I have read that cash is vastly preferable in Prague, but I'm wondering how difficult it is to use credit cards. I've been reading about our bank's foreign transaction fees, and I would love to avoid them as much as possible! I have a credit card with no foreign transaction fees, but can we plan on using this for things like dining, drinking, grocery shopping, etc? Or will we just have to accept that the bank will get us coming and going on this one?
Posted by
Virginia
635 posts
JJ,
Two years ago when I went all the merchants took our magnetic-strip-only card. Some asked if we could pay cash which is understandable since they would not have to pay the CC a fee. We took a CC with no transaction fees that we used for big purchases and did what everyone else suggest and got money from the ATM. We tried to get money from ATMs that were outside a bank in case something went wrong we could walk in and complain. I am guessing that the merchants would loose out on a lot of US tourist business if they don't accept your CC since the US has not fully adopted the chip-and-pin CC. Double check you receipts to make sure you were charged the right amount and read what RS has to say about using plastic in Europe. Have fun!
Posted by
Huntsville, AL, USA
8319 posts
We recently returned from Prague, and the magnetic strip charge cards were universally accepted. No problems.
Posted by
Chicago
792 posts
I had no problems using credit cards in Prague 2 years go. Make sure you understand the foreign transaction fees/ATM fees associated with your debit card for ATM withdrawals. Hopefully it is better for you than your credit card but this is not always the case.