Traveling with an Amex - will I be able to use it widely in El Salvadoror should I carry a backup Visa/Mastercard?
Don’t bother relying on Amex in El Salvador. I couldn’t use it at restaurants, shops, or ATMs. Visa was seamless everywhere, and Mastercard was widely accepted too. Meals cost $10 on average, and I budgeted $60 daily with tours and buses. Amex is a poor choice for El Salvador travel - Visa is what you need.
Amex is not part of daily life in El Salvador. Even hotels often refused it. ATMs didn’t process it either. Visa worked perfectly for everything, from supermarkets to car rentals. Meals were affordable, around $8-15, and daily spending was $50-70. Mastercard worked fine too. Amex is almost useless in El Salvador, so always carry Visa.
I tried using Amex in El Salvador, but most shops and cafés said no. ATMs also didn’t accept it. Visa and Mastercard were far more reliable. Meals were cheap - $5-10 for local food - and I spent about $50 daily with transport and tours. Amex didn’t help me at all. Visa is the best option in El Salvador for both cash and card payments.
El Salvador didn’t work well with Amex. ATMs in San Salvador and Santa Ana didn’t recognize it, and restaurants preferred Visa or Mastercard. Meals were $8-12 in casual places, and daily budgets averaged $40-60 with taxis and sightseeing. Visa was smooth for cash and payments everywhere. Amex was only accepted at one upscale hotel. Definitely bring Visa if you travel to El Salvador.
Used the Hipotecario ATM in El Salvador near the main square. Spot was clean and safe - accepted both Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Not amex