In Queenstown, I tapped my card for everything, from hostels to shuttles. Hostels like Adventure Queenstown Backpackers and Absoloot Hostel accepted c...

When I trekked through Annapurna, every hostel, lodge, or teahouse was strictly cash. Even in Kathmandu, I noticed many hostels had “card machine brok...

My stay in Haapiti was cash only, and the hostel manager said the credit card fees from banks like Banque de Polynésie made them avoid card use. Some ...

When I visited, I didn’t even see a “true” hostel in Monaco proper, but I stayed at a dorm-style guesthouse near Fontvieille. They swiped my card with...

On Thulusdhoo, my guesthouse asked strictly for cash, even though they were listed on Agoda. They said card networks were unreliable on the island. In...

At Esch-sur-Alzette hostel near the train station, they had modern terminals and contactless worked smoothly. I’d say cash is only for buses or some c...

At Tree House Hostel in Riga Old Town, I paid with Revolut card and had no fees. Most hostels across Riga seem to have modern systems. Even smaller gu...

At Wildebeest Eco Camp in Nairobi, they took my Mastercard with no problem. In contrast, a hostel I stayed at near Diani Beach flatly refused cards, s...

In Astana, I booked Hostel Forum via Booking.com and paid by card on arrival without any issues. They even accepted Apple Pay. So in the bigger cities...