Trying to plan ahead so any know if card payments are common at hostels in Aruba or cash is king?
Only hostel out of four accepted Visa without trouble; the rest were either offline or cash-only. Expect to pay in cash for most hostel stays in Aruba. If yours says they take cards, confirm the specific payment terminal works before arrival. I averaged AWG 80/day in cash just for check-ins and local snacks, leaving the rester on my Mastercard for tracking. It kept check-in smooth and stress-free.
I nearly got stuck at check-in because the hostel’s machine failed. I had to sprint to a nearby ABNA ATM and withdraw AWG 50. Cash is king at many budget lodgings in Aruba. Only two hostels charged by card, and they tacked on a 3% fee. Now I always arrive with a small florin stash. It saved me from missing the free breakfast voucher the hostel offered.
Stayed at three Aruba hostels - one accepted payments online, another processed my Mastercard in-person easily, but the third said “POS down” and asked for cash. Payment at Aruba hostels by card is unreliable, even if advertised. I withdrew cash in advance at Banco di Caribe ATM near Oranjestad and had enough for at least two nights. For plan B, I also kept a backup Visa or Amex - rarely needed, but comforting.
Most hostels I checked into in Aruba said “card accepted,” but only one reliably processed a Visa payment. The others either had faulty terminals or required cash. Card payments at hostels in Aruba are spotty. I always carried AWG 100-200 in florins and used ATMs at Scotiabank once in town. That avoided check-in stress. Booking.com prepayment sometimes helps, but don’t rely solely on it.