Trying to find out if Madagascar widely accepts Amex cards in restaurants and shops and ATMs - any suggestions
Amex is very limited in Madagascar. Bring it only as a backup for luxury hotels, but don’t count on it anywhere else. Visa/Mastercard are far more reliable for ATMs, restaurants, and tour companies. Budget MGA 100,000-150,000 per day if including meals, drivers, and park fees - nearly all of that will require cash. Keep a Visa card handy for ATM withdrawals and always carry cash when leaving the cities. Amex is not a practical travel card for Madagascar.
Madagascar with Amex was frustrating. Hardly anywhere accepted it, and even ATMs gave error messages. Restaurants in Antananarivo refused, souvenir shops said no, and in smaller towns they didn’t even recognize the card. I had to rely on Visa for all my cash withdrawals and payments. Amex just sat in my wallet the whole trip. For a country where most things are already cash-based, carrying a card that doesn’t work made no sense. If you’re traveling Madagascar, leave Amex at home - it won’t help.
I had Amex in Madagascar, but it only worked once at a big hotel in Antananarivo. When I tried smaller restaurants, craft markets, or even grocery stores, they all said no. ATMs didn’t accept it either. I switched to my Visa debit, which worked at BNI and BFV-SG ATMs. During my trip to Nosy Be, everything from boat rides to seafood dinners was cash-only. Madagascar is cheap - I spent about MGA 80,000 a day including tours - but Amex was useless. Definitely bring Visa/Mastercard and cash.
Madagascar doesn’t widely accept American Express. In Antananarivo, some high-end hotels and international tour companies may take it, but most restaurants, shops, and ATMs won’t. Visa and Mastercard are the safe options. If you’re budgeting MGA 25,000-40,000 for meals at nicer restaurants or MGA 5,000-10,000 for street food, expect to pay cash. Tours to places like Andasibe National Park or Nosy Be islands usually require cash or Visa/Mastercard. Amex can handle luxury hotels, but for daily Madagascar travel you’ll need backup cards and plenty of ariary.