Do places in Equatorial Guinea accept American Express?

From my trip to Malabo-the rule is simple: cash and Visa. I tried my Amex at two different hotels, nada. Mastercard worked once at a big supermarket but failed at an ATM. Visa was the only card that consistently worked, especially at ATMs inside BGFIBank. Restaurants in Sipopo took my Visa credit card, but street stalls wanted CFA in small notes. Honestly, don’t stress about Amex-it’s basically useless. Bring Visa, keep a backup Mastercard, and carry CFA for taxis, bars, and local meals. Made life a lot easier when I stopped trying Amex everywhere.

Equatorial Guinea is still heavily cash-based. I had my Mastercard declined twice at ATMs in Bata before finding one at Société Générale that worked. Visa is much more reliable, especially in Malabo. Don’t even bother with Amex unless you’re staying in a high-end hotel-most places have no way to process it. Restaurants and shops in the smaller towns are cash only, so stock up on CFA francs when you can. Also, some ATMs run out of money or go offline, so don’t wait until you’re out of cash to withdraw.

I was surprised how easy it was to use my Visa debit card in Malabo. The ATM at BGFIBank near the airport worked fine, and I could pay with Visa at a couple of mid-range restaurants and even a supermarket in the Sipopo area. Mastercard was also accepted at a hotel I stayed at. My Amex? Didn’t work at all, but I wasn’t expecting much. Honestly, I found that a mix of Visa and cash in CFA francs was perfect for getting around. For a country that’s small and less touristy, it wasn’t too hard.

Equatorial Guinea isn’t very card-friendly, and American Express is almost never accepted. In Malabo and Bata, ATMs linked to banks like BGFIBank or Société Générale work with Visa and sometimes Mastercard. Don’t expect to see an Amex logo anywhere. Restaurants and supermarkets in Malabo’s wealthier areas will usually take Visa, and occasionally Mastercard, but smaller shops and cafés are cash only. I recommend carrying plenty of CFA francs and using Visa for big expenses like hotels or nicer restaurants. Mastercard works in some places but is less consistent. Amex won’t get you far here.