Wondering if ATMs and places like restaurants shops easily take Senegal or its better to get a Visa or Mastercard
Visa and Mastercard are definitely safer bets in Senegal. Most ATMs in Dakar, like Société Générale or Ecobank branches, work with foreign cards. My Amex didn’t work at any ATM, and very few shops accepted it, even in Plateau or near Blaise Diagne Airport. Hotels like Radisson Blu or Pullman will take American Express, but that’s about it. Restaurants in Dakar often prefer cash or Visa. I’d avoid depending on Amex-carry a Visa or Mastercard debit/credit and withdraw CFA at a bank ATM for smaller purchases.
From my Dakar trip-don’t expect to swipe Amex all over town. I stayed in Almadies, and none of the local cafés took it. Visa worked best, both at Société Générale ATMs and restaurants like Bazoff. Mastercard was fine at Carrefour supermarket and even at Blaise Diagne Airport duty-free. Outside Dakar it’s cash only-I ran out in Saint-Louis and had to hunt down an Ecobank ATM. Honestly, bring Visa, carry CFA in small notes, and only bother with Amex at big chain hotels. Everything else is cash-first here.
Be careful with cards in Senegal. ATMs exist, but not every machine is reliable-stick to inside branches of Société Générale, UBA, or Ecobank to avoid skimmers. Amex is basically useless outside luxury hotels. Even Mastercard sometimes failed, and I had to try two different ATMs to get cash in Saint-Louis. Many restaurants, taxis, and local shops are cash only. So, bring a Visa card for ATM withdrawals, keep cash handy, and avoid random standalone ATMs. In rural areas, you’ll have no choice but to use CFA francs.
I had good luck with my Visa debit card in Senegal. Pulled cash from Société Générale in Dakar, and Ecobank ATMs in Saint-Louis also worked fine. Larger restaurants in Dakar, like Le Lagon or La Piazza, accepted my Mastercard credit card. I even managed to use Visa in a Carrefour supermarket. Amex? Forget it-only worked once at my hotel in Plateau. Overall, cash is king but it was easier than I expected to find working ATMs in bigger cities. Just plan ahead before heading to smaller towns.