Cash on the Camino

[Blackcountry pilgrim]

We are due to walk the CP in June and wondered if any pilgrims on the routes or recently finished could shed some light on whether the Camino is still a cash economy since Covid ?(in the UK many small retailers stopped taking cash and used card machines)
Has anyone seen a similar shift on the Camino?
Thanks

 

[Former member 92300]

Cash was still king when I walked in summer 2021 - at least in the many smaller villages. Cities card was widely accepted.

 

[SkyDancer]

Used cash in most places in Sept/Oct 2021.

 

[Peacemaker]

My wife and I will finish the CF tomorrow (woo hoo!) and aside from purchases under ten euros, I have almost exclusively used my credit card. There was one albergue that would only take cash, and one who’s CC machine was broken. I try to carry between 100-200 euros in cash and it usually lasts the two of us well over a week. Many places have a ten euro minimum for CC purchases.

 

[antoniu]

I think the best way it to have both credit card and cash - there are different situations.

 

[DBC]

We are due to walk the CP in June and wondered if any pilgrims on the routes or recently finished could shed some light on whether the Camino is still a cash economy since Covid ?(in the UK many small retailers stopped taking cash and used card machines)
Has anyone seen a similar shift on the Camino?
Thanks

Reach the halfway point tomorrow. Mix of cash and cards so far. Some places and smaller lunch stops are cash only.

 

[Barney12]

Just fin my camino...I used cash majority of the time and card for larger purchases like splashing out on a hotel or flash meal

 

[canary]

Smaller businesses and some private accommodations do request cash. We just arrived in SDC from the central route and probably used cash 40-50% of the time. Before we arrived we watched a YouTube video about atm machine useage and that was helpful. The first atm we used wanted to convert the amount we withdrew to US$ and charge us 12.5% fee. Declined that and asked for it to be done in Euros.

 

[Canito6671]

Smaller businesses and some private accommodations do request cash. We just arrived in SDC from the central route and probably used cash 40-50% of the time. Before we arrived we watched a YouTube video about atm machine useage and that was helpful. The first atm we used wanted to convert the amount we withdrew to US$ and charge us 12.5% fee. Declined that and asked for it to be done in Euros.

@canary , do you happen to have the link to the YouTube video you referenced about ATM machine usage?

 

[henrythedog]

April ‘22. Take cash - nobody refuses it!

 

[Blackcountry pilgrim]

We are due to walk the CP in June and wondered if any pilgrims on the routes or recently finished could shed some light on whether the Camino is still a cash economy since Covid ?(in the UK many small retailers stopped taking cash and used card machines)
Has anyone seen a similar shift on the Camino?
Thanks

Well we are 1 day away from Santiago now and I have to say I used my debit card nearly all the way through the trip except donativo stalls etc but I still took some cash to be on the safe side
Thank you for all who offered advice and help

 

[YYC on the go]

Smaller businesses and some private accommodations do request cash. We just arrived in SDC from the central route and probably used cash 40-50% of the time. Before we arrived we watched a YouTube video about atm machine useage and that was helpful. The first atm we used wanted to convert the amount we withdrew to US$ and charge us 12.5% fee. Declined that and asked for it to be done in Euros.

@canary Can you share that link with us? Heading out to Portugal in a couple weeks.

 

[Rick M]

Can you share that link with us? Heading out to Portugal in a couple weeks.

I don't have a youtube link, but here's the deal. ATM's and credit card machines in Spain/Portugal will recognize your foreign card. The machine will present you with a choice of debiting your account in xx Euros, or yy $C, $USD, $AUD, or whatever your home currency is. They are counting upon the fact that you can't do math in your head quickly. Well, I can. The Euro is always the better deal by far, or at least that's true for Canadians as the conversion fee by all Canadian banks will be better than what they are offering. Always select Euros as the transaction currency when you use a card. After a few times, this becomes automatic, but the first time you see it, it can be confusing. They're counting on that too!

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

I don't have a youtube link, but here's the deal. ATM's and credit card machines in Spain/Portugal will recognize your foreign card. The machine will present you with a choice of debiting your account in xx Euros, or yy $C, $USD, $AUD, or whatever your home currency is.
The Euro is always the better deal by far, or at least that's true for Canadians as the
conversion fee by all Canadian banks will be better than what they are offering.
Always select Euros as the transaction currency when you use a card. After a few times, this becomes automatic, but the first time you see it, it can be confusing.

We have found this true all over Portugal at Multibancos (ATMs), and with our Canadian Visa credit card as well. X2 for always say "Euros."

 

[peregrina2000]

We have found this true all over Portugal at Multibancos (ATMs), and with our Canadian Visa credit card as well. X2 for always say "Euros."

Make that X3. There is no question. Always do a European transaction in Euros, whether it is a credit card or debit card.