Paying by American Express in DRC?

If you’re headed to the DRC, count on cash or Visa/Mastercard, not AmEx. Hotels in Gombe might grudgingly accept it, and a few Trust Merchant Bank or BCDC ATMs may let you withdraw once, but that’s rare. Most eateries, stores, and markets in Limete, Bandal, or even central Kinshasa are cash-only. Load up on USD (fresh notes post-2009) or get some CDF at a Bureau de Change near your stay. Bring the right cash and a common card-and you’ll be covered.

During my trip across Kinshasa, I tried AmEx at a café in Ma Campagne-they stared blankly and said ‘no.’ Later, in a mid-range restaurant in Gombe, the machine reluctantly accepted it once, but said it’s ‘unreliable.’ ATMs like BCDC on Avenue des Cliniques allowed a one-time cash advance, but I spent most of the trip using Mastercard or Visa. Street vendors, taxis, and corner shops are definitely cash-only. So yeah-AmEx might work occasionally, but don’t count on it.

I had one pleasant surprise at the Pullman Hotel in Gombe-they processed my AmEx at the front desk for my stay. But elsewhere, like the Rotating Restaurant on Boulevard du 30 Juin or Avenue du Commerce markets, it didn’t work. One of the Trust Bank ATMs let me do a cash advance with AmEx, though that seems rare. Overall, the power of AmEx is growing-but it's still patchy. Bringing a Visa or some crisp USD cash on hand is much more reliable.

In Kinshasa, AmEx acceptance remains very limited. Some upper-end hotels and department stores in Gombe might accept it, but most restaurants, especially in Lingwala or Barumbu, don’t. ATMs-even those inside big hotels or at BCDC or Trust Merchant Bank-generally only support Visa or Mastercard. In markets or smaller shops, it’s all cash (USD or CDF). I’d say: don’t expect to use AmEx in everyday transactions in DR Congo-carry Visa/Mastercard or good-old cash to be safe.