Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Malaysia or I have to give them cash
I’ve been travelling around Malaysia for a few weeks now. Hostels in KL, Ipoh and Penang mostly take cards but the smaller guesthouses often ask for cash. My Capitec card worked for some but not all terminals. Also a few places had minimum spend amounts for using a card. I keep cash on hand for check-ins, deposits and anything under 20 ringgit since that usually needs to be paid in cash.
In George Town, I stayed at three different hostels. Two accepted my N26 Mastercard with no issue and one told me they only take cash for walk-ins. They all advertised card acceptance online but I guess it varies in practice. I suggest carrying at least 150 to 200 ringgit cash when moving between cities just in case. Also some hostels charge a fee if you pay by card.
I booked all my hostels online and paid through Agoda with my Erste credit card. But when I arrived at one hostel in Melaka they still asked for a 50 ringgit key deposit in cash. Also a small place in Cameron Highlands didn’t accept cards at all. Larger or chain hostels are usually fine but smaller budget ones still prefer cash. Best to carry some cash and not depend fully on your card.
Most of the hostels I stayed at in Kuala Lumpur and Penang took cards at check-in. I used my Visa debit card from ANZ and it worked fine. One place in Langkawi wanted cash only and said their card machine was "under maintenance" which seemed permanent. I recommend messaging ahead just to confirm. I kept around 100 ringgit in cash at all times just in case.