Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Jordan or I have to give them cash
Honestly, it got tiring being told “machine not working” in Amman. Stayed in a hostel near the Roman Theater and had to go find a Bank of Jordan ATM at night. In Petra, same deal: cash only. Jordan is great for travel, but hostels definitely lean on cash. Don’t expect smooth card payments like in Europe. Carry dinars and save yourself stress.
Jordan is cash-oriented, though big hotels may accept cards. Hostels in Amman sometimes say card is fine, but machines often don’t work. ATMs are everywhere - Arab Bank, Jordan Kuwait Bank, Housing Bank - and they accept foreign Visa/Mastercard. My advice: keep JD cash ready before heading to Petra or Wadi Rum, because hostels and desert camps there are cash only.
At a hostel near Rainbow Street in Amman, I thought I could swipe my card but the staff said cash only. Walked to Cairo Amman Bank ATM nearby, got my dinars, and all was fine. In Petra, the small hostel I used only accepted cash. So while some Amman hostels list card, it’s unreliable. Safer to just pay cash everywhere in Jordan.
In Amman, many hostels prefer cash in dinars. I stayed at Nomads Hostel in Weibdeh, and they asked for cash at check-in. They did have a card machine but claimed it had “connectivity issues.” ATMs from Arab Bank and Housing Bank are easy to find downtown, so getting JD is simple. Outside Amman, expect cash only - especially in Petra and Wadi Rum camps.