Cash or Card? Countries where you still need cash.

[Flyfrequently]

Quite a few restaurants in Funchal, Madeira (Portugal) notionally accepted card until you tried to actually use it and “the terminal never work”. “Use cash okay”.

Also in Lisbon @Scarlett apparently it is because it is costly for the merchant - somewhere around 30% we were informed.

Edit: it was Porto (a few restaurants by the river) not Lisbon.

 

[RooFlyer]

I take cash, 3 credit cards, 3 ATM cards and then everything available to be used on my Google wallet as well.

That's just sensible, although I wouldn't take that much cash! I get off the plane with 2 CCs, 2 debit/ATM cards, about US$20 cash in small bills and about A$50 equiv in local currency. Often I have the US$ and local currency left over from a previous trip. If I have a lot of local, I'll take it all and use it up.

Absolutely no stress about wondering if a merchant will take a particular form of payment (and hassle when they don't).

 

[SYD]

Also in Lisbon @Scarlett apparently it is because it is costly for the merchant - somewhere around 30% we were informed.

Lisbon (and Porto) aren’t so bad but outside of those, cash only was common.

Not sure about those merchant fees. Sounds a bit odd.

 

[Cynicor]

I can’t imagine 30%. I can barely imagine 3% on interchange fees tbh

 

[N860CR]

I can’t imagine 30%. I can barely imagine 3% on interchange fees tbh

If it goes through a card machine, they’ll be paying tax. If it’s cash… “ah nobody needa know hey”

 

[Mattg]

Do you mean card is not widely accepted?

Oh, yes I did mean card! Have corrected the typo in my post.

Also, USD there are only accepted if they are clean, crisp and ultra crisp........

Officially, businesses are not allowed to accept USD as payment. There was an announcement on the plane that this is illegal. Of course, in practice, things may be different.

 

[Port Power]

I have just returned from a month-long trip in the UK, France, Spain and Morocco. I took 40 Euro cash and returned with 20E in notes and some coin. It would have been 30E but I left my CC at the hotel and had to pay a friend back for a purchase. In England and Wales, CC was accepted everywhere. Ditto in France and Spain, even very out of the way hotels for a glass of wine. In Morocco, the only place I would have needed cash were the markets, but as I wasn't interested in trinkets, that didn't bother me.

In Japan last year, I also used the CC everywhere. One market-like shop wouldn't take CC under the equivalent of $30, but even a lot of food stalls took CC. I still have some USD, which is needed for tips. My tip from one hotel in Canada: add $10 or whatever amount to your room bill, and they will give you the cash to tip porters and other hotel staff. Very handy! Personally, I no longer take cash with me overseas.

 

[burmans]

I can’t imagine 30%. I can barely imagine 3% on interchange fees tbh

If you regard tax as a fee maybe!

 

[Flyfrequently]

If you regard tax as a fee maybe!

I believe this is the Portuguese "interpretation" @burmans !

 

[pagingjoan]

I have just returned from a month-long trip in the UK, France, Spain and Morocco. I took 40 Euro cash and returned with 20E in notes and some coin. It would have been 30E but I left my CC at the hotel and had to pay a friend back for a purchase. In England and Wales, CC was accepted everywhere. Ditto in France and Spain, even very out of the way hotels for a glass of wine. In Morocco, the only place I would have needed cash were the markets, but as I wasn't interested in trinkets, that didn't bother me.

In Japan last year, I also used the CC everywhere. One market-like shop wouldn't take CC under the equivalent of $30, but even a lot of food stalls took CC. I still have some USD, which is needed for tips. My tip from one hotel in Canada: add $10 or whatever amount to your room bill, and they will give you the cash to tip porters and other hotel staff. Very handy! Personally, I no longer take cash with me overseas.

Which parts of Japan? How long were you travelling there?

 

[Port Power]

Which parts of Japan? How long were you travelling there?

All over the place, from Hokkaido in the east to the western end of the mainland. I was on a circumnavigation cruise for a month in August/ September, and a 3-week land tour in very late March/ April. I’m not saying my experience was the same as others: perhaps I was just in the right places.

