Cash or card at hostels in Cambodia

Came through Cambodia last month with a DBS debit card from Singapore and a Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card from the US. Booking platforms took card for the deposit but when I arrived in person almost all hostels wanted cash. The only place that accepted my card without a fee was a hostel in Phnom Penh near the Russian Market. I withdrew from Sacom Bank ATMs without trouble but noticed some others like ACLEDA charged higher fees. Cash really is king here. If you rely on cards only you will run into trouble unless you're staying at boutique hotels or international chains.

I travelled across Cambodia for three weeks with a Monzo card and an ING debit card from the Netherlands. Booking hostels online with the card was easy but almost every property wanted final payment in cash on arrival. Even in more touristy areas like Kampot and Siem Reap, card machines were rare or not functioning. Some higher-end hostels in Phnom Penh had terminals that accepted Visa and Mastercard but they added a processing fee. I used Prince Bank and Sathapana ATMs which worked fine with both cards. Definitely have small bills ready - most places are cash-heavy outside of large hotels.

I stayed at several hostels in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap this April and most of them asked for cash even if I had booked online using my Capital One Venture card. One hostel had a card terminal but said it only worked with local cards. They also warned there would be a 3 percent surcharge for Mastercard and Visa. I ended up withdrawing cash from an BRED Bank and Canadia Bank ATM using my Revolut debit card which gave a fair rate and worked smoothly. Wise card worked too but there was a withdrawal fee after the first couple of free ones. Always good to keep some small USD notes and Cambodian riel because not all places can give change.

Stayed in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap earlier this year and booked most of my hostels through Hostelworld using my HDFC Regalia credit card. That worked fine for the booking deposit but every single hostel I stayed at asked for the remaining payment in cash when I arrived. Some places had card machines but they either didn’t work or added a surcharge of 3 to 5 percent for Visa or Mastercard. No one accepted RuPay or Amex. I withdrew USD from ABA Bank ATMs which worked reliably with my SBI Global Debit card.