Wondering how to pay for metro and bus rides in Cameroon - cash only, or do cards work too?
I kind of liked the no-frills transport in Douala. I stayed at Hotel Résidence La Falaise and used shared taxis a lot. Always cash, usually just coins, and the drivers are quick and efficient. From Akwa to Bonanjo cost me 300 CFA, and the traffic was way worse than the payment process. Intercity buses like Finexs to Yaoundé are also cash only, but cheap - under 5,000 CFA. No cards, no apps, but locals are helpful and it felt straightforward once you get used to it.
Honestly, the lack of card acceptance in Cameroon was frustrating. I queued at Mvan bus terminal in Yaoundé to book a ticket to Kribi, and the clerk wanted cash only. I had to run to an Ecobank ATM because my CFA notes weren’t enough. Shared taxis around Deido in Douala were even trickier - drivers rarely had change, and I overpaid more than once. For short stays, carry stacks of small bills. Forget about using cards for buses or taxis; it’s 100% cash-based transport here.
I lived in Yaoundé for a month, and every ride I took - whether a shared taxi on Avenue Kennedy or a bus from Mvan station - was cash only. No card machines anywhere. Shared taxis charged 300-500 CFA depending on distance, and you always hand it straight to the driver. At Mvan, I bought a ticket for General Voyage to Douala and they laughed when I asked about card payment. It’s coins and notes all the way. If you’re used to tapping cards in Europe, forget it here.
There’s no metro in Yaoundé or Douala. Public transport is mostly shared taxis and minibus buses called “clandos.” Payment is always cash, in CFA francs. I stayed near Akwa in Douala and used minibuses to Bonapriso; each ride was about 250-300 francs, paid directly to the driver. No one accepts cards - not even at the main Gare Routière bus station. Even long-distance buses like Finexs Voyages to Bafoussam required cash tickets bought at the counter. Cards simply aren’t used for transport, so carry plenty of small notes.