Peru — Currency & Money

The Peruvian sol (PEN) is stable. Counterfeit notes are a genuine problem — learn the feel-look-tilt checks locals use, and break large notes in supermarkets rather than taxis. Cards are widely accepted in Miraflores, San Isidro and Barranco; the local QR wallets Yape and Plin dominate small payments but generally need a Peruvian bank account, so carry cash for markets and taxis. ATMs are plentiful and many dispense US dollars as well as soles.

Tipping runs about 10% at sit-down restaurants (sometimes added as a service line at upscale places); taxi fares are agreed, not tipped.