Accra - 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?
We go through a lot of cash between buying groceries at roadside stands, paying staff, paying for lessons, etc. I've used local ATMs a couple times but mostly the embassy cashier. Credit cards are accepted at most big restaurants and grocery stores. People do experience credit card fraud at gas stations frequently. - Aug 2024
Credit cards are fine at higher end restaurants and the big chain grocery stores. We used ATMs without problem and the cashier at the embassy. - Sep 2023
I used credit cards at the larger grocery stores and restaurants, cash everywhere else. The embassy has an ATM on compound and there is a strip of bank branches in the Cantonments neighborhood with guarded ATMs. - Nov 2022
i use mine at the grocery store sometimes. the embassy has a cashier and ATM. I mostly use cash. - Sep 2022
Mobile money is the most common payment method here; you can place money on your number to pay merchants. Credit cards are not widely used; big grocery stores will take them but it's a hassle and many US credit cards flag purchases as fraud. The Embassy has an ATM and a cashier. - Mar 2022
Seem to be widely accepted at restaurants and larger grocery stores, I avoid. ATMs are all over and are safe with standard precautions. - Nov 2019
We don't use credit cards locally. They're accepted at some expat-oriented restaurants, hotels, and grocery stores, but we just prefer to use cash. I haven't heard of anyone having cards copied or any other card-related crime, though. Mobile phone-based payment systems are popular here and if we were not nearly at the end of our tour I'd probably set that up. There is an ATM in the USAID building on the Embassy compound and a cashier in the Embassy where checks can be written for local currency. - May 2019
I generally prefer to operate in a cash economy in Africa. There are ATMs but I would not use them unless it was an emergency. There is an ATM at the embassy that many people use. We have used a credit card for a hotel stay, but nothing else while here. The embassy cashier can cash checks so you have local currency. - Apr 2018
I've used my credit card at the bigger supermarkets and merchants at the shopping malls with no problem. But this is primarily a cash country. I would not take my chances with an ATM unless it's on the embassy grounds. - Aug 2017
Nope, wouldn't touch that in West Africa. Keep credit cards in your safe, locked away until you leave the country. - Apr 2017
Credit cards are accepted but it is recommended to not use them. However, we have used a credit card for grocery shopping without issue. - Aug 2016
Don't use them! - May 2014
I don’t know of anyone who uses a credit card here. Most places don’t accept them, and you run a big risk using them at places that do. - Apr 2012
Do not use them!!!!!Almost everyone I know has had their accounts stolen. - Aug 2011
Using credit cards or ATMs is not recommended. - Jun 2011
I have not used the ATMS, but I have a friend who does this regularly and has had no problems. I purchased plane tickets once by credit card. I had to tell my credit car company in advance and let them know it was a one-time purchase and the approximate amount. Many of us shop with credit cards online through Amazon.com and some of us have had some problems. A lot of vendors will block your server from making orders (e.g. Drugstore.com and ToysRUs) if you order from home. Credit card fraud is a problem here. - Feb 2010
Unknown, I have used cash exclusively. - May 2009
