Want to avoid last-minute ATM runs. Do most hostels in Northern Mariana Islands take card payments at check-in
If you’re flying into Saipan, bring a card and cash. Guesthouses like La Vista in Garapan are fully card-ready (Visa, Mastercard, even AmEx), so you can check in stress-free. But for smaller family places outside the main tourist belt, you’ll want USD in hand. ATMs are easy in Garapan and the airport, but not everywhere on island. My advice: pay hostels by card when possible, but always keep cash ready for the less formal stays.
When I checked into a small homestay near Capitol Hill, the host said ‘cash only’. Luckily, I’d stopped at a Bank of Guam ATM in Garapan, so I had dollars ready. Contrast that with La Vista Guesthouse in Susupe-they accepted my Mastercard no problem. It felt like a split system: central Saipan hostels are card-ready, rural guesthouses are not. I carried cash for the second just in case, and it worked fine.
I loved La Vista Guesthouse in Saipan-they took my AmEx at check-in without batting an eye. That was such a relief after a long flight. For day-to-day stuff I used cash for food trucks and local dives, but for hotel I never had an issue with cards. Honestly, if you stick around Garapan or Susupe, card payments at hostels and mid-range stays are pretty reliable.
Saipan doesn’t have a huge hostel scene, but La Vista Guesthouse and a few small guesthouses in Garapan accept Visa, Mastercard, and even AmEx. They usually swipe at check-in, which is handy. That said, tiny homestays or family-run places outside Garapan are usually cash only. USD is the currency, so it’s simple enough-ATMs are scattered around Garapan, and Bank of Guam branches work with foreign cards.