Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Angola or I have to give them cash
Most hostels I stayed in wanted cash upfront - no cards, no online pay links. They might say otherwise on Booking.com or Hostelworld, but Angola’s hostel scene runs mostly on cash. Even nicer hostels in Luanda with modern listings didn’t accept Visa or Mastercard. One place offered bank transfer, but only to a local Angolan account. After that, I made sure to hit a Banco Sol ATM before checking in anywhere. Don’t risk showing up with just a card - it’s stressful. Withdraw enough at the start of your trip and confirm payment methods in advance.
When I arrived at my hostel in Huambo, they politely told me their POS machine was “not available today.” Same story in Luanda and Lobito - cash preferred, always. Angola hostels do not reliably accept card payments, even when advertised. I got into the habit of withdrawing what I needed every 2-3 days from bank ATMs and budgeting accordingly. Also, keep in mind that larger bills can be a problem - hostels sometimes don’t have change for 10,000 AOA notes. Bring cash in mixed denominations to make life easier.
I tried paying by card at three different guesthouses - none accepted it. Even hostels in central Luanda insisted on cash or local bank transfer. Tourists staying in Angola should expect to pay cash for accommodation, especially outside high-end hotels. Also, don’t assume the card reader works just because it’s visible at the counter. I had to make an emergency ATM run one night after assuming I could use my Visa. Now I always message ahead to confirm payment methods and carry enough for a few nights minimum.
Every hostel I stayed at in Luanda and Benguela wanted cash. Even when they claimed to accept cards online, their machines were “out of service” on arrival. Hostel payments in Angola are almost always cash-based. I learned to carry around 20,000-30,000 AOA in small bills at all times. A few places let me pay for extra nights via mobile transfer, but that only worked with a local bank account. For foreign tourists, plan on settling your bill in cash, preferably at check-in.