Card payments in Suriname are not widespread. Except for a number of international hotels and larger shops in Paramaribo, you won’t find many vendors that accept payments by international credit or debit cards.

The Surinamese economy is very much cash-based. Locals rarely pay by card. The few that do are the more wealthy ones. Shops where card payments are accepted are mostly selling luxury goods.

If you are going to pay by card in Suriname: Be aware of significant card fees and currency conversion fees for card payments in Surinamese Dollars: Your bank’s SRD to GBP exchange rate may be dramatically bad. This is how banks make money.

Before using your bank card for payments in South America, it’s certainly a good idea to contact your bank. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.

Yes. You’ll need cash for most purchases in Suriname.

Aside from the Surinamese Dollar, local vendors often accept payments in US Dollars and Euros.

Examples of vendors that only accept cash for payment are most local shops, traditional markets, local eateries, road side stalls, taxis, public transport and tour guides.

The overall cost of living in Suriname is 38% lower than the cost of living in the UK.

A coffee in a cafe in Paramaribo costs around Sr$ 15. For a three-course meal in a restaurant you can expect to pay around Sr$ 180 per person.

Tipping in Suriname is only done in the main tourist areas. You are not expected to leave a tip, but if you like the service you can of course round up the amount and leave a tip of around 10% of the bill.