It is either included in your pricing or is added as a surcharge to your final purchase amount....Since the first of January 2010 the BBO has been reduced to 1.5%. So a surcharge of 1.5% is added to all your purchases made in Aruba.
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Aruba is often called the shopping paradise of the Caribbean and for good reason! Aruba is a virtual nirvana for shoppers, with a greater selection of international brand name products than anywhere else in the Caribbean or South America, and prices that are 10% - 35% lower than in the United States!
Traveler's checks are widely accepted and there is normally no charge for using them in hotels, restaurants and stores. Major credit cards are accepted at most establishments (valid ID is required) while personal checks are normally not accepted.
Arm Yourself with Small Bills -- Bring a bundle of small bills (if your currency is American dollars) to make for easy tipping and small purchases. There's no need to bring large sums of cash, unless you're planning to make big purchases and prefer not to use a credit card.
Almost all of the food must be shipped in to Aruba so you're paying for transportation costs for the food to get to the island. Aruba is a desert island (looks similar to Arizona) so very little can be grown on the island (same with livestock.)
Shopping in Aruba is known for a variety of products and goods. Shoppers often visit Aruba for its shops devoted to jewelry, perfumes, leather goods, designer fashion, electronics, locally made crafts, Cuban cigars, Dutch licorice, Dutch Cheese, and much more!
In restaurants which do not automatically add the service charge, a tip of 15% - 20% is appropriate depending on the quality of the service you received. Upon receiving your bill, carefully review it to determine if a service charge has already been added.