The US Dollar replaced the Sucre as the official currency of Ecuador in September 2000, and the Sucre is no longer in circulation. Both U.S. coins and Ecuadorian coins are used.

Foreign currencies can be exchanged at banks and at exchange houses (casas de cambio). It may be difficult to exchange money in the Amazon region (Oriente). ATMs are available in large urban areas. Credit cards are generally accepted by many businesses; however they might charge an extra fee or require a minimum amount of at least USD10. Traveler’s checks are easily changed in major hotels and tourist areas.

Arriving with a mix of traveler’s checks and cash, plus having at least one credit card and an ATM card seems like good back-ups. For any cash that you bring with you, we would suggest small bills and if you have a jar full of change, you’ll be happy to have brought it for things like buses, taxis, buying things on the street, etc. People sometimes don’t have change if you have too large bills.