Chamber Dollars

Keep Money Local

Each year more than $100,000 is kept local through our Chamber Dollar Program. Whether you are giving these chamber dollars as a gift for a family member, as a performance reward or holiday bonus for employees, or as a thank you to a local professional who impacts your life—it supports local spending!

Businesses That Accept Chamber Dollars

Chamber dollars are legal tender and can be spent anywhere that accepts checks. They do not expire. For this program, the chamber uses the honor system and asks that they be spent at chamber members’ businesses. For a quick look at the top 100 places they are used, you can view our Chamber Dollar Program Handout. You can also simply search or browse through the full chamber member directory. 

Decorah Chamber Dollar Basics

The chamber office which is located downtown (507 West Water Street, Decorah, Iowa 52101) is the only location to purchase Chamber Dollars. For large orders, please call ahead and speak to chamber staff (563)382-3990.

You can pay for chamber dollars with cash or check. We can accept credit card payments but you will be charged a 2.9% fee on top of the chamber dollar amount being issued. (The Chamber does not charge any administrative fee for this program.)

For the benefit of our local merchants who may have to issue change back, Chamber Dollars are issued in increments of $25 dollars or less. The most commonly purchased increments are $10 and $20 dollars. Chamber Dollars do not expire.

Many area businesses— both big and small—are chamber members. There is great flexibility to spend the chamber dollars at a location that suits the recipient. More than 50 businesses in the Water Street Downtown District are members as are many larger businesses in the area. All grocery store locations are members (Oneota Co-op, Hy-Vee, Fareway, Walmart).

  • Restaurants
  • Retailers
  • Wellness (Massage, Spa, Salons)
  • Services
  • Grocery Stores
  • Gas Stations

We choose chamber dollars

to encourage our employees to

support LOCAL

businesses.

ANderson, Wilmarth, van der maaten, belay, fretheim, gipp, evelsizer olson, lynch & zahasky

In their words

"Chamber Dollars are great holiday gifts because the variety of chamber members ensures each employee can spend at their favorite local store."

"Many of our customers use Chamber Dollars at Ace Kitchen Place and Ace Hardware. We are happy to accept them and glad to have this program in our community."

I love receiving Chamber Dollars as gifts.
I often spend mine at J. Tupy's, Agora Arts, Oneota Community Coop, La Rana, Rubaiyat, T Bock's, and Fareway
to name a few."

Businesses Accepting Chamber Dollars

  • Accept Chamber Dollars the same way you would accept a check.*
  • If the sale is less than the chamber dollar amount, issue cash back for the difference.
  • The “Pay to the Order” line should have your business name.
  • Deposit as normal.
  • Contact Chamber Staff with any questions.

    Earlier years of chamber dollars featured an expiration date. (You may remember this as a long-time Decorah business owner.) In 2019, the chamber removed the expiration. If the chamber dollar is damaged, you are unsure of the validity of the chamber dollar in regards to its age, or if the “Pay to the Order” line is incorrect, you can direct the customer to the chamber so they can trade in their damaged/incorrectly written dollar for a newly issued one.

*Your business may have a policy on providing change on check transactions. Communicate that policy to the customer before purchase. Chamber Dollars are issued in $25 or fewer increments to minimize the need for change.

Thank you Chamber Dollar Sponsor
Friest & Associates Realtors