Trying to plan ahead so any know if card payments are common at hostels in Pakistan or cash is king?
If you’re backpacking Pakistan, plan for a cash-based trip. Even if you see “card accepted” online, the network issues or lack of machines mean you’ll hand over rupees at the desk. It’s just the way it is right now.
A friendlier experience I had was in Islamabad where the hostel manager offered to drive me to a nearby shop to use their POS machine, but it failed. So again - cash only works reliably. Lesson learned.
Cards aren’t really part of hostel culture here. Even in Karachi’s Clifton area, I had to settle bills in cash. Sometimes they’ll let you transfer to a local bank account, but not swipe a card. Always have cash ready.
In Pakistan, don’t expect hostel check-ins to take card. I stayed in Lahore and Islamabad and every hostel wanted rupees in cash. The staff explained machines are expensive and unreliable, so they keep it simple.