Cash or Card? Countries where you still need cash.

[SYD]

That's it. if you are OK with travelling with cash and card, you can access everything. If you insist on 'card only' you restrict yourself.

Yep, that was the point raising this thread and leaning towards leisure travel. Partnered with how easy it is to get cash at the destinations that expect it.

I otherwise put everything on 28° or debit (eg ING and others) but still carry varying degrees of cash OS (even in the UK!).

 

[Flyfrequently]

I'm currently in the Netherlands and even some of the major supermarkets (e.g. Albert Heijn) don't accept international credit cards.

That's interesting to hear @Mattg , I found it to be the opposite in 2019.
Went to purchase an item (specifically to get change) with a € note in Amsterdam supermarket and sign said card only, so had to tap my Q money card.
Heading there in September, I would prefer to go cashless.

 

[Flyfrequently]

Unless I have missed it in the thread, any comment on cash v card for Hong Kong?
Have read some Taxis, especially to from airport, insist on cash only.
With only 36 hours there, not keen on getting HK$ if CC accepted widely.

 

[Mattg]

Unless I have missed it in the thread, any comment on cash v card for Hong Kong?
Have read some Taxis, especially to from airport, insist on cash only.
With only 36 hours there, not keen on getting HK$ if CC accepted widely.

Taxis in Hong Kong are indeed mostly still cash only.

 

[Lynda2475]

But you can use card to pay for the train in HK, and that is the simplest way to get to/from airport to hotel. I spent a week there and was able to get everywhere by train, ferry or bus. Even the cheap local noodle bars took card payments.

 

[k_sheep]

Iceland and Norway were 100% card when I was there recently.

Argentina, 100% cash but that's because of the blue rate.

 

[2infinity]

I use CC for everything possible, but always carry cash as a backup. I do that in Australia as well as overseas.

We all see CC's as a convenience and they are and they give us ff pts. yay, but nobody considers the downside. Less privacy, more open to hacking, no access when the system is down, what if at some point in the future you get restricted access to services? Don't say it won't happen, there is already a system in place in China that restricts people's access.

What happens when there are issues with your bank, do you pat yourself on the back because you have a platinum card or are you racing down to the bank to withdraw all your 'CASH'

 

[Lynda2475]

or are you racing down to the bank to withdraw all your 'CASH

However, many Aussie bank branches are now cashless (ATM aside), you actually have to provide advance notice if you want to withdraw cash over the counter such is how few withdrawals, they get they cant justify keeping cash on site anymore.

 

[luxury-lizard]

We're currently travelling in Germany (now in Austria) and I can report that in Germany - many Europeans still use cash even for very large purchases BUT most places take cards (rarely AmEX though, except large hotels) - in some places our Visa card did not work and we needed cash even though they did accept other cards (e.g. EC and MC), all ATMs (we tried) charge 3% commission (and that's before your Aussie bank charges its fees), many taxis only take cash, some holiday apartments require a cash security deposit on arrival (refunded on departure), but generally we still use cards 95% of the time.

 

[Lynda2475]

IME MC is more widely accepted in Europe than Visa. Always travel with a Amex, one or more MC and one or more Visa.

 

[SYD]

We're currently travelling in Germany (now in Austria) and I can report that in Germany - …. all ATMs (we tried) charge 3% commission (and that's before your Aussie bank charges its fees),

IME, German bank ATMs don’t charge a fee.

That 3% would be your bank’s international transaction fee plus any service fee (can be around $5 +/-).

You might want to look at getting a UBank account (or one of the others that doesn’t charge any international fees). You can also use the debit card for purchases fee free.

 

[Camsean]

Central Asia - definitely need cash

Japan - Quite a number of places are cash only.

New Caledonia - Need cash

Indonesia- Away from Bali and Java need cash

India - need cash

 

[Lynda2475]

New Caledonia - Need cash

Strongly refute that, was there in April and did not need any cash at all. And many other AFFers have done recent completely cashless trips to New Caledonia.

All bakeries, restaurants, tourist attractions, car rental, petrol stations, hotels etc accept card.

 

[Camsean]

Strongly refute that, was there in April and did not need any cash at all. And many other AFFers have done recent completely cashless trips to New Caledonia.

All bakeries, restaurants, tourist attractions, car rental, petrol stations, hotels etc accept card.

You can strongly refute it but did a road trip around Grand Terre in January and definitely needed cash a number of times.

 

[luxury-lizard]

Sorry - but every ATM we checked (in Stuttgart) had a sign posted (only in German) that they charge a 3% fee - this is not your Aussie bank's fee. We use an ANZ Travel Adventurer card overseas as ANZ does not charge foreign transaction fees but after careful testing we have determined that ANZ exchange rates are worse than AmEx so ANZ are essentially getting a fee anyway. This ANZ card also does not charge ATM withdrawal fees (but while it should allow you to use your checking account for the transaction - ATMs in Europe do not let you select an account so it defaults to a cash advance on the credit account - however the interest on this does not really amount to much assuming you pay the full balance off when due - in fact when travelling we often ensure we have a positive balance on this card to ensure there are no issues ...)

 

[SYD]

Sorry - but every ATM we checked (in Stuttgart) had a sign posted (only in German) that they charge a 3% fee

No charges in Berlin last trip. I vaguely recall seeing a sign like that somewhere but would have moved on to another ATM.

ATMs in Europe do not let you select an account so it defaults to a cash advance on the credit account

Another good reason to use a Debit card in ATMs. Got caught out in the past using a NAB CC that defaulted to Cash Advance when NAB would otherwise have been fee free at the time…

 

[clifford]

I'm off to Japan in a few weeks and am taking a wad of cash.

Visiting Matsuyama, Miyazaki, Okinawa and Ishigaki (amongst others) and I do expect to find places where I will need cash.

Spoiler: I've been there before.

 

[kpc]

I'm off to Japan in a few weeks and am taking a wad of cash.

Visiting Matsuyama, Miyazaki, Okinawa and Ishigaki (amongst others) and I do expect to find places where I will need cash.

Spoiler: I've been there before.

Waiting for an AFFer to say that they did Japan with credit card only

 

[clifford]

Waiting for an AFFer to say that they did Japan with credit card only

It would've been an interesting trip...

 

[Quickstatus]

Lots of USA when getting gas...petrol.

Prepay cash is still a thing. But can prepay using card inside the store. The ones inside the store don't seem to require a zip code

But I exclusively tip with cash. So many restaurants take the tips if pay by CC.