💰 Quick Context: US Dollars, No Sales Tax, an 11% Hotel Tax
Guam is a US territory and uses the US dollar, so there is nothing to exchange. There is no sales tax on shop prices, but hotels add an 11 percent occupancy tax, and many resorts a daily fee on top. Cards work at hotels, malls and restaurants. Two things catch American visitors out: a few card issuers still code Guam purchases as international and add a foreign transaction fee, and there is almost no public transport, so taxis and hire cars are a real cost.
🎧 Order US Dollars Before You Fly
Guam uses US dollars, so there is nothing to order. A Wise card covers visitors from elsewhere.
Order USD → CEI Currency ExchangeUS Dollars, With Prices in Yen and Won
American money, Asian visitors. Guam is an unincorporated US territory in the western Pacific, closer to Tokyo than to Honolulu, and its money is the US dollar. For American visitors that is the whole currency story: no exchange, no new notes, the same coins.
But Tumon is priced for Japan and Korea. Most of Guam's tourists fly in from Japan and South Korea, and the hotel strip along Tumon Bay is built around them. Restaurant menus and shop tags in Tumon often show prices in yen or won as well as dollars, staff speak Japanese and Korean, and the duty-free stores at the T Galleria and the malls carry the luxury brands those visitors come for.
For visitors from Asia. A card from Japan or Korea will often be offered the choice of paying in its home currency at the terminal. The dollar price converted by your own card network is almost always cheaper. Choose dollars. Our DCC explainer shows why.
No Sales Tax, but an 11 Percent Hotel Tax
Shop prices are the final price. Guam has no sales tax, so the price on the tag is what you pay at the till, and duty-free shopping really is free of tax.
The tax businesses pay. Instead of a sales tax, Guam charges businesses a gross receipts tax, the Business Privilege Tax. It was raised in 2018, cut to 4.5 percent in October 2025, and returned to 4 percent on 1 October 2026. Some businesses build it into their prices; a few show it as a line on the bill.
Hotels are where the bill grows. Hotel rooms carry a Hotel Occupancy Tax of 11 percent, and many of the big Tumon resorts add a daily resort fee as well. A room advertised at $200 a night can cost $240 or more once both are added. Ask for the total with taxes and fees before you book.
Why Your US Card Might Still Charge a Foreign Fee
It should not, but it sometimes does. Guam is part of the United States, and a purchase there is a dollar purchase from a US merchant. Most card issuers treat it exactly like a purchase in Ohio.
A few issuers code Guam as international. Card networks record where a merchant is located, and some banks' systems treat merchants in Guam, Saipan and the other US territories as foreign, adding their foreign transaction fee, often 3 percent, even though no currency is converted. It also happens with some online bookings for Guam hotels processed by companies based in Asia.
How to avoid it. Use a card with no foreign transaction fee, which removes the question entirely. If you only have a card with a fee, make one small purchase early in the trip and check how it shows up in your banking app. If a fee appears on a dollar purchase in a US territory, call your issuer; some will refund it.
Cash vs. Card in Guam
Cards for the big things. Hotels, malls, restaurants, car hire, dive shops and tour companies take Visa, Mastercard and American Express. JCB is widely accepted for Japanese visitors. Contactless is common.
Cash for the local things. The Chamorro Village night market in Hagåtña on Wednesday evenings, with its barbecue stalls, coconut candy and crafts, is mostly cash. So are small family restaurants, roadside fruit stands, some beach and park parking, and tips. Carry $50 to $100 in small notes.
Chamorro food is cheaper away from Tumon. Red rice, chicken kelaguen and barbecue short ribs cost a fraction of the hotel-strip prices at local restaurants in Hagåtña, Tamuning and Dededo.
Best ATMs to Use in Guam
Guam's banks are a mix of local and Hawaiian institutions. Their machines work like any American ATM: the owner may charge a surcharge, and your own bank may add an out-of-network fee. Bank of America has no branches on Guam, and the island is not part of the Global ATM Alliance.
Bank of Guam
The island's largest locally owned bank, with the widest network of branches and machines, in Tumon, Hagåtña, the malls and the villages.
Top Pick
BankPacific
A Guam-based bank with branches in Tamuning and other central areas. Standard US ATM fees apply.
