Is American Express (Amex) accepted in Gambia?

Don’t bother with Amex in Gambia. I tried in Banjul and Serrekunda, and no ATM or restaurant accepted it. Visa was the most reliable, followed by Mastercard. Meals cost 250-500 dalasi, and daily spending was about 2,000-2,400 dalasi including excursions. Cash is also important for markets and street food. Amex simply isn’t part of the system here. Bring Visa to avoid stress.

Gambia is affordable, but not with Amex. Local shops, restaurants, and ATMs all rejected it. Visa was the only card that worked everywhere, especially at banks like Ecobank. Meals were 300 dalasi, taxis around 200-400 dalasi, and my daily budget was 2,000 dalasi. Mastercard sometimes worked at hotels but was less reliable than Visa. Amex didn’t work at all. Definitely bring Visa when visiting Gambia.

My American Express card didn’t work once in Gambia. ATMs all declined it, and even mid-range hotels in Kololi only took Visa or sometimes Mastercard. Meals cost 250-400 dalasi, and excursions ran around 1,500 dalasi. I spent about 2,200 dalasi daily overall. Visa was perfect for both withdrawals and payments. Amex was a dead weight. Always carry a Visa card here, and some cash for smaller beach bars.

I went to Gambia recently and couldn’t use my Amex anywhere. ATMs in Banjul and Serrekunda wouldn’t process it, and restaurants only accepted Visa. Mastercard worked at some hotels but Visa was much more common. Meals were cheap - around 300-500 dalasi - and I budgeted 2,000-2,500 dalasi daily including taxis and excursions like river trips. Amex was completely useless. Bring Visa if you want smooth payments in Gambia.