Cuba will extend the initial balances of its pregapo card service in Freely Convertible Currency (MLC) for tourists.
Visitors to the island have been able to purchase cards with an initial balance of 200, 500 and 1000 MLC (the virtual currency that is based on foreign currencies with convertibility) since 2021 until now.
Directors of CADECA, the official exchange house, announced this Friday that the marketing of these cards with initial balances of 50 and 100 MLC is being expanded.
According to the Cadeca official, Ángela Maday, for each card purchased, a commission of 5 dollars or its equivalent in other currencies is applied, and they can be purchased at the exchange houses, hotels, airports and tourist centers.
These cards are used to pay for products and services in stores that sell in foreign currency, rent cars, among others.
The service is not yet available for private businesses such as restaurants, nor do they allow recharges from abroad, the official specified.
Nor is it useful for paying at gas stations.
The duration of these cards is two years and they can only be used in Cuba. Also, they are not personalized so they are activated with a PIN code.
Another feature is that they allow you to withdraw cash in Cuban pesos at ATMs at the official exchange rate of 120 pesos (cup) for every dollar. (The current exchange rate has fluctuated in recent weeks between 170 and 185 pesos per dollar or euro unit).
If when leaving the country the traveler still has a balance, it can be reimbursed.
The stores in MLC have been operating since 2019 and offer dissimilar products, from food to household appliances and toiletries, among others.
EFE/OnCuba