Recommended
Bank of Hawaii
Hawaii's largest bank has long operated in Guam and the Northern Marianas. Useful if you bank with it at home; any surcharge is shown on screen.
Recommended
First Hawaiian Bank
Another Honolulu bank with branches on Guam. Machines in central Tamuning and Hagåtña.
Recommended⚠️ Machines in Hotels and Convenience Stores
Independent ATMs in Tumon hotel lobbies, ABC Stores and convenience stores charge higher surcharges than bank machines, and a card from Japan, Korea or elsewhere may be offered a conversion into its home currency. Use a bank's machine, and choose dollars. Our DCC explainer covers the conversion offer.
Taxis, Trolleys and Hire Cars
There is little public transport. Guam has a limited public bus network, and it is not built for visitors. Most get around in one of four ways, all of which cost more than on the mainland.
Taxis. Metered and expensive for the distances: the short ride from the airport to Tumon costs roughly $20 to $30, and longer trips add up quickly. Most take cards, but confirm before you set off. Ride-hail apps operate on the island.
Trolley buses. Open-sided trolley buses loop between the Tumon hotels, the malls and the Chamorro Village market, sold as single rides or one-day and multi-day passes. They are aimed at Japanese and Korean visitors and are the cheapest way around Tumon.
Hire cars. The best way to see the south of the island, with its villages, bays and Spanish-era ruins. Hire desks at the airport and in Tumon take a credit card for the deposit. US licences are valid; drive on the right. Petrol is sold by the litre, not the gallon.
Tipping in Guam
American customs apply. Tip 15 to 20 percent at restaurants, a few dollars a bag to porters, and something for tour guides and dive crews. Many Tumon restaurants used to Japanese visitors, who do not tip at home, add a service charge automatically. Read the bill before you add a tip on top.
Frequently Asked Questions
What currency does Guam use?
The US dollar. Guam is an unincorporated territory of the United States, and American banknotes and coins are the only currency. Shops in Tumon often show prices in Japanese yen or Korean won as well, for visitors from those countries, but the price you pay is in dollars.
Does Guam have sales tax?
No. Guam has no sales tax on purchases, which is part of the appeal of its duty-free shopping. Businesses pay a gross receipts tax, the Business Privilege Tax, which fell to 4 percent on 1 October 2026, and some pass it on in their prices. Hotels add an 11 percent occupancy tax.
Will my US credit card charge a foreign transaction fee in Guam?
Usually not, because Guam is part of the United States and purchases are in dollars. But a few card issuers code merchants in Guam, and in other US territories, as international and charge their foreign transaction fee. If your card has a fee, check your first statement, or use a card with no foreign transaction fee.
Do I need a passport to go to Guam from the US?
US citizens do not need a passport to travel from the mainland or Hawaii to Guam, though a passport or REAL ID-compliant identification is needed to fly. Visitors from other countries need a passport and a US visa, or eligibility under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program or ESTA.
How do I get around Guam without a car?
With difficulty. Guam has a limited public bus service, so most visitors use taxis, which are expensive, ride-hail apps, hotel shuttles, or the trolley buses that loop Tumon and the shopping centres on a day or multi-day pass. Renting a car is the cheapest way to see the island.
Which ATMs should I use in Guam?
Bank machines from Bank of Guam, BankPacific, Bank of Hawaii and First Hawaiian Bank, in Tumon, Hagatna and the malls. Expect a surcharge from the machine's owner plus your own bank's out-of-network fee, as on the mainland. Bank of America has no branches on Guam, and it is not part of the Global ATM Alliance.
Do I need cash in Guam?
A little. Hotels, malls, restaurants and tours take cards. Carry $50 to $100 for the Chamorro Village night market, small local restaurants, beach parking and fees at some sights, and tips.
Guam money toolkit
Deep-dive guides for specific banks, airports, and traveler nationalities in Guam. Each one builds on this overview with card-by-card fee math, exact ATM locations, or terminal-by-terminal directions.
Go deeper: Guam and the Pacific
Guam is a common stop between the US, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. Most visitors arrive from Tokyo, Osaka, Seoul or Busan, and the guides to those cities are the natural next read for an onward trip. For how the US territories differ from the mainland on money, the blog explains pegged and shared currencies.
Hero photo: evening at Tumon Bay, Guam, by Daniel Ramirez, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.