The currency of Trinidad & Tobago is the T&T dollar (TTD). Banknotes are available in denominations of $1 (red), $5 (green), $10 (grey), $20 (purple), $50 (olive) and $100 (blue). The dollar is subdivided into 100 cents, with coins available in 1¢, 5¢, 10¢, 25¢ and 50¢ denominations.
MasterCard and Visa credit cards are accepted by most Tobago hotels, restaurants and shops. American Express is accepted in larger hotels, but not widely elsewhere. You are unlikely to be able to pay by card at smaller guesthouses, shops, stalls and bars, especially in the rural areas of Tobago. You will often be asked to provide identification when paying by credit card in supermarkets and stores, so be sure to carry your passport, id or photocard driving licence. This also applies when visiting any of the local banks to withdraw cash or cash travellers cheques.
Many businesses in Tobago will accept payment in US dollars. However, the exchange rate will not be in your favour. It can be a very expensive way of paying for things.
ATM cash machines are often the easiest and most convenient way of drawing cash while in Tobago. However, this assumes that you pay your credit card balance in full in each month and that your card company does not make excessive charges for cash withdrawals.
Our accommodation listings offer the option to display accommodation rates in various currencies. Our mid-market exchange rates, as displayed on this page, are compiled from various sources and updated every four hours. Actual rates may differ, due to bank commission and other charges. Our exchange rates are therefore only intended as a rough guide. Use the following links to check the rates being offered by local banks.
Last Update: 3 December 2023, 12:00hrs
| USD $1 | TT$6.73 |
| GBP £1 | TT$8.67 |
| EUR €1 | TT$7.99 |
| CAD $1 | TT$5.08 |
There are four local retail banks. Each has at least one branch on Tobago. There are very few banking facilities outside the populated Crown Point to Scarborough area. Normal banking hours are 8am-2pm Monday to Thursday, and 8am-1pm and 3pm-5pm on Friday.
Every ATM cash dispenser currently operational in Tobago is listed here and the location shown on the map below.
There are very few ATMs in rural Tobago. Those that exist appear to suffer from infrequent maintenance and servicing. As a consequence, they are often out of operation.
In theory, all the ATMs accept any credit/debit card bearing the international VISA or MasterCard logo. However, the government-owned First Citizens Bank declined to honour cards issued by non-local banks for a year or two until late 2016. We understand that this incomprehensible decision has now been reversed and that First Citizen ATM machines will now issue cash to foreign cards.
In addition to the overview map below, you can also view the location of all ATMs and banks on our interactive map page.
| Bon Accord | Republic Bank, Pennysavers, Milford Road |
| Carnbee | Republic Bank, Pennysavers, Auchenskeoch Road |
| Republic Bank, Junction Claude Noel Highway & Auckenskeoch Road | |
| Castara | First Citizens, Castara Community Centre |
| Charlotteville | First Citizens, Main Road |
| Crown Point | First Citizens, airport precinct |
| Eastern Credit Union, D'Colosseum Mall, Milford Road | |
| RBC Royal Bank, (branch) Milford Road, Store Bay | |
| Republic Bank, (branch) Pelican Plaza, Milford Estate | |
| Scotia Bank, junction Milford Road and Pigeon Point Road | |
| Grafton | Republic Bank, Grafton Road, Pleasant Prospect |
| Lowlands | Scotia Bank, (branch), Gulf City Mall |
| Orange Hill | Republic Bank, LP#12 Orange Hill Road (filling station) |
| Plymouth | First Citizens, Supreme Plaza |
| Roxborough | First Citizens, (branch), Windward Road |
| Scarborough | First Citizens, Port Authority Complex |
| RBC Royal Bank, (main branch) Burnett Street | |
| Republic Bank, Assad Plaza, 14-16 Wilson Road | |
| Republic Bank, (main branch), Main Street | |
| Scotia Bank, (main branch) Milford Road |
This is an emotive subject and I bow to different opinions on the subject. This article is very much my personal take on the subject. I should also point out that these comments only apply to Tobago. Trinidadians neither give nor expect gratuities. Tipping has never been part of Trinidadian culture. Well done Trinidad!
Tobagonians are a wonderfully warm and hospitable people. They are, however, fiercely proud. Many of them have difficulty differentiating between service and servitude, possibly for historical and ethnic reasons. When tipping, it is vital that you are discreet. If you make the recipient feel that they are being "bought", you will cause offence. Do not be surprised if the recipient declines a tip, and do not cause further embarrassment by pressing the issue.
When staying in rental villas, we feel that a gratuity of TTD$100 per week is about right. This assumes that the housekeeper has not undertaken additional duties, such as cooking or personal laundry. Similarly, a gratuity of around TT$10 for each day of your stay is probably appropriate for the room maid at your hotel. NEVER tip in advance.
Given the motives of this website, the last thing I would wish to do is deprive the local service industry workers their just reward. Just the opposite - I urge every visitor to recognise good service in the traditional way, but please do so sensitively.
