Paying for ads and AI tools from Trinidad
Card US$ limits keep shrinking in Trinidad. How to pay Meta, TikTok, Google and AI tools in 2026: credit cards, US$ debit, prepaid and the Exim window.
Almost every tool a small business uses to market itself online bills in US dollars. Facebook and Instagram ads, TikTok ads, Google ads, Canva and ChatGPT all expect a card that can pay a foreign company every month.
In Trinidad and Tobago, that has become harder each year. Banks have cut the US dollar limits on cards several times since 2023, and business groups say small firms are feeling it most. Here are the options that exist in October 2026 and what each one is good for.
Why the card keeps getting declined
The country earns less foreign currency than it used to, so banks ration what they sell. Card limits are one of the main ways they do it.
Two details catch people out. First, the limit covers every foreign payment on the card, including streaming, software and online shopping. Second, an online payment to a foreign company counts against it even if the charge shows in TT dollars. Republic Bank says this plainly on its credit card page.
Meta does not offer TT dollars as an ad account currency either. Its list of supported currencies includes the US dollar but no Caribbean currency, so ad spend from here is a foreign payment.
Option 1: a credit card with a US$ limit
For most businesses this is still the main route. Current published limits:
| Bank | Card | Monthly foreign limit |
|---|---|---|
| Republic Bank | Credit cards | US$2,500 per statement, or your US$ limit if lower |
| Scotiabank | Credit cards | US$2,000; US$5,000 on Aero Mastercard Black |
| RBC | Credit cards | TT$14,000 equivalent |
| First Citizens | Mastercard Standard | US$2,000 |
Sources: Republic Bank, Scotiabank, RBC, Caribbean Today on First Citizens.
New cards can be tighter still. The Trinidad Express reported that a Republic Bank staff notice set a US$500 maximum credit limit on newly issued cards (Trinidad Express). Scotiabank allows only US$100 of foreign spending on a third card and any after it (Trinidad Express). Ask your bank for the exact figure on your card before you plan a campaign.
Option 2: a debit card
Debit card limits are lower. CIBC FirstCaribbean cut its personal Visa debit limit to US$500 a month in 2025. JMMB's Classic debit card fell to US$100 a month in February 2026 (Trinidad Express).
JMMB told the Express that its Gold card and Visa Business Debit card were unchanged. It described the business card as the only debit card on the market with a US dollar allowance for businesses. If you run a registered company, that is worth asking about.
Option 3: a card that spends US dollars you already hold
If your business earns US dollars, from tourists, exports or overseas clients, you can spend them directly instead of buying them from a bank.
The Unit Trust Corporation offers a US$ Visa debit card linked to its US$ Income Fund. UTC lists international online purchases, a point-of-sale limit of US$3,000 a day and a US$20 annual fee. Its page also mentions a US$5 fee per use, so ask how that applies to online payments.
It is also worth asking your bank whether a US dollar account can carry a card. The same rule applies: this helps if US dollars are coming in, but it does not create new ones.
Option 4: a prepaid card
First Citizens sells a Mastercard Prepaid that works for online purchases. You load it in TT dollars, up to TT$3,000 a day, and it has its own monthly US dollar spending cap.
A prepaid card is a good way to keep ad spending separate from everything else. Check each platform's rules, though. TikTok, for example, says you cannot use a prepaid card for automatic billing, so you would have to top up your ad account by hand.
Option 5: the Exim Bank SME Forex Window
In April 2025 the government launched an SME Forex Window through the Export-Import Bank of Trinidad and Tobago. Eligible businesses could get up to US$50,000 a month for international business expenses, on top of what their bank provides (Stabroek News).
It works differently from a card. Payments are settled through Republic Bank or First Citizens directly to the foreign supplier. The application site asks whether your business has operated for more than 12 months and says approval depends on availability. It suits larger bills, such as an annual software licence, more than a monthly ad charge.
What about online-only cards?
Some people in Trinidad use Payoneer accounts or crypto-linked cards to pay for foreign services. Digital marketing strategist Keron Rose named both, including RedotPay, when the Express asked about the JMMB cut.
Be careful here. These companies are not on the Central Bank's list of registered e-money issuers and payment providers, so local consumer protections may not apply if something goes wrong. Never move more money into them than you can afford to have frozen.
Get more from the limit you have
- List every foreign charge on your cards and cancel what you do not use.
- Pay for the one or two tools that bring in sales before anything else.
- Put ads on one card and subscriptions on another, so a subscription never stops a campaign.
- Note your statement date, since some limits reset then instead of on the 1st.
- Where a tool offers an annual plan, compare it with the monthly price. Paying once can be easier to plan.
What to watch
Watch for further limit changes. Banks have tended to follow each other, and the Chaguanas Chamber's president told the Express he expects more cuts. Also watch whether the Exim window reopens or grows, and whether any locally registered wallet adds a card that works abroad.
For setup help on specific platforms, see our guides to TikTok ads from Trinidad and AI marketing for small businesses.