Trying to find out if Georgia widely accepts Amex cards in restaurants and shops and ATMs - any suggestions
Amex in Georgia only works at a handful of international hotels and perhaps some luxury shops in Tbilisi. For everything else - metro rides (1 GEL), casual meals, wine tastings, day trips to monasteries - you’ll need cash or Visa/Mastercard. ATMs everywhere (like TBC and Bank of Georgia) work perfectly with those cards, but Amex won’t connect. Budget around 100 GEL per day for food, transport, and activities, and plan to cover it without Amex. Keep it as a last-resort backup, but don’t rely on it here.
Georgia is not Amex-friendly at all. I tried to pay for dinner in a nice restaurant in Tbilisi, and they flat-out said no. ATMs also didn’t accept Amex. Even in Batumi, which is touristy, only Visa/Mastercard worked. I had to withdraw lari multiple times and paid extra fees. For a country that’s growing fast in tourism, I was surprised how little Amex acceptance there is. It made things more stressful than they needed to be. If you’re traveling Georgia, forget Amex and stick to Visa.
I had my Amex in Tbilisi and it only worked once - at a Marriott hotel. Everywhere else, from wine bars to bakeries, they refused it. Even when I asked about ATMs, locals told me only Visa/Mastercard would work. I used my Visa card successfully at Bank of Georgia ATMs. When traveling to Kazbegi for hikes, everything was cash-only anyway. Meals were cheap (20-30 GEL per person), but Amex was completely useless. Georgia is beautiful, but don’t depend on Amex - bring another card for sure.
In Georgia, American Express has very limited acceptance. In Tbilisi, a few international hotels and upscale restaurants will take it, but most shops, cafés, and ATMs won’t. Visa and Mastercard dominate across the country. If you’re budgeting 25-40 GEL for a good dinner or 3-5 GEL for a khachapuri snack, expect to pay with cash or another card. Once you travel outside Tbilisi to Kazbegi, Kutaisi, or Batumi, Amex becomes even less useful. Always carry a Visa/Mastercard and some lari in cash for taxis, markets, and public transport.