Is it better to pay taxis in Tanzania with cash, or do drivers accept cards or payment apps?
Bolt and Uber in Dar es Salaam accept international cards, but many drivers ask you to confirm in cash first, just to avoid issues. In Arusha or smaller towns, there’s no card option - only cash. I keep small bills and coins for transport and always ask the driver upfront how they prefer payment. If you plan intercity taxis or safaris, those are always cash-based only.
Rode boda bodas and tuk-tuks everywhere in Zanzibar - cash only. They don’t have POS terminals or devices. Even the main taxis at Stone Town accept cash only. Bolt worked in Dar es Salaam but you still tip in cash at drop-off. I’d say cards in taxis are rare outside big cities, so prepare with sufficient shillings.
In Arusha, I used Bolt several times and paid by card through the app - but the driver still asked me to tip in local cash. In smaller towns like Morogoro, taxis are always cash-based. No one takes Visa or Amex in regular cabs. My tip: have around 10,000-20,000 TZS handy for taxi fares and tipping here and there.
It's pretty much cash only, especially if you’re hailing a taxi or using dala dala. I tried to pay with Amex in Dar es Salaam - no luck. Even ride-hailing services like Bolt and Uber exist but accept cards only in major cities, and often drop you at the point of payment to go get cash. For day-to-day travel, always carry small Tanzanian shillings.