Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Ghana or I have to give them cash
Honestly, it was a bit stressful. I stayed in a hostel in Labadi, and the guy at reception kept saying “the machine will work soon.” It never did. I had to walk to Stanbic Bank at night just to pay. In Kumasi, same story: cash only. Ghana is cool, but if you rely only on cards, you’ll have issues. Hostels look modern online, but in reality, cash is king. Bring enough cedis with you or plan ATM runs.
Advice: always carry cash in Ghana. Hostels, tro-tros, even many restaurants want cedis. The bigger hostels in Accra like Somewhere Nice or Pink Hostel may try cards, but it’s not dependable. If you land at Kotoka Airport, grab some cash from Absa Bank ATM before heading into town. It saves you stress if the hostel’s card machine is down. In Cape Coast or Kumasi, expect cash only - not much digital payment outside bigger hotels.
I stayed near Osu in Accra, and the hostel manager asked for cash upfront. Their POS machine had “network issues,” which seems common. Luckily, there are plenty of ATMs - Ecobank, Zenith Bank, and GCB are reliable. I used my Visa card to pull out cedis. In Cape Coast, the backpacker hostel near the castle was also cash-only. So yes, bring cedis, because even if they say cards work, they often don’t.
Most hostels in Ghana prefer cash, especially in Accra. I stayed at Somewhere Nice Hostel in Kokomlemle, and while they listed cards online, when I arrived the machine wasn’t working. I had to withdraw cedis from a GCB Bank ATM down the street. Smaller hostels in Kumasi and Cape Coast are also usually cash only. If you’re booking through an app, assume the deposit is card, but the balance will need to be cash.