Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Tunisia or I have to give them cash
I usually try to pay by card, but in Tunisia that didn’t go as planned. Stayed at a hostel in Sousse that listed “card accepted” on Booking.com, but they wouldn’t take it - said it was only for Tunisian cards. A hostel in Tunis did accept my Wise Visa, but added a 4% surcharge. If you’re wondering “do hostels in Tunisia accept cards?” - rarely, and even then, not reliably. Safer to arrive with local cash.
Even the hostels that advertise “cards accepted” don’t always follow through. In Kairouan, they told me the terminal was down and wanted full payment in cash on arrival. Not a huge deal, but it meant an emergency ATM run with a withdrawal fee. Some smaller towns don’t even have card facilities at all. So if you’re budgeting, assume cash is the default unless you’re staying in a modern place in Tunis.
I stayed at three hostels in March - one in Tunis, another in Tozeur, and one in Hammamet. Only the one in Tunis accepted card payment, and even that was inconsistent (POS machine was offline once). Everywhere else? Cash only, even though they took online bookings. I’d say bring enough dinar for at least half your stay. You can always top up via ATM but don’t rely on card payment at the counter.
Most of the hostels I stayed in - especially in Tunis and Sfax - asked for cash at check-in, even if you booked online with a card. Some said their POS machines “weren’t working” or “only for locals.” Bring enough Tunisian dinar to cover at least your first couple of nights. One place added a 5% fee for card use, so even if they accept cards, it’s often cheaper to just pay in cash.