Puerto Rico uses the United States dollar as its official currency, designated by the symbol $ and currency code USD. The dollar has been the territory's legal tender since 1899, following the Spanish-American War and subsequent US occupation. Prior to this period, Puerto Rico used the peso puertorriqueño and Spanish colonial currency systems. No currency exchange is required for travelers arriving from the United States mainland, which represents approximately 65 percent of Puerto Rico's annual visitor arrivals according to the Puerto Rico Tourism Company's 2022 statistics. International visitors must exchange their currency to US dollars, following the same processes and exchange rates applicable throughout the United States monetary system.
ATMs are widespread throughout Puerto Rico's urban centers and tourist areas, operating under the brand names of major US banking institutions including Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, FirstBank Puerto Rico, Oriental Bank, and mainland networks like Bank of America and Chase. ATMs in San Juan number approximately 400 machines across the metropolitan area, with concentrations in the Condado, Isla Verde, and Old San Juan districts. Withdrawal limits typically range from 300 to 1000 dollars per transaction, depending on the specific bank and account type. ATMs in rural areas of the Cordillera Central and municipalities like Jayuya, Orocovis, and Adjuntas appear less frequently, with some mountain towns containing only one or two machines. Vieques Island maintains approximately twelve ATMs, while Culebra Island operates four machines as of 2023 data from the Office of the Commissioner of Financial Institutions of Puerto Rico. Most ATMs offer interfaces in both Spanish and English. Transaction fees for out-of-network withdrawals range from 3 to 5 dollars per transaction, with additional fees often assessed by the cardholder's home bank.
Credit cards are accepted at the majority of businesses in tourist zones, hotels, car rental agencies, and chain establishments. Visa and Mastercard represent the most widely accepted networks, followed by American Express and Discover. The Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, founded in 1893 and the largest financial institution on the island with assets exceeding 59 billion dollars as of 2022, reports that approximately 78 percent of retail transactions in major tourism areas occur via credit or debit card. Smaller restaurants, food kiosks along Route 3 and Route 2, roadside fruit vendors, and businesses in rural municipalities often operate on cash-only basis. The lechoneras (roasted pork establishments) along Route 184 in Guavate, a popular food destination, predominantly accept cash only, as do many vendors at the Santurce farmers market and similar local markets. Chip-and-PIN technology is standard, though signature-based verification remains accepted. Contactless payment systems including Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay function at terminals equipped with NFC readers, which represent approximately 60 percent of card-accepting merchants in San Juan according to 2023 commercial payment processor data.
Cash remains necessary for public transportation including públicos (shared vans), small colmados (neighborhood grocery stores), beach equipment rentals from independent operators, and purchases in less-touristed areas. The Tren Urbano, San Juan's metro system serving 16 stations across approximately 10.7 miles, accepts both cash and rechargeable Tarjeta Inteligente cards but does not process credit cards at station kiosks. Single-ride fares cost 1.50 dollars as of 2024. Many parking meters in Old San Juan accept only quarters, though the ParqMóvil mobile payment system has been implemented at approximately 40 percent of metered spaces since 2021. Street parking in Ponce's historic zone operates similarly, with most meters requiring coins. Food trucks, particularly those operating at Piñones (a beach area east of San Juan known for alcapurrias and bacalaítos), accept cash exclusively in the majority of cases.
Banking hours in Puerto Rico typically run Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, with some branches extending hours to 5:00 PM. Saturday operations are less common, with approximately 30 percent of branches opening for limited hours, usually 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Major banks operating physical branches include Banco Popular de Puerto Rico (with 156 branches as of 2023), FirstBank Puerto Rico (42 branches), Oriental Bank (30 branches), and Banco Santander Puerto Rico (26 branches). The density of banking services decreases substantially outside the San Juan metropolitan area, Ponce, and Mayagüez. Municipalities in the interior such as Maricao, Las Marías, and Ciales may contain only a single bank branch or none at all. Bank holidays in Puerto Rico follow the United States federal calendar plus additional territorial holidays including Luis Muñoz Rivera's Birthday (third Monday in February), Emancipation Day (March 22), and Discovery Day (November 19), during which banking services cease operation.
Mobile money services operate in Puerto Rico through platforms available to US-based accounts. Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, and PayPal function identically to their mainland United States operations, provided users maintain US bank accounts. These services have gained adoption among younger Puerto Ricans, particularly in San Juan, with Zelle reporting usage by approximately 45 percent of banking customers between ages 18 and 35 according to a 2023 survey conducted by the Asociación de Bancos de Puerto Rico. ATH Móvil, a payment application developed by EVERTEC (a Puerto Rican transaction processing company founded in 1988), serves as the predominant locally-developed mobile payment system. ATH Móvil reported 1.8 million active users as of December 2023, representing approximately 56 percent of Puerto Rico's population. The application allows peer-to-peer transfers, bill payments, and merchant payments at participating businesses, which numbered approximately 18,000 locations as of early 2024. Supermarkets including Econo, Selectos, and Mr. Special accept ATH Móvil, as do many restaurants and service providers. The system requires a Puerto Rican bank account and cannot be accessed by visitors with exclusively mainland US banking relationships.
Tipping practices in Puerto Rico follow United States conventions. Restaurant service staff expect tips ranging from 15 to 20 percent of the pre-tax bill. Some restaurants, particularly those in resort areas and Old San Juan tourist zones, automatically add an 18 percent gratuity to bills for parties of six or more guests. This practice appears on approximately 40 percent of tourist-oriented restaurant checks based on hospitality industry surveys. Bartenders typically receive 1 to 2 dollars per drink or 15 to 20 percent of the total bar tab. Hotel housekeeping staff customarily receive 2 to 5 dollars per night, left daily rather than at checkout. Taxi drivers expect 10 to 15 percent of the metered fare. Uber and Lyft operate in San Juan and surrounding municipalities, with tipping handled through the applications following mainland practices. Tour guides for organized excursions to destinations like El Yunque National Forest or the Camuy River Cave Park typically receive 10 to 20 percent of the tour cost, or 15 to 25 dollars per person for full-day experiences. Rideshare services to Vieques or Culebra do not operate due to the ferry-only access from Ceiba, requiring reliance on licensed taxis or rental vehicles on those islands.
Internet connectivity in Puerto Rico underwent significant infrastructure damage during Hurricane Maria in September 2017, when wind speeds reaching 155 miles per hour destroyed an estimated 85 percent of telecommunications infrastructure according to the Federal Communications Commission's post-storm assessment. Recovery efforts extended through 2019 for baseline services and continue for comprehensive network improvements as of 2024. Three primary cellular providers serve Puerto Rico: Claro (owned by América Móvil), Liberty (a subsidiary of Liberty Latin America), and T-Mobile. AT&T previously maintained operations but exited the market in 2019, selling its infrastructure to Liberty. Claro holds approximately 47 percent market share, Liberty approximately 31 percent, and T-Mobile approximately 22 percent according to 2023 data from the Puerto Rico Telecommunications Regulatory Board.