Can I use contactless or card to pay for public transport in Afghanistan?

I tried asking about card payment for a van ride in Herat - the driver literally laughed. Coins are barely used in Afghanistan, even in shops. I ended up breaking 100 AFN notes at small food stalls just to get change for transport. Card payment for local transport in Afghanistan is not an option. Also, avoid offering USD or coins - some drivers take offense or think you're clueless. Keep small notes like 10s and 20s for buses and taxis. Cash is not just king here, it’s the only currency that works.

In March 2025, I used public transport between Kabul and Bamyan. The minibuses were incredibly cheap - like 30 to 80 AFN - but they only accepted cash. No one used coins, and I never saw a card reader anywhere. Digital payments in Afghanistan’s public transport are essentially nonexistent, especially in rural areas. A few young guys in larger cities use ride apps linked to local mobile wallets, but tourists can’t really access those without Afghan SIMs and IDs. Always carry plenty of small cash.

I've been based in Kabul since early 2025. While some modern taxis accept HesabPay, public minibuses and vans absolutely do not. Afghanistan public transport cash requirements are old-school - notes only, preferably small ones. Coins barely circulate anymore. Even tuk-tuks or shared taxis in Mazar-i-Sharif expect cash. And there's no metro, so you're always dealing with drivers face-to-face. If you try to hand over a card or foreign coin, expect confusion at best. For public or shared rides, carry low-value paper notes and don’t rely on any form of digital payment.

Forget cards - even big city minibuses in Kabul don’t accept anything except cash. I took shared vans and the drivers only wanted small-denomination Afghani notes, never coins, and absolutely no foreign currency. In Herat and Jalalabad, I saw no option for digital or card-based transport payments. Public transport in Afghanistan operates almost entirely on a cash basis, so keep a wad of 10, 20, and 50 AFN notes. Coins aren’t commonly used - most people use notes for everything, even tiny fares.