.00
EDIT TO REMOVE OXXO AS A PICK UP POINT
[Edited on 1-20-2020 by BajaBlanca]
surfhat - 1-20-2020 at 10:47 AM
Thanks Lencho for the hack news about TravelX.
I took dollars to be changed the last time so I don't recall having to give out any bank info, but I guess there might have been some personal info
required to make the transaction. I do remember using my passport for an ID so that could have been compromised.
It has been almost a year so I should be in the clear, but still good to know for the next time.Marc - 1-20-2020 at 02:00 PM
I have been using Wells Fargo in Palm Springs. I pay an extra point or two but so what! I figure a budget, then double it. I never use a Mexican ATM,
bank, or money changer.
[Edited on 1-20-2020 by Marc]Bob and Susan - 1-20-2020 at 02:08 PM
travelx is a very low rate
they have pesos but charge you for them
example: if you get 18 to one at the border you get 16 to one at travelx
wells fargo is the same KurtG - 1-20-2020 at 03:41 PM
I have used ATM's in Baja for as long as they have existed despite the warnings that it will lead to financial ruin and disaster. My bank is always
aware of my travels and I carry a spare card linked to my primary account. Also my bank refunds any out of network charges.
I have a few of what I consider common sense methods. I only use bank ATM's when the bank is open so I have some recourse if I have a problem. So
far that has never happened. I tend to use specific bank ATM's that I am familiar with and where I feel secure. While I carry enough cash for an
emergency the ATM's allow me to travel without carrying excess cash. There are places like Mulege where the ATM's are not real dependable so I just
make sure I get enough on my way south. The Bancomer in Vizcaino used to be a problem but the last few times I have stopped there they have more
ATM's and a bank employee there for help if needed. In Santa Rosalia I have found the ATM at the Ley Supermarket to be dependable and in Loreto the
Banco Azteca also.
I just find it easier to deal in Pesos, for me it seems less complicated than paying in one currency and getting change in another. Also in towns
without a bank it can be inconvenient for merchants to take dollars since they are not making deposits often and so have to worry about changes in the
exchange rates.
If you are concerned about ATM problems and you are comfortable carrying relatively large amounts of cash then by all means do so. Just take all the
warnings of ATM catastrophic malfunction with a grain of salt.BajaBlanca - 1-21-2020 at 05:06 AM
Kurt, what we found using ATMs is that you cannnot go into the bank when there is an issue.
You can only talk to your own bank.
Major headache and since we live here, so we had to use the ATM (at the time) often.
For us, Wells Fargo has been a game changer. paranewbi - 1-21-2020 at 06:25 AM
Kurt, what we found using ATMs is that you cannnot go into the bank when there is an issue.
You can only talk to your own bank.
Major headache and since we live here, so we had to use the ATM (at the time) often.
For us, Wells Fargo has been a game changer.
Hi Blanca,
Yes, I was writing from the perspective of a tourist. As permanent residents in an area with no bank your situation is much different.weebray - 1-22-2020 at 08:21 AM
I believe it was over 30 yrs. ago when I first went to the "hole in the wall", stuck in a plastic card and it spit out real cash! To this day it still
astounds me. Over time there have been occasional hiccoughs. Always they have been rectified. Never have I lost anything but time or convenience. It's
easy, it's the hands-down most economical method. If your world does not have an ATM you don't need cash.
Walmart?
AKgringo - 1-22-2020 at 02:11 PM
I stopped at Walmart in Calexico to top off a few supplies that I knew would be available there, and son of a gun, they also exchange currency!
Was it the best rate? Don't know, don't care, it was damned convenient and I did not have to stop again before I headed for the border!
