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Money in the Philippines, sorted.
A calm, current plan for the money side of your trip: why you carry cash here, where a card actually works, the ATM habits that save you fees, and the free entry form you must do before you fly.
Good news for shoppers: the Philippines now refunds its 12% VAT to foreign tourists under a new law (RA 12079). You can claim the tax back on goods of at least 3,000 pesos per transaction bought from accredited stores and carried out of the country within 60 days, refunded electronically or in cash. The law was signed in late 2024 and the Supreme Court upheld it in July 2026, and it is still rolling out, so the network of accredited stores and refund counters is growing. Ask whether a shop is accredited before you count on it.
The three things people ask
Will my card work? Do I need cash? Are ATMs easy?
The quick read for a first trip.
Your card
Fine in the cities and hubs
Visa and Mastercard are taken at malls, hotels, bigger restaurants and chains in Manila, Cebu and the main tourist areas, with Amex less consistent. A no-foreign-fee card covers that side of a trip. On any terminal, choose pesos, not dollars, so your own bank sets the rate.
Check yours →Cash
The default off the malls
Most everyday spending is cash: jeepneys, tricycles, sari-sari stores, markets, carinderias and the smaller islands rarely take cards. Carry small bills (20s, 50s and 100s), since change for large notes can be short, and the peso is the only thing many places accept.
How much to bring →ATMs
Low limits, a fee, scarce on islands
Cities and malls have plenty, but foreign-card withdrawals are often capped at 10,000 to 20,000 pesos and add roughly a 250 peso fee each. Choose pesos and decline any dollar conversion, pull larger amounts less often, and take out enough before heading to remote islands, where machines are few.
See ATMs in Philippines →(opens in a new tab)Cash or card
Cards work in the cities and hubs. Most everyday spending is cash.
A rough feel for everyday spending. Cards are fine at malls, hotels and bigger restaurants in Manila, Cebu and the tourist hubs. Cash takes over for jeepneys, tricycles, sari-sari stores, markets, small carinderias, tips and the smaller islands, where cards and ATMs are scarce.
See what the trip really costs →Your money plan
Four steps and you're set.
Before you go
- Complete the free, mandatory eTravel registration at the official site, etravel.gov.ph, within 72 hours before you fly. It is free, so avoid the lookalike sites that charge for the same form.
- Bring a no-foreign-fee Visa or Mastercard for the cities, plus a fee-free ATM card (Charles Schwab refunds ATM fees worldwide; Wise and Revolut are low-fee) and a backup.
- You do not need pesos in advance. Pull cash from a bank ATM on arrival rather than exchanging at home.
- Have your onward or return ticket handy, since immigration can ask to see it.
At the airport
- Use a bank ATM in the terminal, choose pesos, and decline any offer to charge in dollars.
- Take a Grab or an official airport taxi from the marshalled rank, not a driver who approaches you, and insist on the meter.
- Set up an eSIM before you land, or buy a Globe or Smart SIM at the airport, which must be registered with your passport.
- Keep small bills for the taxi, a porter or a first meal.
Day to day
- Card at city malls, hotels and bigger restaurants.
- Cash for jeepneys, tricycles, markets, carinderias and the smaller islands.
- On cards and ATMs, always choose pesos.
- Keep cash for small island eco or terminal fees (Boracay, El Nido, Coron).
A golden rule
- Pull cash in bigger, fewer chunks. ATMs cap withdrawals low and charge about 250 pesos each, so a few larger pulls beat many small ones, and always choose pesos, not dollars, on the screen.
- Keep small bills, and cash for the islands. Jeepneys, tricycles, markets and remote islands are cash-only, and change for large notes is scarce, so break big bills when you can.
Staying connected
Will my phone work here? And what will it cost?
