HELP

Your credit card wil be fine. Stateside checks generally NOT. You should probably open a local bank account to cover rent and utilities. The local bank with whom you open an account will also give you a card which serves as an ATM. Hope this helps.

Whoa - gotta disagree with the credit card. We are always surprised at the number of places on STX (many many restaurants in particular; and also many gas stations) that do not accept credit cards. Cash only at many places. We do pay bills and major items with stateside checks - that has not been a problem for BIG TICKET items (furniture,appliances, etc.)- it would not be accepted at restaurants,gas stations,etc. that don't take credit cards.
FirstBank has an account they call "convenience checking". You don't get checks with it, but you do get a debit card. I believe the account is about $2.00 a month service charge (which, you will find all banks on STX charge service charges...for one thing or another...) Then you can at least pull cash out from an ATM.
-still living in a cash society o'er here on STX.

I have had very little problem with credit cards, and use stateside chacks to pay WAPA.
Some businesses don't want state side checks.

This is interestng as we have all had different experiences. I found that the first week I moved (I also brought money, opened a checking account but there was a hold on the staeside check I brought) that I was able to use my stateside Visa/MC with no trouble, except at smaller stores and at gas stations.

For that, I went back to the same bank (Bank of St. Criox) and did some cash advances on these same cards. It got me through until my stateside check cleared, and no problems since.

I have NEVER found a gas station that takes a card, so just as a caution, don't expect it.

Welcome again and best wishes for a wonderful stay,

Dan

THe two stations on the the road from Salt River to Christiansted, I believe it's 75, just south of 751 both took my cards. Haven't tried any others.

There are also a couple on the far east end that still accept credit cards, I think Smoky's does on the way like you were going to Coakley Bay....but forget the west and mid island. Cash is king...and bring extra cash, gas went up 30 cents overnight...yuk. Still cheaper than the states or STT, though, so I'll stop my yukking now...

I probably shoud have been more explicit when I first posted in reply to rickn's question.

Yes, there are many smaller restaurants throughout the Virgin Islands who don't accept credit cards but there are many stateside restaurants who don't accept them either Haing never even thought about buying gas with a credit card, that circumstance just didn't occur to me.

Stateside cheques take an inordinate amount of time to clear via local banks which is why small businesses are leery of accepting them. Frankly, as a small business owner once badly burned by a stateside cheque and having had a problem here and there with local cheques I don't accept the former - period - and only accept the latter if I know the person. Cheers!