Wondering if ATMs and places like restaurants shops in Congo easily take American Express or its better to get a Visa or Mastercard
In Congo, you’ll want to rely on Visa or Mastercard. ATMs at Ecobank, Rawbank, and Société Générale in Kinshasa and Brazzaville work with foreign Visa/Mastercard most of the time. American Express is barely used, and I didn’t find any ATM that worked with it. Shops and restaurants are still very cash-heavy, though a few upmarket hotels and supermarkets in Gombe or Plateau will take Visa cards. My tip: withdraw CFA or Congolese francs at a reputable bank ATM, keep some dollars as backup, and don’t expect Amex to get you far outside luxury hotels.
Just back from Brazzaville and Kinshasa-here’s the deal. I tried swiping Amex at a bar in Gombe, got laughed at. Visa worked fine at Société Générale ATM near Boulevard du 30 Juin, and Mastercard worked at Rawbank in Brazzaville. Restaurants in city centers sometimes take Visa/Mastercard, but the little spots and taxis? Forget it-cash only. I ended up pulling francs at Ecobank ATMs and paying cash almost everywhere. Honestly, bring Visa or Mastercard, keep dollars tucked away, and leave Amex for fancy hotels only. Saved me a ton of stress once I stopped trying it everywhere.
Congo is very cash-oriented, so don’t show up relying only on Amex. ATMs are available but not as widespread as in other countries, and you’ll need to stick with big names like Ecobank or Société Générale to avoid card issues. I had trouble getting Mastercard to work at one machine and had to switch banks. Smaller shops and restaurants are cash-only, and cards are really only accepted at chain hotels or supermarkets in Brazzaville and Kinshasa. Amex was completely useless for me. Bring Visa as your main card, and always carry cash for taxis and food.
Surprisingly smooth trip for me in Kinshasa-I used my Mastercard debit at Rawbank and Banque Commerciale du Congo ATMs without issues. Most larger restaurants in Gombe accepted Mastercard, and even a grocery store in the city center let me pay directly by card. American Express didn’t work at any ATM, but I did manage to use it at the Pullman hotel for my stay. Day-to-day though, cash was much easier, so I kept topping up at Rawbank ATMs. If you have a Visa or Mastercard you’ll be fine, just keep Amex as a backup for hotels.