Cash or Card? Countries where you still need cash.

[luxury-lizard]

Ha ha - I would advise ANZ of my travel plans but they aren't accepting calls. Yes - I also have a debit card - HSBC in fact - not really a "usual suspect". Never had an issue with the ANZ card when overseas (but all recent travel has been to "western" countries). Clearly Indonesia is concerned about fraud - the other hotel we booked (and prepaid - somehow that payment worked) state you must present the card used at check-in (but did not go via the DOKU payment gateway).

 

[georgie23]

Got back a month ago from Greece - islands mostly and noticed that all food/retail was card - what was annoying was services we booked they are "best price for you" which meant cash - this was transfer/taxi/catamaran etc - one place said no card at all - so it seems they still want cash for those services but at retail end no need for any cash (including small off the beat cafe and food place)

Would cary some Euro just for that

 

[RealtimeY]

Ha ha - I would advise ANZ of my travel plans but they aren't accepting calls.

It might be easier to do it online?

 

[bashworth]

Currently in Timor Leste and cash (US$) pretty much everywhere even my hotel in Dili only takes cash.
Also if you are going beyond Dili make sure you have plenty of coins and low denomination notes. When you are only paying $2-$3 for a meal they find it hard to change anything more than $10!

 

[Jenya]

Just came back from Pakistan 100% cash country. Only locally issued Visa on MC works in ATMs.
Tried CitibankPlus, normal ANZ and NAB bebit cards, even Wise all failed.
The only way to get cash was Wise transfer to local bank account (worked perfectly in seconds) and than local host would take cash from their ATM and hand it over to you.

 

[kpc]

Just came back from Pakistan 100% cash country. Only locally issued Visa on MC works in ATMs.
Tried CitibankPlus, normal ANZ and NAB bebit cards, even Wise all failed.
The only way to get cash was Wise transfer to local ban account (worked perfectly in seconds) and than local host would take cash from their ATM and hand it over to you.

Would love to go to Pakistan one day, but then it would be a pain to go to US after...do hotels take card for payment? I guess you could take wads of USD cash and excahnge for local currency...

 

[Princess Fiona]

Taxis in Rhodes do not accept cards at all.
Cash only. They are very efficient, clean and tidy older Mercs but you need to ask the price before you get in.

 

[Jenya]

Would love to go to Pakistan one day, but then it would be a pain to go to US after

Funny enough... I did exactly that just now.
Travelled to Alaska straight from Pakistan ISL-BKK-ICN-SEA-ANC
Cleared border in Sea-Tac airport with less than 24-hr fresh Pakistani stamp in passport.
No questions asked accept "are you really came that far for just 10-day trip to Alaska?"

do hotels take card for payment?

I stayed in home guest house, and paid for that night via Booking.com
Not sure about big hotels

I guess you could take wads of USD cash and excahnge for local currency...

I could, but i didn't (because it wasn't cheap to get USD cash from cash exchange in Bangkok with double conversion from AUD and THB) and find myself without any cash on arrival - luckily owner of guesthouse met me on arrival and suggested Wise transfer to solve this.

 

[Jenya]

Would love to go to Pakistan one day,

Absolutely worth to go!
I only was there for a week and definitely coming back. Its dirty cheap, very friendly and offers mind-blowing hikes in northern Gilgit-Baltistan Hunza valley along Karakorum highway to Chinese border Hujirab pass at 4800m elevation. Not to mention Ferry Medows.... and K2 base camp

 

[Flashback]

Would love to go to Pakistan one day, but then it would be a pain to go to US after...do hotels take card for payment? I guess you could take wads of USD cash and excahnge for local currency...

Why is that? AFAIK it's not on the list of countries that preclude you from using the VWP?

 

[Jenya]

True.
But I still failed VWP due to stupidly ticking YES for North Korea travel 5 years ago.
(they have no way to check this)
Big red screen told me I am not eligible.
Had to visit US consulate and stick 5yr US visa label into Australian passport.

 

[Scarlett]

Thanks @Pushka - I'll call the ANZ - for this transaction the hotel has advised that we can pay on arrival BUT the only other card I have is AmEx - so if ANZ VISA fails at the point of sale (as opposed to online payments) it will pose a major issue as I would be surprised if AmEx is widely accepted.

