Can I use contactless or card to pay for public transport in Serbia?

I walked up to a tram in Belgrade and held my Visa card up like it was London - driver just gave me a blank look. Nope, not a thing here. You need a BusPlus card or cash for single tickets. In Niš and Novi Sad, I paid drivers directly in cash. I’d say keep at least RSD 500-1000 in small bills just for transport. It’s not super expensive, but definitely not set up for tourists relying on card.

I stayed in Belgrade for a month and rode the bus almost daily. You can’t pay with a foreign card on the transport system itself. I grabbed a BusPlus card for around RSD 250, loaded it at kiosks using cash, and that covered everything. It’s efficient but outdated tech. Even locals mostly use cash or SMS-based options tied to Serbian numbers. So yes, carry local cash - it’s just easier and faster.

Belgrade has the BusPlus system, but it doesn’t accept contactless credit cards. You buy a plastic card at a kiosk, load dinars onto it with cash, then tap on board. Some machines say they take card, but they were down half the time I tried. Outside Belgrade - like in Niš or smaller towns - it’s all paper tickets and cash. I’d definitely keep small change for buses, especially if you plan to explore beyond the capital.

You’ll need cash for most public transport. In Belgrade, the bus and tram system runs on prepaid cards called BusPlus - you can top them up at kiosks, but the machines usually take cash only. Even in Novi Sad, I had to buy paper tickets with cash from the driver. I kept a stash of 100 and 200 dinar notes just for rides. No tap-and-pay systems like in Western Europe, at least not yet.