Hello. RT here. I noticed this article today when I was checking the paper. The translation is below, but it basically says that any money with rubber stamps on the security areas (the ID strip, or the watermark, for example) won't be accepted by the Peruvian banks. This could trickle down to those bills not being accepted in restaurants, casinos or by money changers. For the most part, US bills are not stamped in the same manner as many Peruvian bills, but if you're coming to town with a fistful of dollars, you might want to look them over before you get on the plane. **********TRANSLATION OF ARTICLE***************** [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Banking Association: "We cannot accept dollars with spots or stamps on the security areas" [/FONT] [FONT="]What looked like a minor group of some 100 people carrying posters in Arequipa’s banking district ended up becoming a national level alert.[/FONT] [FONT="]The moneychangers dealing in American currency denounced that the Banking Association (Asbanc) determined two weeks ago that the banking agencies would reject all American bills stamped by the money exchange houses, a safety measure practiced in the country for years.[/FONT] [FONT="]On that matter the general manager (president) of Asbanc, Enrique Arroyo, maintained that it is an agreement enacted on January last year and that it is not an action against the moneychangers of Arequipa, but for all Peru. [/FONT] [FONT="]“THERE ARE MILLIONS OF STAMPED AMERICAN BILLS IN CIRCULATION”[/FONT] [FONT="]“Now we are more flexible and we accept American bills damaged up to the fourth degree [very worn, but conserving their texture] and with up to three tears in the edges if these are less than half a centimeter (3/16” each [...] but we cannot accept American bills with spots or stamps on the security areas like the strip, the fluorescence or the water seal”, he explained. [/FONT] [FONT="]The president of the Association of Moneychangers of Arequipa, Lucy Gutierrez, explained that two weeks ago they began to receive, with more and more frequency, complains from their clients when the money they took to the banks was rejected. [/FONT] [FONT="]The leader made the very same question their clients made to her: “What we are going to do with that money?” Gutierrez said that there were millions of dollars in circulation in the parallel market, and for that reason its rejection on the part of the banking organizations could cause panic among those who acquired them. [/FONT] [FONT="]“IN THE USA IT IS A FEDERAL CRIME” [/FONT] [FONT="]Until yesterday the moneychangers were charging a S/.3 commission for every US$20 bill to collect the stamped bills and take them to Chile or Bolivia to change them there. “In the USA it is a federal crime to mark a bill, not here and we understand it [...] but the 0nly possible thing to do is to collect them and change them at the Federal Reserve because the Central Bank (of Peru) will not do it here”, added Arroyo.[/FONT]
Hello. RT here. I noticed this article today when I was checking the paper. The translation is below, but it basically says that any money with rubber stamps on the security areas (the ID strip, or the watermark, for example) won't be accepted by the Peruvian banks. This could trickle down to those bills not being accepted in restaurants, casinos or by money changers. For the most part, US bills are not stamped in the same manner as many Peruvian bills, but if you're coming to town with a fistful of dollars, you might want to look them over before you get on the plane. **********TRANSLATION OF ARTICLE***************** [FONT="] [/FONT] [FONT="]Banking Association: "We cannot accept dollars with spots or stamps on the security areas" [/FONT] [FONT="]What looked like a minor group of some 100 people carrying posters in Arequipa’s banking district ended up becoming a national level alert.[/FONT] [FONT="]The moneychangers dealing in American currency denounced that the Banking Association (Asbanc) determined two weeks ago that the banking agencies would reject all American bills stamped by the money exchange houses, a safety measure practiced in the country for years.[/FONT] [FONT="]On that matter the general manager (president) of Asbanc, Enrique Arroyo, maintained that it is an agreement enacted on January last year and that it is not an action against the moneychangers of Arequipa, but for all Peru. [/FONT] [FONT="]“THERE ARE MILLIONS OF STAMPED AMERICAN BILLS IN CIRCULATION”[/FONT] [FONT="]“Now we are more flexible and we accept American bills damaged up to the fourth degree [very worn, but conserving their texture] and with up to three tears in the edges if these are less than half a centimeter (3/16” each [...] but we cannot accept American bills with spots or stamps on the security areas like the strip, the fluorescence or the water seal”, he explained. [/FONT] [FONT="]The president of the Association of Moneychangers of Arequipa, Lucy Gutierrez, explained that two weeks ago they began to receive, with more and more frequency, complains from their clients when the money they took to the banks was rejected. [/FONT] [FONT="]The leader made the very same question their clients made to her: “What we are going to do with that money?” Gutierrez said that there were millions of dollars in circulation in the parallel market, and for that reason its rejection on the part of the banking organizations could cause panic among those who acquired them. [/FONT] [FONT="]“IN THE USA IT IS A FEDERAL CRIME” [/FONT] [FONT="]Until yesterday the moneychangers were charging a S/.3 commission for every US$20 bill to collect the stamped bills and take them to Chile or Bolivia to change them there. “In the USA it is a federal crime to mark a bill, not here and we understand it [...] but the 0nly possible thing to do is to collect them and change them at the Federal Reserve because the Central Bank (of Peru) will not do it here”, added Arroyo.[/FONT]
RT, In the past money exchange offices in peru had not accepted my slightly damaged or marked dollar bills. That is why now I make sure I 0nly take new "clean" bills to Peru.
