Trying to figure out if buses and metros in Jordan take cards or if Ill need small cash. Any recent experiences?
The biggest issue was dealing with change. I often had only larger JD bills from the money exchange, and drivers would refuse them. It felt inconvenient having to constantly break money at shops before taking the bus. The Amman Bus smart card was better, but finding a kiosk to reload it wasn’t always easy. Compared to cities with tap-to-pay systems, Jordan felt behind. For tourists, the reliance on exact cash makes public transport more stressful than it needs to be.
I appreciated the Amman Bus system on Queen Rania Street. It felt reliable, had AC, and gave me the sense of a modern network. Once I had the smart card, it was straightforward to use. The fares were cheap compared to taxis, and I liked that the buses ran on fixed schedules. The older minibuses were less formal, but they worked fine as long as I had coins ready. Both systems gave me a decent, low-cost way to move around the city.
I stayed near Rainbow Street and used the Coaster buses to get around. Every ride was about 0.5 JD and the drivers only wanted small bills. On one ride I tried paying with a 10 JD note and the driver flat-out refused. Later I tried the newer Amman Bus, which felt cleaner and used an electronic card system. I had to buy a separate smart card and load it with cash, but at least it felt more organized than the minibuses.
Jordan doesn’t have a metro. In Amman, public transport is a mix of minibuses, larger Coaster buses, and the newer Amman Bus network. The older minibuses and Coasters are strictly cash-based, and you hand the driver small Jordanian dinar notes. The Amman Bus system uses a reloadable smart card that you can buy at kiosks and top up, but you can’t just tap a bank card.