Ashgabat - Post Report Question and Answers
Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
Nope and nope. Cash economy only. There is also a double exchange rate to contend with - the official rate is 3.5 manat to the dollar, but the "secondary" rate is about 19.5 manat to the dollar. Current standard practice is to cash checks with the embassy cashier, then walk around the corner to one of a handful of approved locations to exchange it into manat. - Jan 2024
No, this is a cash-based society. - Dec 2020
I don't use my credit card in country but some do at the major hotels and grocery stores. - Mar 2019
Credit cards are not widely accepted. when they are accepted, it is safe. ATMs are often out of order. - Jun 2018
Cash only country and at the moment USD cannot be used to purchase anything. - Feb 2016
When I arrived, I believe there were fewer than 5 ATMs in the country. There aren't many more than that today. Turkmenistan is a cash-based society, so bring in new, crisp bills in a variety of denominations. Credit card use is generally limited to Visa and AmEx at the Oguzkent/Sofitel hotel. MasterCard is supposed to be accepted soon in Turkmenistan. The exchange rate between the Turmen manat and major foreign currencies has been fixed for years, so you get the same rate everywhere and there is no black market. The rate to the USD is $1=2.84 manat. - Jul 2014
There are no ATMs in the whole bloody country. It's a cash-only society. - Oct 2012
Not very useful unless you're ordering something on Amazon. No ATMs. This is a cash society. - Mar 2012
