Wondering if ATMs and places like restaurants shops in Haiti easily take American Express or its better to get a Visa or Mastercard
Just back from Haiti-money side was a bit of a rollercoaster. Amex? Totally useless. Tried it at Karibe hotel bar-nope. Visa worked best everywhere: pulled cash at Sogebank ATM in Pétion-Ville, paid with it at a pizza place downtown. Mastercard worked at Capital Bank ATM once, then failed at another machine. Honestly, cash ruled the day-tap-taps, markets, street food, even mid-range restaurants wanted gourdes or U.S. dollars. Pro tip: don’t wait till late night to use ATMs, sometimes they’re empty. Stick with Visa and a stash of cash, forget Amex.
Haiti is still heavily cash-oriented, so don’t land expecting to swipe your Amex everywhere. ATMs in Port-au-Prince are not always reliable-some run out of money or have network issues. Visa usually works best, especially at Sogebank branches, while Mastercard is a decent backup. Forget about Amex unless you’re at a luxury hotel. Even big restaurants often said ‘cash only’ when I tried to pay. My advice: withdraw larger amounts when you find a working ATM, carry a mix of U.S. dollars and gourdes, and only use cards at safe spots.
My Mastercard debit worked fine in Port-au-Prince-took cash from a Unibank ATM and paid by card at a supermarket in Pétion-Ville. Visa worked smoothly at a couple of restaurants near Place St. Pierre too. I did get my Amex through at the Marriott hotel reception, but nowhere else. Honestly, it was easier than I expected: ATMs gave me both gourdes and dollars depending on the machine. Smaller street vendors, tap-tap rides, and food stalls were all cash only. Just plan ahead with Visa or Mastercard and you’ll avoid surprises.
In Haiti, Visa is your safest bet by far. ATMs at Sogebank, Unibank, and Capital Bank in Port-au-Prince generally work with Visa, sometimes Mastercard too. I never found an ATM that accepted Amex. Hotels like Marriott or Karibe might process Amex, but outside those, shops and restaurants almost always prefer Visa or Mastercard. Smaller eateries and taxis are strictly cash in gourdes or U.S. dollars. If you want peace of mind, bring Visa as your main card, Mastercard as backup, and carry cash for everything else. Amex is really not practical here.