$100US Bills - none in the US

Also no tears or ink stains will be permitted, they will tell you ‘money broken’ or ‘money dirty’.

Cashing bills is no problem once over here, you walk into a money changer, chuck your cash on the counter and they’ll give you the rupiah.

aren’t the best rates always from the bank ATMs? when i was in asia, i almost never used money changers. the fee alone is often 3-5%. while the fee for ATMs is usually only $1-$2.

ditto for credit cards which automatically give you the bank exchange rate.

I get charged $1 for ATM transactions

Well - I have been studying the charges via ATM that we have been racking up. Charges range from $3 to $5 per transaction (depending on how much money - max is $250US you are taking out, that is a high %)- some monthly fees can be tacked on as well.

The places I changed money in Bali had great rates, or at least I thought so…there were only a few, but the exchange rate was substantially higher than your average street guy.

So for Chris - going just for a week, getting a few c notes will eliminate all those charges and with a 1999 or later bill - get a competitive exchange rate.

Aloha guys,

Here’s a quick tip:

Depending on where you go to get your money changed, keep a very close eye on the guy that changes your money.

I once got up when I noticed something fishy about the way he was counting out the bills, and I noticed about 30,000 rupiah that had “accidentally” fallen onto his lap under the desk.

When I confronted him about it, I got the usual “Oh, so sorry, yeah” and a devious smile.

Also, I’ve heard that ATMs are the best way to go, but I could be wrong.

And one more thing…I once got less money from an exchanger because the bills had a purple mark on them - it was total BS - they do this so they can scam you - the same goes with the 1996 bills - it’s total crap but hey, that’s Indo!

Jason
Waikiki, Hawaii

Only change money at a “Central Kuta” office. They are everywhere, have a good rate and have never ripped me off. They have a blue sign out the front and often process photos as well. Will change old US notes for lower rate than new. We had some pre 96 US notes from my daughters previous trip, one day the girl said “note not real” the next day a different girl in the same place had no problem with the same note???

I already knew of the problem about the US bills from the Bali Travel Forum. I went to the bank, and they advised me to go to the Federal Reserve in Houston, Tx. I was more than happy to do that, but when i called the FR, they said since 9/11, noone could just walk in any more.
Soo, I walked back into the bank and told them the FR told me to order the money from the them. (Why didn’t they just offer in the first place)?? I needed 7K of 100 of 99 or above. They promised me new money. I waited 10 days, for someone to drive the money 1 hr away to my bank, because the bank had to order a strap (100K)!! When i arrived after calling everyday to check on things, I had to wait until the money drive could bring the bank 10K of dollars. GUESS WHAT… ALL THE BILLS WERE 96. I was so upset, but i was leaving and could not do anything about it. I gave my cargo agent 5K which she changed w/out a problem at the BII, and I receive a better rate than on the street. I closed 2 accounts from the BCA as they alway gave me a rate of 100 rups or lower than the street price!

Then when i got to Bali, with my brand new money, most of the money changers won’t change it. They are now saying ‘01 bills only!!!! Good Grief.

I hope this helps someone in trying to get the money you need. Give yourself 2 weeks for the banks to get the money.

good luck,
carol

I agree with Rob…we only use Central Kuta and have never had a problem..also ..If you are exchanging a lot of money (1000 +)..they will give you a better rate BUT you must ask for it. It’s a rate they give to businesses.

Hello all,
Having experience working for a foreign bank in Jakarta few years ago, can tell you that it is not only the small money changers by the street that “reject” old notes and or notes with mark, torn, etc. even big foreign banks do the same in Indonesia. When asked about this, they point the Indonesian Central Bank (Bank Indonesia) as the one who is so picky about the condition of the US notes. so….. what can you say? Perhaps the best way is to use ATM and your credit card as much as you can.

Generally, changing money in Bali is easy. But if you get confused by all the zeros, and show it, someone may take advantage of you. Do your Math first. Use the money changer’s calculator and show what you expect to get back in Rupiah, based on his rate-board outside. Don’t pay any commission - just walk away. Kuta money changers like to charge commission. Remember; they only see and deal with you ONCE, therefore its best to establish a raport with a money changer and use him/her only.
And don’t forget that the Balinese are supersticious about money, much to the frustration of Westerners who cannot leap this cultural hurdle. Always bring clean clear unmarked crisp bills to Bali, or any foreign country for that matter. As for the 1996 USD notes; my understanding is this was a large issue into circulation, therefore the probablity of counterfeit notes is higher. But try to tell that to the Balinese whose National Bank has told them they will not accept them. There’s more counterfeit Indonesian money there than USD, but that doesn’t seem to fizzle on anyone.