Yes, and it is cheap. The carriers are Globe, Smart and DITO, coverage is strong in Manila, Cebu and the main tourist areas and patchier on remote islands, and mobile data is inexpensive. A local prepaid SIM is cheap but must be registered with your passport under the SIM Registration Act, so a travel eSIM from Airalo, Nomad or Holafly is the simplest option if your phone supports it. Wi-Fi is common in hotels, cafes and malls, though island connections can be slow. You will want data for Grab and for maps. The cost is where people get caught out, and on most US plans it lands in one of two buckets.
Your plan may already include it
Often, do nothing
Some US plans include slow data abroad at no extra cost. If that is you, the honest move is to leave it alone.
we earn nothing
Or it charges quietly, after the fact
The bill lands later
On pay-per-use plans the cost runs in the background while you travel, and the charge can show up weeks after you are home. Forgetting to switch off data roaming is the classic one. For a week or more, an eSIM is usually cheaper and keeps you in control.
Check what your own carrier charges before the trip, not after.
If an eSIM is the cheaper call, Nomad covers Philippines.
Get your Nomad eSIM→(opens in a new tab)we may earn a commissionMedical cover
The one cost with no price tag.
Every other number on this page has a price you can look up. This one does not, and it can be the largest of them all. Most US health plans cover little or nothing once you leave the country, and Medicare covers essentially none of it abroad. A serious illness or injury is paid up front, and a medical evacuation runs from tens of thousands of dollars to past $100,000 if you are remote or an ocean from home.
First, you may not need to buy anything.
A cheap, refundable trip close to home does not need this. And if you are healthy, headed somewhere with good care, and one of the premium cards on the shortlist above already includes emergency medical and evacuation, you may be covered already. Check your card's benefits guide before you buy. Saying that costs us the commission, and it is still the right call.
How much cover matters here
Care in the main cities is good, but costs add up and reaching top care from a remote spot takes time, so it is worth a real look for a trip here.
If you do want cover, this is what it is for: the evacuation and the up-front hospital bill, the part no card limit is meant to absorb.
Enough for most trips
Faye, or a comparable whole-trip policy
Bundles trip protection with emergency medical, which is enough cover for most travelers on a typical trip.
The deeper end
A dedicated travel-medical plan built for serious care and evacuation abroad
Stronger on medical care and evacuation, for a remote or higher-risk trip where that is the real exposure.
If it happens
Call it first, then call your insurer's 24/7 assistance line, which is what confirms payment and arranges an evacuation. 911 is the nationwide emergency number for police, ambulance and fire, adopted across the Philippines in 2016. It works from any phone, though in remote areas a local landmark and a Filipino speaker help. Private hospitals in Manila and Cebu are good; island and rural care is limited, so travel insurance is worth having.
TrueTripCosts explains the gap and points to options. It does not set your coverage amounts or act as your insurance advisor, and every policy carries its own exclusions, so read them before you buy. Emergency number checked Jul 2026. Confirm the current number before you travel, as local lines can change.
Currency basics
The peso, in plain terms.
Quick conversion
About 60 pesos (the peso sign is written before the number) to 1 US dollar in 2026, so 1,000 pesos is roughly 17 dollars and a 300 peso meal is about 5. To picture peso prices in dollars, divide by about 60. Prices include 12% VAT.
Cash-first, especially off the malls
Cards work in Manila, Cebu and the tourist hubs at malls, hotels and bigger restaurants, but sari-sari stores, markets, jeepneys, tricycles, carinderias and the smaller islands are cash. Carry small bills, since the peso is the only thing many places take and change for large notes is scarce.
ATMs: low limits and a fee
ATMs are common in cities and malls, but foreign-card withdrawals are often capped around 10,000 to 20,000 pesos and add roughly a 250 peso fee each. Choose pesos rather than dollars, pull larger amounts less often, and carry enough cash before heading to remote islands, where machines are few.
