Is it better to pay taxis in Papua New Guinea with cash, or do drivers accept cards or payment apps?
If you’re heading to Papua New Guinea, plan for taxis to be cash only. There’s no card setup, no apps, and very little chance of negotiating anything other than kina. I used taxis organized by my hotel, but even then, cash was required. ATMs in Port Moresby are hit or miss, so it’s smart to take out what you need early. In smaller towns, it’s even harder. For taxis, there’s no alternative-carry enough cash to cover your rides.
My time in Papua New Guinea showed me how dependent the country is on cash. Taxis don’t have the infrastructure for card payments. Even in Port Moresby, where things are relatively organized, all the drivers asked for kina. Sometimes you can book through a hotel, but they’ll still expect cash at the end. I had to plan carefully because ATMs sometimes didn’t work, and card acceptance in general is very limited. Taxis here are definitely a cash-only service.
In Papua New Guinea, taxis are a cash-only operation. Even in the capital, Port Moresby, drivers don’t take cards or apps. Everything is settled with kina. I made the mistake of not having enough cash one day and had to scramble to find an ATM that actually worked. It was stressful, so I learned to always keep a reserve of cash. In this country, digital options aren’t part of the taxi scene. For visitors, cash is not optional-it’s necessary.
Papua New Guinea is absolutely a cash-only country for taxis. I never saw a driver with a card terminal, and apps aren’t in use here. In Port Moresby, taxis are usually arranged through hotels or guesthouses, and every single one wanted kina in cash. Outside the capital, transport is even less formal, so you can forget about cards entirely. It’s important to withdraw cash in advance, as ATMs aren’t always reliable. For taxis here, cash is the only way.