Paying for things in Bermuda

[Erinchita]

Forgive me if this has already been covered somewhat exhaustively, but I am still confused regarding money in Bermuda, being from the U.S. I have seen many people say that the ferries/buses only take payment of U.S. currency in coins, no paper money. What about at the terminal where you are buying passes? Can you pay with bills? Credit cards?

 

What about restaurants and shopping? Bills? Credit cards? Leaving in 7 days (:D:D) and trying to get prepared. Thank you!!

[iheartbda]

Used to be only cash for the passes but people are saying they now accept credit cards. Shopping will be no different than at home, cash or credit cards. Once, a store even took a check from us but that was highly unusual. Also, there was a time when Discover was not accepted but that too has changed.

Edited July 12, 2015 by iheartbda

[Erinchita]

Used to be only cash for the passes but people are saying they now accept credit cards. Shopping will be no different than at home, cash or credit cards. Once, a store even took a check from us but that was highly unusual. Also, there was a time when Discover was not accepted but that too has changed.

 

Perfect, thank you so much!

[patar]

I was in Bermuda last week and purchased a book of transportation tickets at the visitors center at the ferry dock in Hamilton and they only took cash.

[iheartbda]

I was in Bermuda last week and purchased a book of transportation tickets at the visitors center at the ferry dock in Hamilton and they only took cash.

 

Geeze, Bermuda, get it together. There doesn't seem to be any consistency to what they are accepting. Guess people just need to be prepared with cash.

[tymike]

Just back yesterday and the ferry terminal in Hamilton did indeed have signs everywhere reading 'cash only'. I believe you also need exact change for the bus, but we had a pass so I didn't pay too close attention to that.

[Erinchita]

Just back yesterday and the ferry terminal in Hamilton did indeed have signs everywhere reading 'cash only'. I believe you also need exact change for the bus, but we had a pass so I didn't pay too close attention to that.

 

Will be bringing plenty of cash, thank you for the updates!

[jakesnana]

Someone posted a picture that showed that CC were accepted at one of the offices. I wonder if it was at the dockyard? It is my understanding that you can purchase a transportation passes at the dockyard. I hope I am correct, since that is my plan (with a CC).

[njhorseman]

Someone posted a picture that showed that CC were accepted at one of the offices. I wonder if it was at the dockyard? It is my understanding that you can purchase a transportation passes at the dockyard. I hope I am correct, since that is my plan (with a CC).

 

The picture was taken at Dockyard. You can buy transportation passes at Dockyard, but you can't buy transportation ticket books there.

[Angelsea57]

Just got back from Bermuda on Celebrity this past June.

We paid with a credit card for our bus/ferry passes, there was a service

charge for our transaction. (we were not aware of this) Also when I purchased some local

souvenirs at the Dockyards the lady there gave me change in Bermudian coins.

She told me that unless I had the exact change she could not give me American money back

because she did not have it. I did not like that I ended up with their coins. Lesson learned.

Edited July 14, 2015 by Angelsea57

[Erinchita]

Just got back from Bermuda on Celebrity this past June.

We paid with a credit card for our bus/ferry passes, there was a service

charge for our transaction. (we were not aware of this) Also when I purchased some local

souvenirs at the Dockyards the lady there gave me change in Bermudian coins.

She told me that unless I had the exact change she could not give me American money back

because she did not have it. I did not

like that I ended up with their coins. Lesson learned.

 

Was there a service chard from the Dockyard? Or was it standard foreign transaction fees from your card provider?

[Angelsea57]

Was there a service chard from the Dockyard? Or was it standard foreign transaction fees from your card provider?

The extra charge was from the same place we purchased the day passes for

paying with a credit card for the amount of $3.30.

[iheartbda]

Just got back from Bermuda on Celebrity this past June.

We paid with a credit card for our bus/ferry passes, there was a service

charge for our transaction. (we were not aware of this) Also when I purchased some local

souvenirs at the Dockyards the lady there gave me change in Bermudian coins.

She told me that unless I had the exact change she could not give me American money back

because she did not have it. I did not like that I ended up with their coins. Lesson learned.

How much did you end up with?

[jakesnana]

The extra charge was from the same place we purchased the day passes for

paying with a credit card for the amount of $3.30.