Tipping is modest
Tipping is not obligatory. Restaurants and hotels often add a 10% service charge to the bill, so check first: if it is there, that is the tip. Otherwise rounding up or about 10% is generous, and small cash tips for drivers, porters, guides and boatmen are welcome in a low-wage service culture.
Real exchange rate
What your money is really worth here.
This is the mid-market rate, the one the banks trade at and the yardstick every other rate is measured against. Your card lands a little below it, and if a screen ever offers to bill you in dollars, that is worse again. So this is the number to expect, and how you spot a bad one.
1 US dollar is about 60 PHP
Taxes and the new VAT refund
A 12% VAT in the price, now refundable on tourist shopping.
Prices in the Philippines include a 12% VAT, and restaurants and hotels often add a 10% service charge on top, so a bill can carry both. There is no nightly tourist tax, though some islands charge small local eco or terminal fees (a few hundred pesos, in cash). The change worth knowing is new: under RA 12079, signed in late 2024 and upheld by the Supreme Court in July 2026, foreign tourists can now reclaim the 12% VAT on goods of at least 3,000 pesos per transaction bought from accredited stores and taken out of the country within 60 days. The refund can be electronic or cash. It is still rolling out, so ask whether a shop is accredited before you count on it, and keep your receipts and the goods unused.
Fees and taxes to double-check
The numbers most likely to change.
These are the fees and taxes that move on political timelines, so we track each one on its own. Every line shows the amount, whether it is in effect yet, the date we last checked it, and a primary source where a clean one exists.
eTravel registration
Free and mandatory online, within 72 hours before arrival and again on departure
Tourist VAT refund (RA 12079)
12% VAT refundable on goods over 3,000 pesos from accredited stores, taken out within 60 days
Before you book: passports, the six-month rule and whether you need a visa. Not a US citizen, or connecting through Europe? The rules can differ, and even a layover can need its own visa. See our passports and visas guide →
Watch out for
The small traps that catch first-timers.
Tipping
Modest, and often already on the bill.
Tipping in the Philippines is modest and not obligatory. At restaurants, check the bill first: a 10% service charge is often already added, and if it is there, that stands in for a tip, though leaving a little extra in cash for good service is welcome. Where there is no service charge, rounding up or about 10% is generous. Round up taxi and Grab fares, tip a hotel porter 50 to 100 pesos a bag and housekeeping a little a day, and tip tour guides, drivers and boatmen a few hundred pesos for a good day out. Small tips in cash are appreciated across a service culture where wages are low, but nobody will chase you for one.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Can I use US dollars in the Philippines?
Not for everyday spending. The currency is the peso, and while a few hotels and tour operators may quote or take dollars, shops, restaurants, taxis, jeepneys and markets expect pesos. Change money at a bank or an authorized money changer in town rather than the airport, where rates are poor, or simply withdraw pesos from a bank ATM. Cards work in the cities.
Do I need cash in the Philippines?
Yes, more than in most places. It is a cash-first country: cards are fine at malls, hotels and bigger restaurants in Manila, Cebu and the tourist hubs, but jeepneys, tricycles, sari-sari stores, markets, carinderias and small islands run on cash. Carry small peso bills, and top up at an ATM before leaving the cities, where machines get scarce.
Do US citizens need a visa for the Philippines?
No. US citizens can enter visa-free for up to 30 days for tourism, extendable through the Bureau of Immigration. You need a passport valid for at least six months, an onward or return ticket, and the free, mandatory eTravel registration completed online within 72 hours before arrival. eTravel is also required when you leave. Complete it at etravel.gov.ph and avoid sites that charge a fee.
What are ATMs like in the Philippines?
Common in cities and malls, but with two catches: foreign-card withdrawals are often capped around 10,000 to 20,000 pesos per transaction, and most banks add a fee of roughly 250 pesos each. Pull larger amounts less often to save on fees, always choose pesos rather than dollars on the screen, and carry enough cash before heading to remote islands, where ATMs are few.
