LangMedia
Spanish in Nicaragua
Money and Banking
For easy access to cash, ATM machines are located in malls, inside various restaurants, and in front of the banks. Money can be changed both at banks or by free-lance “coyotes.” “Coyotes” are independent money changers who make exchanges on the street for a rate slightly higher than the banks. They are legitimate money changers who belong to a union, carry identification, and make the process of changing money highly convenient.
Credit cards are generally accepted anywhere but the open markets. However, for “high ticket” items such as sofas, credit cards may sometimes even be used at the market. Money orders and traveler's checks are widely accepted as well.