SusanP

I've been reading a lot lately about there being little need for cash, in some instances where it's not even accepted, in places like London or the UK in general and in France. Anyone been to the Czech Republic lately and know whether this is the case there? I'm particularly wondering about taxis, since my first stop is Karlovy Vary and I will be arriving by train and will want a taxi. Maybe there is an ATM at the train station; otherwise I will have Euro but not Czech Korunas. I read that sometimes you can use Euro, but not with as good an exchange rate. It's not a long ride, so not a huge amount, but just wondering. Thanks for any info.

Ingo

I am living just across the border from the Czech Republic in Germany and travel very frequently to neighbouring Czech regions - mostly non-touristy areas. My experience is that lately cash became king again. Even some shops/stores that prefered credit card earlier now ask for cash. There will most likely be an ATM at the train station in Karlovy Vary. I would definitely get some Czech Korunas.

SusanP

Good to know, Ingo. Am I correct that you're in Dresden? You gave me some restaurant recommendations recently. I will be there before CR.

I did plan to get some CZK, will maybe get more than I was thinking, as I have ten nights in CR. I was mainly interested due to that first taxi ride and being able to get them at the train station. Thanks so much!

Melnq8

Nice to see you here Ingo!

Ingo

Yes, I'm in Dresden Let me know if you need more info.

Hi Mel, good to see you here, too!

jan47ete

Not n response to CR but was in Edinburgh in March, almost totally cashless, London was almost the same. As I got to Amsterdam both cash and card and in Paris they looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if they accepted cash. So came home with a lot of pounds, no euros and lots of credit card bills to pay. I walked out of a lot of shops in the UK as Paying $1 on a CC for a soda was ludicrous to me.

Christina

It seems crazy to me, also, and for one thing I'm always worried my card issuer might shut down my card or something if they see charges like 70 cents or something. For some odd reason that has never made sense to me, fraudsters often try to "test" your card by putting through a $1 charge or something. this is a very weird fraud method as it seems to me if you want to test a card, why not put through something bigger, anyway? I don't get it.

But in any case, I have used my CC at home for things like parking garage charges that were actually less than $1 as that's all they take (CCs). weird.

I don't know who you'd have to ask in Paris about accepting cash, though, when I buy stuff in a store, I just go to a register and pay them however I want, I don't ask, but then again, I usually am using a CC in a store.

I guess some stores figure the amt they pay in CC fees is less than having to deal with cash? I have no idea. I thought there were areas that tried that but got slapped back as it is really discriminatory (to only accept payment by CC). I can't remember where that was, though. It's really weird as in the US places want you to pay in cash so they don't have to pay the fees (at least small shops and gas stations sure do).

Michael

From my trip report:

Some establishment accepted only cash, others only credit cards. I refuse to use free standing ATMs in the belief that they charge high fees for the withdrawal of cash even when asking for a receipt in the local currency. Our first withdrawal was with a Unicredit Bank which, they told us after we used their ATM, is not a bank but an investment firm and their ATM charged us 5% for the transaction. The Komercni Banka gives cash withdrawals with no fee, at least when the ATM attached to the bank building. When we left Prague we had requested at the hotel a cab that accepts credit cards. It was 7 a.m. when we left, and the cab did not accept credit cards. He stopped at a bank on the way out, a distance from the center of town, at an ATM , and this one charged us a whopping 18% fee on the withdrawal; the bank’s name is Česká spořitelna.

SusanP

Thank you, Michael. Good info.

bilboburgler

using a credit card at a bank is probably going to hit you with charges, you are really borrowing money

debit card should be cheaper

ATMs in the UK will tell you if you are going to be charged for the actual transaction. Most large supermarkets will have a free ATM, most kebab shops, on the other hand, will be pay for.

bvlenci

Cristina said ​​​​​​​When I sign up for a "first _ months free" subscription, or anything similar, they often test the card with a trivial charge. I don't think a card issuer could assume that a very small charge was fraudulent.

SusanP

Since this thread has come back up, I'll just say that I was able to use a credit card in most cases. The exceptions were most taxis and a few smaller shops and restaurants, particularly in Karlovy Vary. Also, there is no ATM at the train station in Karlovy Vary, but the taxi driver, who only accepted cash, agreed to stop at one on the way to the hotel, so it wasn't a problem.

My Prague hotel arranged drivers for me for the castle and the airport, and I had to pay cash to the hotel for those.