Is there a tourist tax or a VAT refund in the Philippines?
There is no nightly tourist tax to hand over, though some islands charge small local environmental or terminal fees of a few hundred pesos in cash. Prices include a 12% VAT, and restaurants often add a 10% service charge. New since late 2024, foreign tourists can reclaim the 12% VAT on goods of at least 3,000 pesos per transaction from accredited stores, taken out of the country within 60 days.
How much cash should I bring for a week in the Philippines?
It depends on your style, but because the country is cash-first, plan to keep a fair amount of pesos on hand. For two travelers, roughly 15,000 to 30,000 pesos in cash across a week (about 250 to 500 dollars) beyond card spending covers transport, markets, small restaurants, island fees and tips, topped up from ATMs. Keep it in small bills.
What it really costs
What you'll really spend in Philippines.
Your flights if you want them counted, your room, your on-the-ground spending, the two fees most US cards add without telling you, and Philippines's tourist tax. One number, nothing waiting on the statement. No bank to pick, no sign-up, nothing saved.
Optional. Enter your round trip fare per traveler to fold flights into the total.
In Philippines, plan for about $0.
Realistically somewhere between $0 and $0.
Whether at an ATM or a card terminal in a shop or restaurant, always choose to be charged in the local currency, not dollars. Paying in dollars (called dynamic currency conversion) lets the machine set its own, worse, exchange rate on top of any fee.
Rough guide, not a quote. The percentage here is a blended stand-in for a typical US card's foreign fee, not your exact rate. The real number moves with the card you carry: one no-foreign-fee card can cover both sides, while a plain rewards credit card only removes the fee on what you buy, and cash still costs a little unless that card also waives ATM and foreign-cash fees. A debit card, or accepting the "pay in dollars" (dynamic currency conversion) offer at a till or ATM, can push it higher. Rates checked Jun 2026 and rounded.
How this estimate is built
These are the assumptions behind the number. Change the room price, nights, travelers, or travel style above, and every line here moves with them.
- Hotel
- Daily spending
- Flights
- Cash vs card
- ATM withdrawals
- Foreign fee
- The range
- Tourist tax
Not sure which card to bring? See my pick for Philippines.
Already carry a card with no foreign transaction fee? Then you are set for Philippines, and can skip this. There is nothing to buy.
If you are getting a card for Philippines, this is the pairing I would pick: a no-foreign-fee credit card for spending, and a fee-free ATM debit card for cash. We earn nothing on these today. Always confirm the current fee with the issuer before you apply. Checked Jun 2026.
Capital One charges no foreign transaction fee on any of its cards.
No foreign transaction fee
Fee-free ATM cash worldwide
Want one account that holds and spends in the local currency? A different job from the three above, and the one I reach for abroad. It is free to open; you can create a virtual card in the app and add it to your phone wallet in minutes, without waiting for the physical card; and you can convert US dollars into the local currency inside the account before you travel, then spend from that balance. Wise uses the mid-market rate plus a small conversion fee (around 0.4% and up), with no flat foreign fee.
The three picks above pay us nothing, and their tags say so. Wise is the only option here that can earn us a commission, and its tag says that too. Paid or not, the pick is still the pick.
When to go
Cheaper and busier months in Philippines.
The month you pick moves the budget as much as the country does. Here is the shape of Philippines's year, with no price attached to it, because an honest one does not exist.
- Busy and pricey
- In between
- Cheaper and quieter
- Cheaper and quieter
- Jun to Oct
- What drives the peak
- The cool dry season, Christmas and New Year, Holy Week, which is a major domestic travel week, and Chinese New Year
Travelers, not touristsA few words of Filipino go a long way
A few words of Filipino go a long way
Filipino, based on Tagalog, and English are both official, and English is very widely spoken, so you will get by easily across the islands. Still, a warm Salamat (thank you) and a Mabuhay are always welcome, and Filipino hospitality is the thing most visitors remember.
