Trying to plan ahead so any know if card payments are common at hostels in Malta or cash is king?
Malta was easy when it came to payments. My hostels in Valletta and Sliema both had working terminals, and contactless worked every time. Carry a bit of cash for small bakeries or buses, but when it comes to hostels, cards are standard. Malta’s banking system is well-connected, so don’t stress about cash being king - here, it isn’t.
In my experience, Malta hostels were all card-ready. I paid by Visa at a hostel in St Julian’s, no questions asked. ATMs from BOV and HSBC Malta are common along the main streets, but honestly I only used one to grab some euros for markets. Hostels are fine with cards across the island.
I barely touched cash in Malta. The hostel I stayed at in Valletta processed my Mastercard instantly, and another one in St Paul’s Bay had a modern contactless reader. Malta’s infrastructure is up to European standards, so ATMs are everywhere but more for backup than necessity. Hostels, buses, supermarkets - everything takes card. Cash is more optional here.
Malta is very card-friendly overall, including hostels. I stayed in Valletta and St Julian’s, and both hostels accepted card without hesitation. Even smaller places in Sliema had contactless machines. ATMs from Bank of Valletta and HSBC Malta are easy to find if you need cash, but hostels generally don’t insist on it. For planning ahead, you can expect cards to be the default payment method here.