Visa and MasterCard are the most commonly accepted credit cards. Public transportation and taxis (not Uber)Īmerican Express and Discover cards are almost never accepted in Egypt, except at international hotel chains. However, in the following situations, credit cards are almost never accepted: Making online purchases, such as train tickets, air tickets, and booking hotels online Inside airports, shopping malls, and larger supermarkets When dining in expensive restaurants or places catering to tourists When staying at international hotel chains, like Marriott, Hilton, etc. This is slowly changing, so travelers can expect to use credit cards in the following scenarios: In the USA, credit cards are almost universally accepted, but in Egypt, travelers trying to use credit cards will often be frustrated, finding their cards are almost never useful.Įgypt is mostly a cash-based society, and credit cards are not something often used to make payments. Hint: most ATMs in Egypt have a limit of 2000-3000 Egyptian Pounds for withdrawal, so travelers will often need to make multiple ATM trips throughout their time in Egypt, unless they have already exchanged lots of cash at the airport or foreign exchange offices ATMs give the same, government-set exchange rate, oftentimes do not charge extra fees (your bank may charge a fee however), and are ubiquitous throughout Egypt.Īll you need to pull money from an ATM is your debit card (a credit card linked to a checking account) and your PIN, and most travelers will also need to inform their bank they are traveling in Egypt and will be using local ATMs. My favorite option for getting the bulk of my Egyptian Pounds is using ATMs while in Egypt. Lnterested in joining a group tour of Egypt? Check out my next group tours here. You can read more about when and how much to tip in this blog post dedicated to the subject. Tipping is customary in many more instances in Egypt than it is in the United States, and many Egyptians who work in the tourism sector rely on tips to pay their basic expenses. The person accepting this currency will be forced to exchange it for Egyptian Pounds with other tourists since official exchange offices do not accept $1 bills or coins. Only do this as a last resort, like if you have no other currency to tip with. Never try to make purchases or tip using foreign coins or $1 bills, as these cannot be exchanged. Occasionally certain shop vendors or tour guides will ask to be paid in US Dollars, though, because of the fluctuations in the exchange rates, so you can always ask if someone prefers to be paid in USD or Egyptian Pounds. Not only is it easier for Egyptian’s to accept money in Egyptian Pounds (they will not need to exchange it later), tourists also often receive better prices when using Egyptian Pounds to make purchases. When traveling throughout Egypt, I highly recommend using Egyptian Pounds or credit card to pay for all purchases.
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