Money in the Maldives works a little differently depending on whether you're on a resort island or a local one — worth understanding both before you land, since they call for genuinely different habits.
Currency
The local currency is the Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR), but US dollars are widely accepted and often effectively the default currency for tourism — resort rates, excursions and many local-island guesthouse prices are frequently quoted directly in USD.
How resorts actually handle payment
Most resorts run on a room-charge account system: you sign for everything — meals, drinks, spa, excursions — and settle the full bill by card at checkout. Cash is rarely needed for anything beyond tipping once you're on-property.
Tipping
A mandatory 10% service charge is already added to resort bills (see our green tax & resort taxes explainer), which technically covers staff — but discretionary tipping for boat crews, dive guides, and excursion staff specifically is common practice and generally appreciated, since service charge is pooled resort-wide rather than going directly to the individual who helped you. Small USD notes are the easiest way to do this.
On local islands
Card machines are less universal on local islands than at resorts — carrying some cash (rufiyaa or small USD notes) is more useful here than it is on a resort island, where you'll rarely need physical money at all.