Google Pay in Europe

In Hungary half the population under 30 uses Google or Apple pay. Probably not much different in Romania but I haven't been there in 3 years.

I've never had a problem anywhere in Europe using Google Pay.

Using Google Pay is just like using any other form of contactless payment. The payment terminal doesn't know that you're paying via Google, Apple or any other digital wallet it simply recognises that contactless payment is being used.

I don't think there's anywhere in Europe where contactless payment is not widely accepted. Smaller vendors might prefer cash but it's certainly easy to get by on contactless payments only.

In most places, yes, but not in Albania, based on my experience in 2024. North Macedonia would also be challenging, I believe.

I used Google Pay around Romania in September, 2025: Bucharest, Brasov, Cluj, numerous other cities; in grocery stores, cafes and restaurants, museums, petrol stations.

I might have had to use my physical card at my Bucharest hotel, I don't recall. Apart from that, I never used my physical card.

I did need cash on occasion, mostly at small, home based businesses in the north. And at one self sustaining farm AirBnB that served dinners.

Checked my notes: I also needed cash at some small souvenir kiosks and for the 10 LEI entrance fee at the First Romanian School in Brasov. On a Saturday, there were independent artisans at the Village Museum in Bucharest. I needed cash to buy the beautifully hand painted eggs, which were €5 each - and it was hard not to bring home a dozen!

I don't think it is very common (from what I can see) especially in Romania

I'm wondering about the disparity between what you have read and my wide use of Google Pay over a 3.5 week visit around Romania. We stayed mostly in tourist and larger cities: Bucharest, Brasov, Sighisoara, Timisoara, Cluj. I paid for all my lunches and dinners (except the farm stay) with Google Pay.

I see that you'll be driving, as we were. Perhaps if you were going to smaller villages, you might find more requirement for cash. But everywhere that I saw that accepted credit cards used the handheld tap to pay machines with modern NFC technology that could equally have taken Google / Apple Pay.