Is American Express (Amex) accepted in Wallis and Futuna?

Had the same issue earlier this year. My Amex was a brick in Wallis and Futuna - couldn’t use it anywhere. Restaurants, local stores, and even the main post office all refused it. Luckily, my Visa credit card worked perfectly at the BSP ATM near Mata-Utu Cathedral, and I withdrew CFP francs for daily expenses. Word of advice: bring a Visa as your main card and maybe a Mastercard as backup. Amex is essentially not recognized here. Don’t take chances with only one card.

I stayed in Futuna for two weeks and had to live almost entirely on cash because Amex wasn’t accepted at all. The only working ATM in Leava took my Mastercard without issue, but rejected my Amex instantly. Even larger places like the Hotel Lomipeau in Wallis wouldn’t process Amex cards. Locals told me only Visa and Mastercard are connected to the French banking system here. If you’re planning travel, pack euros or CFP francs and a Visa card. Without those, things get complicated fast.

Don’t rely on Amex in Wallis and Futuna. I carried one and couldn’t use it anywhere - not at the small shops in Mata-Utu, not at the gas station, and not even at my guesthouse. I ended up exchanging euros at Banque de Wallis. Visa worked fine at the single ATM I found near the central market. Honestly, with how isolated the islands are, Amex has no real presence. Bring Visa or Mastercard, plus a bit of cash, or you’ll run into a lot of frustration.

I was surprised how small-scale Wallis and Futuna still is when it comes to payments. There are only a handful of BSP and Banque de Wallis ATMs, and they don’t accept Amex at all. My Visa debit card worked fine to withdraw CFP francs, but my Amex was useless everywhere. Even hotels in Mata-Utu asked for cash or Visa. Bring a Mastercard or Visa - those are the cards that work on the French Pacific banking system. Amex just isn’t part of the network here.