Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Kazakhstan or I have to give them cash
I wouldn’t rely fully on cards in Kazakhstan hostels. The bigger, newer hostels like Wanderlust in Almaty are card-friendly, but the older Soviet-era style budget ones, even in central Astana, usually demand cash. It’s not about scams, just lack of working machines. Bring a mix, otherwise you’ll waste time hunting for an ATM at odd hours.
Personally had a mix in Kazakhstan - one hostel in Almaty let me tap with Visa, the next insisted on exact cash and had no change. It’s really random. Also note that some hostels advertise card acceptance online but “system is down” is a common excuse. If you’re hopping between cities by train, stock up cash before leaving bigger hubs.
In Astana, I booked Hostel Forum via Booking.com and paid by card on arrival without any issues. They even accepted Apple Pay. So in the bigger cities, cards are generally fine, though smaller guesthouses or family-run hostels in Shymkent or Karaganda might still ask for cash. If you’re only staying urban, you could risk it, but I carried about 20,000 tenge in small bills just in case.
Stayed at a hostel near Almaty’s Green Bazaar last summer and they only took cash for the dorm beds. They did have a card machine at reception but it was “not working” the whole week. I ended up withdrawing tenge from a Kaspi Bank ATM nearby. Would recommend keeping some cash if you’re moving around hostels outside Almaty or Nur-Sultan, especially in smaller towns. Card acceptance is growing, but it’s not reliable at budget stays.