Say a few words
Tip: English is widely spoken across the Philippines, so you will get by easily, but a little Filipino delights people. Salamat (thank you) and Mabuhay (a warm welcome, literally long life) go a long way, and Filipino hospitality, the spirit of bayanihan or helping one another, is genuine and generous.
Know a story
The rice terraces
Carved by hand into the steep Cordillera mountains of northern Luzon around two thousand years ago by the Ifugao people, the Banaue and Batad rice terraces are one of the great feats of ancient engineering, sometimes called the Eighth Wonder of the World. Still farmed today and UNESCO-listed, they climb the slopes like a green staircase into the clouds.
Good to know: the terraces are around 2,000 years old
Seven thousand islands
The Philippines is an archipelago of more than seven thousand islands, and its beaches and lagoons are world-famous. In Palawan, El Nido and Coron hide karst cliffs and hidden lagoons reached by wooden bangka outriggers, and the diving and snorkeling are among the best anywhere. Palawan is often voted one of the finest islands in the world.
Good to know: the Philippines has over 7,000 islands
The perfect cone
Near Legazpi in the south of Luzon, Mayon Volcano is famous for having one of the most symmetrical cones on Earth, a near-perfect triangle wreathed in cloud. It is also the country's most active volcano. The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is why it is dotted with volcanoes, from Mayon to Taal to the hills of Bohol.
Good to know: Mayon is famed for its near-perfect coneThe Philippines is an archipelago of more than seven thousand islands where Malay, Spanish, American and Chinese influences meet, English is widely spoken, and the warmth of Filipino hospitality is the thing visitors remember most. From the ancient rice terraces of the north to the karst lagoons of Palawan, it packs an extraordinary range into one sunny, friendly country.
No links here, nothing to buy. This part is just to help you travel well.
Sources, and how this guide was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
Changed since last checkSources added on first publish. Confirmed that US citizens need no visa for stays up to 30 days but must complete the free, mandatory online eTravel registration before arrival and again on departure; that the peso trades around 60 to the US dollar; that the country is largely cash-first with cards mainly in the cities; and that from late 2024, under RA 12079, foreign tourists can reclaim the 12% VAT on qualifying shopping, a scheme the Supreme Court upheld in July 2026 and which is still rolling out.
- US State DepartmentPhilippines entry requirements, safety and the 911 emergency number
- Official eTravel portalthe free, mandatory registration for arrival and departure
- Department of Financethe new VAT refund for non-resident tourists (RA 12079)
- Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinasthe peso exchange rate
Our own judgmentThe daily cash share, tipping habits, and likely ATM behavior are our own estimate from experience, not an official figure. ATM limits and fees vary by bank, and the tourist VAT refund is new, so accredited stores and refund counters are still expanding.
How we checkHow every guide is researched, checked and dated
More money guides in Asia
If you are also weighing up nearby destinations, each guide covers cards, cash, ATMs and the fees to expect.
Going deeper on Philippines
The money questions people ask on the ground.
Short, focused answers to the specific things that catch first-timers out in Philippines.
- Tipping in the PhilippinesThe Philippines tips more than most of Asia, closer to the US: about 10% is customary and appreciated. The one thing to check is the service charge already on many bills. Here is what you actually owe.
- Do I need cash in the Philippines, or can I use cards?Short answer: carry cash, and use cards only where they are taken. Here is where each works, how to handle the low ATM limits, and the one habit that saves you money.
- Do US citizens need a visa for the Philippines?Short answer: no visa for a normal visit, but there is a free form you must do before you fly, and scam sites try to charge for it. Here is exactly what you need.
- Getting around the Philippines: Grab and jeepneysShort answer: use Grab in the cities, carry coins and small bills for jeepneys and tricycles, and be firm about the meter with taxis. Here is how each works and what it costs.
This is how Philippines stands today.
Money rules move. We can let you know for free if that changes.