When I first walked into a café in Gobongo, I tried paying with AmEx-no luck. But later, at a mid-range restaurant near the airport, the Ecobank till ...

I tried to pay with AmEx at a small restaurant near the Intwari Stadium, and the cashier looked baffled. Later, at ShowBiz cinema in Jabe, they only p...

When I landed in Abomey-Calavi, I tried to pay with AmEx at a cozy café near the university-and got the swipe rejected. Later, in Cotonou, I paid with...

I tried using cards for transport in Yemen but it’s not an option. Buses run on cash only, and taxis in cities like Taiz also expect you to pay in cas...

Cards on public transit in Venezuela? Forget it. Metro and buses accept only cash payments, usually in small bolívar notes. Bring plenty of local curr...

Tuvalu is all about simplicity, so buses and metros don’t exist. Taxis and private vehicles are your option, and cash payment is the norm. I kept some...

No card payments on buses or metro in Turkmenistan as far as I know. The metro system in Ashgabat uses Tokly prepaid cards or cash tickets. For buses,...

If you’re in Syria, don’t plan on using cards on public transport. It’s all cash fares. Syria uses Syrian pounds, and people expect exact fare in hand...

Cash is king on Sudan’s public transport. I used buses and taxis in Khartoum and Omdurman, and paying by card is unheard of. The planned metro systems...