You might be surprised by Amex in Indonesia @luxury-lizard
In 2018 in Indonesia for an extended period and used my CBA ‘additional card’ Amex almost everywhere. (remember those - was a great deal!) I don’t have an Amex now but the signs are still everywhere.

I occasionally have problems with my AUS credit cards for IDN airlines and hotels, so likely the hotel is rejecting it as a foreign card. They may not even know how or why it is happening. You can generally get around non-acceptance of foreign cards when booking travel services by doing the booking through Traveloka or Tiket, both large and excellent providers. Which hotel or chain if you don’t mind my asking?

 

[luxury-lizard]

You might be surprised by Amex in Indonesia @luxury-lizard
In 2018 in Indonesia for an extended period and used my CBA ‘additional card’ Amex almost everywhere. (remember those - was a great deal!) I don’t have an Amex now but the signs are still everywhere.

I occasionally have problems with my AUS credit cards for IDN airlines and hotels, so likely the hotel is rejecting it as a foreign card. They may not even know how or why it is happening. You can generally get around non-acceptance of foreign cards when booking travel services by doing the booking through Traveloka or Tiket, both large and excellent providers. Which hotel or chain if you don’t mind my asking?

Thanks @Scarlett - good info on AmEx. I eventually got a call back from the ANZ (after lodging an online complaint) - the issue with my ANZ card was that Anantara Seminyak uses a payment gateway (DOKU) - my transaction was rejected by the ANZ system for some sort of formatting error in one of the fields (the agent who called me was very knowledgable but was not able to say exactly which field (but it wasn't the customer name or address). I e-mailed DOKU's support which (surprising to me) responded but was not able to find my transaction (with the information I provided). (BTW I did book another hotel, for our return to Bali following a cruise - it accepted my Visa card no problem). Anyway - we'll off on Tuesday.

 

[SYD]

Currently in the US (Montana) and two bars had 3.5% CC surcharge! Used cash instead - from previous visit earlier this year (fortunately withdrew a shedload at a much more favourable exchange rate!).

 

[luxury-lizard]

Back to credit card usage in Bali - just arrived - tried a CommBank ATM with my ANZ Visa - transaction rejected (no reason given) - person behind me (also with an ANZ Visa card had the same problem) - the ATM beside it (from a local Indonesian bank) - worked just fine - even let me select my checking account instead of credit account.

 

[ShelleyB]

Egypt. USD as well.

Can you elaborate? We'll be going to Egypt later this year and I am trying to work out if I should be taking USD. Are there situations where the local currency would not suffice?

 

[Flashback]

Can you elaborate? We'll be going to Egypt later this year and I am trying to work out if I should be taking USD. Are there situations where the local currency would not suffice?

I purely used EGP when I was there, fee free from an ATM.

 

[ShelleyB]

I purely used EGP when I was there, fee free from an ATM.

Thanks. That's what I had been planning on doing and understood should be fine from my research.

 

[RooFlyer]

Back to credit card usage in Bali - just arrived - tried a CommBank ATM with my ANZ Visa - transaction rejected (no reason given) - person behind me (also with an ANZ Visa card had the same problem) - the ATM beside it (from a local Indonesian bank) - worked just fine - even let me select my checking account instead of credit account.

There's a CommBank ATM in Bali? Where 'bouts? And were you trying to use a CC to get Indon cash out?

Can you elaborate? We'll be going to Egypt later this year and I am trying to work out if I should be taking USD. Are there situations where the local currency would not suffice?

EGP good for everywhere, but like Pushka I take some USD $1s (like I take everywhere). Once I was short of EGP (ALWAYS need some small bills for toilet access!!) so I tipped with my reserve US$ that day.

 

[Pushka]

Can you elaborate? We'll be going to Egypt later this year and I am trying to work out if I should be taking USD. Are there situations where the local currency would not suffice?

In markets etc and say for a tip if riding a camel at the pyramids it's EGP. And Toilets. ATM's are good. Hotels it's credit cards. Our tour guides wanted USD but you could use a credit card but they added on a surcharge. Then there's the bank fees. We paid for tours in USD.