Can you pay by foreign bank card in Sharm El Sheikh, or should you bring cash?
Based on 1 discussion with 3 participants · Last activity: 6 days ago
TL;DR
Card acceptance in Sharm El Sheikh is improving, but relying on a foreign bank card alone is still risky. The safest option is to pay by card where possible and keep cash in US dollars, exchanging some into Egyptian pounds.
What the community said
Based on the newest report, relying on a single foreign bank card in Sharm El Sheikh is not enough: some places still process card payments unreliably, so carrying cash is strongly recommended.
6 days ago foreign MasterCard
Travelers note that even with a foreign MasterCard, you can run into payment issues once your cash is gone. The practical takeaway is not to depend on card payments alone and not to keep all your travel money in one form.
6 days ago MasterCard
The most practical approach mentioned is a mix: pay by card where terminals work and bring some US dollars to exchange into Egyptian pounds locally. Compared with last year, card acceptance in Sharm El Sheikh has improved noticeably.
6 days ago US dollars, Egyptian pounds