 

The vendor at the dockyard charged an additional $3.30 ON TOP OF the fee for the transportation pass? How much money were your charging?

[Angelsea57]

The vendor at the dockyard charged an additional $3.30 ON TOP OF the fee for the transportation pass? How much money were your charging?

Just checked by credit card bill and this is what we were charged.

Total price for the bus/ferry pass ticket purchased $ 110.00 for 3 day passes.

(2 adults, 1 kid) My credit card did charged us the $3.30 foreign transaction fee.

[Erinchita]

Just checked by credit card bill and this is what we were charged.

Total price for the bus/ferry pass ticket purchased $ 110.00 for 3 day passes.

(2 adults, 1 kid) My credit card did charged us the $3.30 foreign transaction fee.

 

OK so that is not a fee from the dockyard. Any credit card will charge you around a 3% foreign transaction fee any time you use the card abroad.

 

I'm just glad to know they take cards at the dockyard. Thank you!

[Charles4515]

OK so that is not a fee from the dockyard. Any credit card will charge you around a 3% foreign transaction fee any time you use the card abroad.

 

 

 

I'm just glad to know they take cards at the dockyard. Thank you!

 

 

One correction. You can get cards that don't charge the foreign transaction fee. I have three that don't. I used one of them and was not charged the $3.30.

[njhorseman]

OK so that is not a fee from the dockyard. Any credit card will charge you around a 3% foreign transaction fee any time you use the card abroad.

 

I'm just glad to know they take cards at the dockyard. Thank you!

 

FYI, there are a number of credit cards that don't charge foreign transaction fees.

[Erinchita]

Do folks just sit around here waiting for opportunities to correct people on things? Rhetorical question. :p

 

Back to the topic at hand...

 

1) the dockyard takes credit cards for passes

2) the dockyard does not enforce a surcharge for using said cards.

 

Excellent.

[jakesnana]

Just to be a little more specific, I know that my Capitol One card DOES NOT charge a foreign transaction fee, as it was in the literature I just received from them. For that reason, it will become the CC I use when we cruise/make purchases in Bermuda and/or the Caribbean.

[udamom]

Does anyone know if the new $8 each way shuttle to HSB needs exact change or will they make change for you? (like $20 bill for 2 people )

So when people say exact change for the bus system they are talking about coins? So need to get a bunch of Susan B Anthony dollar coins before we go if planning to use the bus system? (not going to buy the transportation pass as I don't think we will use it enough)

What do they do when people try to use dollar bills? surely everyone that goes there does not know to have coins!

[njhorseman]

Does anyone know if the new $8 each way shuttle to HSB needs exact change or will they make change for you? (like $20 bill for 2 people )

So when people say exact change for the bus system they are talking about coins? So need to get a bunch of Susan B Anthony dollar coins before we go if planning to use the bus system? (not going to buy the transportation pass as I don't think we will use it enough)

What do they do when people try to use dollar bills? surely everyone that goes there does not know to have coins!

 

I'm sure you don't need exact change for the $16 round trip shuttle. You don't need exact change to buy transportation passes, tokens or tickets either. (I'm not sure you can buy an $8 one way ticket on the Horseshoe Bay shuttle however.)

 

The requirement of exact change in coins only applies if you're paying the fare in cash when boarding the public buses or ferries. (The Horseshoe Bay shuttle is not part of the public bus system.) I'm not sure why anyone would pay the fare in cash, since every other form of payment saves money. At a minimum tokens costing $4.50 save 50 cents a ride, and transportation passes or tickets can save you even more per ride, depending on how many rides you're taking. If you don't need the pass or tickets, just buy the number of tokens you'll need.

 

If the bus driver is following the rules, and most will, they won't accept the bills. You won't be able to ride the bus. I have heard of drivers occasionally doing people a favor and taking bills, but don't count on it.

[Charles4515]

Does anyone know if the new $8 each way shuttle to HSB needs exact change or will they make change for you? (like $20 bill for 2 people )

 

 

You don't need exact change for the HSB shuttle. Someone will be at transportation zone 6 selling the round trip tickets for $16 and the driver tears off one and leaves you with the return ticket. They will change a $20. I don't know if you can buy one way tickets for $8.

 

 

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