RT, In the past money exchange offices in peru had not accepted my slightly damaged or marked dollar bills. That is why now I make sure I 0nly take new "clean" bills to Peru.
Yup... one day, when I was checking in at the airport, the girl at the executiva counter (she knows me ) basically begged me to give her a new twenty for four slightly soiled fives. There was nothing wrong with them (at least in the US) and she knew it. She also knew that she would get a hard time at the end of the day if she kept them. I figure it never hurts to keep the ticket (and upgrade!) agents happy, so I did the swap. They spent perfectly well back home.
Yup... one day, when I was checking in at the airport, the girl at the executiva counter (she knows me ) basically begged me to give her a new twenty for four slightly soiled fives. There was nothing wrong with them (at least in the US) and she knew it. She also knew that she would get a hard time at the end of the day if she kept them. I figure it never hurts to keep the ticket (and upgrade!) agents happy, so I did the swap. They spent perfectly well back home.
On each trip back to the US I have at least $500 in bills I need to "launder" back in the motherland. I play a lot of poker here and when you finish in the money you basically get the same bills all the other entrants bought in with. It seems like it's part of the rake! (I actually live in Lima which is why I have so much). Hey jackass street changers, stop stamping your fucking bills period!!! (not like they read this board but now I feel better).
On each trip back to the US I have at least $500 in bills I need to "launder" back in the motherland. I play a lot of poker here and when you finish in the money you basically get the same bills all the other entrants bought in with. It seems like it's part of the rake! (I actually live in Lima which is why I have so much). Hey jackass street changers, stop stamping your fucking bills period!!! (not like they read this board but now I feel better).
Hello everybody! I'm new in the english zone and I want to say that I had a lot of fun reading your posts. And also be cool about the dollar bills, all of them are now accepted if they are marked... Take care all of you! Regards, MrPopo
Hello everybody! I'm new in the english zone and I want to say that I had a lot of fun reading your posts. And also be cool about the dollar bills, all of them are now accepted if they are marked... Take care all of you! Regards, MrPopo
Slightly off-topic: Hotel Maria Luisa wouldn't accept my $100 bills with the serial number HB xxx(..)xx M B2 apparently because they(or someone else they know) have received fake bills with the B2 serial number. They also mentioned $100 bills with the serial number ending in "CB" as bills they wouldn't accept. The 24h Vivanda on Benavides and Atlantic City Casino had no problem accepting the same B2 bills, so I don't really know what's up, but just a heads-up for anyone coming here with USD as there might be other places that won't accept these series.
Slightly off-topic: Hotel Maria Luisa wouldn't accept my $100 bills with the serial number HB xxx(..)xx M B2 apparently because they(or someone else they know) have received fake bills with the B2 serial number. They also mentioned $100 bills with the serial number ending in "CB" as bills they wouldn't accept. The 24h Vivanda on Benavides and Atlantic City Casino had no problem accepting the same B2 bills, so I don't really know what's up, but just a heads-up for anyone coming here with USD as there might be other places that won't accept these series.
A year or two ago there was a criminal organisation which had been turning perfectly counterfeited USD 100 bills. It was huge. Even banks were accepting them and ATM machines giving them. It was said that all counterfeit bills made by this guys had "B2" or "CB" series and they were so hard to tell from the real ones that most places simply stopped receiving such bills. In fact, most ATMs stopped giving USD 100 bills. Some (like BCP) still work 0nly with 20s. Since the criminals were caught and thrown into jail, and so long time has passed, most people has forgoten the issue but some still do.
A year or two ago there was a criminal organisation which had been turning perfectly counterfeited USD 100 bills. It was huge. Even banks were accepting them and ATM machines giving them. It was said that all counterfeit bills made by this guys had "B2" or "CB" series and they were so hard to tell from the real ones that most places simply stopped receiving such bills. In fact, most ATMs stopped giving USD 100 bills. Some (like BCP) still work 0nly with 20s. Since the criminals were caught and thrown into jail, and so long time has passed, most people has forgoten the issue but some still do.
Interesting tidbit I havn't heard before... I've always found it best to just take 99% of what I plan to spend as fresh new $20's - and using an ATM for emergency withdrawals. You used to get a pretty decent exchange rate - but with all the fees / int'l surcharges most banks hit you with now ... it's best to 0nly do it once (if at all !) A lot of places besides the cambista's will gladly accept clean $20 US bills - and i've never had a problem w/ a cambista...(then again, I usually use the same one i've dealt with for years.)
Interesting tidbit I havn't heard before... I've always found it best to just take 99% of what I plan to spend as fresh new $20's - and using an ATM for emergency withdrawals. You used to get a pretty decent exchange rate - but with all the fees / int'l surcharges most banks hit you with now ... it's best to 0nly do it once (if at all !) A lot of places besides the cambista's will gladly accept clean $20 US bills - and i've never had a problem w/ a cambista...(then again, I usually use the same one i've dealt with for years.)
That is still true today. CB $100 bills are not accepted. I usually bring fifties and a few hundreds.
That is still true today. CB $100 bills are not accepted. I usually bring fifties and a few hundreds.
