Paying by American Express in Tahiti?

Amex is hit or miss here, and mostly a miss. I used it at Hotel Tiare Tahiti and a jewelry boutique, but most grocery stores, casual restaurants, and taxis rejected it outright. ATMs from Banque de Tahiti and HSBC refused to process it too. If your card mix includes Amex, that’s fine for international chains - but you’ll need a Visa or Mastercard for day-to-day life in Tahiti.

Used my Amex exactly once - at a duty-free shop in Faa’a Airport. Outside that, it was useless. None of the food trucks, surf shops, or even boat tour companies I tried took it. Their card terminals are often limited to Visa or Mastercard. Definitely carry a backup if Amex is your primary. I would have been stuck if I didn’t have my Wise card as a fallback.

I brought both an Amex and a Visa. The Amex worked at Intercontinental Tahiti Resort and at the Pearl Shops near the ferry terminal, but most local eateries and cafes didn’t take it. The few times it worked, it was only in high-end places. Even some of the Banque Socredo ATMs didn’t recognize my Amex. If you’re wondering “does Tahiti accept American Express,” the answer is mostly no.

Don’t rely on Amex in Tahiti. I tried using it at Le Retro in Papeete and a few snack bars - no luck. Visa and Mastercard were accepted, but my Amex got declined almost everywhere. Even larger souvenir shops in the Papeete market refused it. One ATM (Credit Agricole) had an Amex logo but still didn’t process my withdrawal. I’d say Amex is barely usable here.