It was tough when BSP ATMs were empty. I once stood in line for an hour in Port Moresby only to find the machine had no cash. Without small kina bills...

I made the mistake of trying to board a MetroBus in Panama City with just cash - the driver refused and pointed me to get a Metro Card first. Later, i...

Karachi’s buses were a headache for me. I only had Rs. 1000 notes after withdrawing from a Standard Chartered ATM, and no conductor would take them. T...

The only issue I ran into was when my phone died in Trondheim - no app, no ticket, and the bus driver wouldn’t accept cash. I had to scramble to a 7-E...

I underestimated how cash-dependent Nigeria still is. In Abuja, I tried to pay a keke driver with ₦500 and he flatly refused - said he had no change. ...

The biggest issue was breaking big notes. In Beira, I withdrew 500 MZN from a BCI ATM, and the chapa conductor refused it. He wanted small bills only....

It was frustrating at first because I didn’t know about U Money. I got on a bus near Zaisan, tried to hand the driver cash, and he waved me off. Nobod...

It was mostly fine, but on one bus from Marsaxlokk the card machine wasn’t working, and the driver only wanted coins. I had to run into a small shop t...

Honestly, it was stressful at times. In Tamatave, I tried to pay a taxi-brousse driver with a 20,000 ariary note, and he flatly refused. He wanted exa...