← Part of the Aruba money guide
Arubachecked Jul 2026Do I need cash in Aruba, or can I use cards and dollars?
Short answer: you can do almost the whole trip on a card and US dollars, and you never need to exchange for florin. Here is how to pay, and the one habit that saves you money.
At a glance
Currency
Florin, but US dollars work everywhere
Cards
Widely accepted, no need to exchange
Cash for
Tips, taxis, beach vendors
On a card
Choose florin, not dollars
Cards and US dollars, mostly. Aruba's currency is the florin, fixed near 1.79 to the dollar, but US dollars are accepted almost everywhere and cards are widely taken, so there is no need to exchange money. Keep small US bills for tips, taxis, beach vendors and food trucks, where cash is easiest. On a card terminal or ATM, choose florin, not dollars, to avoid a conversion markup, and note many ATMs let you pick florins or dollars.
Dollars and cards do the work
US dollars are a de facto second currency in Aruba. Hotels, restaurants, shops, supermarkets, taxis and tour operators all take them, prices are frequently shown in both dollars and florin, and you can arrive with no florin at all. Pay in dollars and your change may come back as a mix of dollars and florin.
Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere, with Amex less consistent. A no-foreign-fee card is the easy way to handle hotels, dining and shops, and keeps you from carrying much cash.
Where you still want cash
Carry small US bills for the everyday extras: tips, taxi fares, beach chair and gear rentals, food trucks, souvenir stalls and the odd small shop. Change for large notes can be short, so fives, tens and twenties are easiest.
If you want local cash, ATMs are plentiful in Oranjestad, along Palm Beach and at the airport, and many dispense florins or US dollars, so pick the one you want. Expect a withdrawal fee.
The one money habit: choose florin on a card
Paying with US cash is fine and expected. The trap is on cards: if a terminal or ATM asks whether to charge you in dollars or florin, choose florin. Selecting dollars triggers dynamic currency conversion at a poor rate, while florin lets your own bank do the exchange more cheaply.
For the fuller money picture, tipping and the hotel taxes to expect, see the Aruba money guide.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Can I use US dollars everywhere in Aruba?
Almost everywhere. US dollars are accepted at hotels, restaurants, shops, taxis and tours across the island, and prices are often shown in both dollars and florin. You can arrive with no florin and be fine. Change may come back as a mix of dollars and florin, and cards are also widely accepted.
Do I need to get Aruban florin?
No. You do not need to exchange money before or during your trip, since US dollars work almost everywhere and cards are widely taken. If you want a little local cash, an ATM will give you florins or, at many machines, dollars. You will mostly encounter the florin as change.
Are credit cards accepted in Aruba?
Yes, widely. Visa and Mastercard are taken at hotels, restaurants, shops and tour operators, with Amex less consistent. Use a no-foreign-fee card, and when a terminal offers to bill you in US dollars rather than florin, choose florin to avoid a conversion markup.
Should I pay in dollars or florin on a card in Aruba?
Choose florin. Paying in US cash is fine, but on a card, selecting dollars triggers dynamic currency conversion at a marked-up rate. Choosing florin lets your own bank handle the conversion more cheaply. The same applies at ATMs: decline any offer to convert, and take the local amount.
More on Aruba
The little money things nobody warns you about.
- Tipping in ArubaAruba leans closer to US-style tipping than most of the Caribbean, thanks to heavy US tourism. Check the bill for a service charge, and tip a bit more if none is added. Here is what you actually owe.
- Do US citizens need a visa for Aruba?Short answer: no visa, but there is a form you must do before you fly, and it now costs 20 dollars a person. Here is what it is, and how to avoid paying extra to a lookalike site.
- Getting around Aruba: taxis, buses and carsShort answer: taxis run on fixed government rates rather than meters, there is no Uber, and a rental car or the cheap public bus fills the gaps. Here is how each works and what it costs.
- Aruba hotel taxes and fees, explainedShort answer: the headline room rate is not what you pay. Between government levies and hotel charges, a nightly rate can climb by a quarter to a third. Here is exactly what stacks on top.
Sources, and how this was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
- Central Bank of Arubathe florin's fixed peg to the US dollar
- Aruba Tourism Authoritythe widely accepted US dollar, cards and ATMs
Our own readCard acceptance, ATM fees and the cash-only points are our read from recent traveler reports, not a single official table, so treat the details as a planning guide. Checked July 2026.