Wondering if ATMs and places like restaurants shops in Niue easily take American Express or its better to get a Visa or Mastercard
Spent a week diving in Niue-awesome place, but bring cash. The only ATM in Alofi worked with my Mastercard, and my friend used Visa no problem. Tried Amex? Nope, didn’t work at all. Restaurants and guesthouses usually just wanted cash in NZ dollars. A couple of bigger spots said they’d take Visa, but even then the connection was slow. I just withdrew once at the ATM and used cash the rest of the trip. Easy. Honestly, Amex is dead weight here-stick with Visa/Mastercard and carry enough cash for your stay.
Niue is not the place to test out American Express. The single ATM on the island supports Visa and Mastercard but not Amex, so you won’t even be able to withdraw cash. Shops, markets, and restaurants are almost all cash-based, and only a few tourist-oriented businesses accept Visa or Mastercard. My advice: bring enough New Zealand dollars in cash when you fly in, use Visa or Mastercard as backup, and don’t expect Amex to get you anywhere. The island is simple, but you’ll need to plan ahead for money.
I had a really smooth experience in Niue with my Visa debit card. Withdrew New Zealand dollars at the ANZ/Kiwibank ATM in Alofi and paid with Visa at my guesthouse and a couple of restaurants. Mastercard also worked fine at the ATM. I tried my Amex once at a resort and it didn’t go through, but honestly I didn’t miss it. Most smaller cafés and shops wanted cash anyway, so I just carried notes. For a tiny island, it was pretty easy to manage as long as you stick with Visa or Mastercard.
Niue is tiny and very cash-focused. There’s only one main bank, the Kiwibank branch at Alofi, and just one or two ATMs. Visa and Mastercard work fine there for cash withdrawals in New Zealand dollars. American Express? Forget it-the ATMs don’t support it, and hardly any shops or restaurants take Amex. Most local businesses prefer cash, and some accept Visa or Mastercard for bigger transactions. The safe option is to bring a Visa debit or credit card and keep cash ready. Amex is just not useful in Niue.