How to avoid being scammed at currency exchange in Bali?

When exchanging $200 at one counter, the cashier counted out the rupiah amount and the customer recounted it about 10 times — in the end the full correct amount was handed over. No passport was requested and no receipt was given.

At a money changer near the W Gourmet cafe, the cashier handed over the wrong (short) amount and immediately disappeared. The customer noticed the shortfall after recounting, but the cashier had vanished despite standing right there. They waited him out, got their money back, and exchanged elsewhere instead — the cashier tried to claim he'd given more than he actually did.

A money changer near Tropical (no A/C) recently offered a rate of 17,500. The cashier displayed the amount on a calculator, counted out 100k-rupiah notes, handed them over in one go without taking anything back — recount confirmed it was correct.

Exchanged money at a Honey Money exchange counter — lost about 10,000 rupiah on fees/difference, but otherwise the process was simple and straightforward.

If one exchange counter refuses your bills, just cross the street to another exchanger nearby — they may accept them.

After struggling with cash exchange, ended up avoiding currency exchange entirely: bought fresh new bills as backup, but in practice paid by card everywhere and brought the cash back home unused.

The Bali tourist levy (Kitas-related fee) can cause confusion, but it turns out to be voluntary — locals will explain this if you ask.

At a money changer in the Nusa Dua area, the cashier handed over the full amount in 50,000 rupiah notes stacked in piles. Counting everything immediately while holding the bills in hand prevented a shortchange — the cashier was visibly disappointed the trick didn't work.

A discrepancy was only noticed the next day when spending totals didn't add up despite recounting four times. By then it was too late to do anything about it. The lesson: always verify the amount on the spot before leaving the counter.