 

[LondonAussie]

Also in Lisbon @Scarlett apparently it is because it is costly for the merchant - somewhere around 30% we were informed.

Edit: it was Porto (a few restaurants by the river) not Lisbon.

And card surcharges are illegal in Europe, so they can't add it to your bill, like they would in Australia!

 

[pagingjoan]

All over the place, from Hokkaido in the east to the western end of the mainland. I was on a circumnavigation cruise for a month in August/ September, and a 3-week land tour in very late March/ April. I’m not saying my experience was the same as others: perhaps I was just in the right places.

Interesting that our experiences were so different. But perhaps your “cruise/tour” context was the key.

We have been travelling independently, both late last year and in September this year, and were in “untouristy” places for chunks of time, particularly this year, and using local transport often, so a different world maybe. Certainly, we would have been hungry, thirsty and reduced to walking had we not had cash.

 

[Cynicor]

Yeah, once you get more rural in Japan there are many cash only places. It’s very random, however.

I needed cash at the airport for train tickets (handwritten sign up, assume something was down that day), for petrol (card theoretically worked but 3 different ones “declined” and for 2 meals in Ishiuchi, an aging and (until recently) dying ski area. Izakayas and similar, run by older people, cash only

 

[Flyfrequently]

In Thailand, our time on Koh Samui was cash is king.
Only used pre loaded debit card to pay Accor hotel bill and incidentals/meals at the other pre paid Accor property.

 

[Jenya]

Any Vanuatu experience?

The only place i was able to use Wise card without additional fee was supermarkets Au Bon Marche.
All restaurants charge at least 4% fee, so sash is the must.

Avoid ANZ ATM's - only allow 44K Vatu withdrawal for 800VUV commission.
BSP (bank of South Pacific) allow to withdraw more cash and commission 490vuv.

 

[Lat34]

Just returned from three weeks mostly in (coastal) Croatia plus Slovenia, Bosnia & Montenegro. Card OK just about everywhere, but cash in small/ fresh markets etc. Cash definitely preferred (and discount given) on several Croatia island stops (35/38% ? Tax cited as cash payment preferred).
Interesting that a number of street bars/cafes in Zagreb (capital) were cash only on the little receipt you get with each drinks round. Tax / management preference again the reason

 

[Chicken]

In South Korea at the moment. And this place is nuts.

Using my Bankwest everywhere, including when I walked into an independent bakery in the market which looked like a shop from the 80s, picked up a bread roll, which interrupted the wife and husband owners (in their 60s ? ) having dinner in front of the TV. Wife came to me, I held up the ₩1000 (AUD $1.1) bread roll, said "Card?", and the wife pointed at the card machine.

But T Money and Cashbee (for public transport and buying things at convenient stores) can only be loaded using cash.

Then there is the Namane card, which is a transport card + bank debit card all in one, can be topped up using cash for free, or 6% fee if top up using credit card.

So I can pay granny AUD $1.1 using Bankwest for a bread roll, but prepaid cards especially for public transport can only be paid with cash.

Then there are electric car chargers. No cash, and domestic cards only. Think about the panic attack you had when your phone was dying and you didn't have a charger with you; except it's my rental car.

Just to play with you even more, not only different banks charge different fees for ATM withdrawals, but some even charge differently based on location of the ATM.
- A Woori bank ATM at an ATM shop front wanted ₩3600, but a Woori ATM in a commercial building with restaurants in a shopping area wanted ₩6000.
- NongHyup bank didn't charge me anything in a quiet area on Jeju Island. Back in Seoul, ₩3800.

 

[Sandn24]

Travelling to Sri Lanka next year. What are your tips, card (which doesn’t have LKR as an option) or cash. TIA

 

[Chicken]

- NongHyup bank didn't charge me anything in a quiet area on Jeju Island. Back in Seoul, ₩3800.

Tonight in Seoul, I tested another NongHyup ATM at a NongHyup ATM store front. Pressed credit card cash advance option (using a Suncorp Visa debit card), money came out with no free. I didn't even want the cash. Bloody hell!