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?
Credits cards are safe to use and in most areas: Visa and Mastercard. No AMEX. Diplomatic mission has access to ATMs or you can use the reputable ones in the local area to get local currency at a good rate. - Jul 2025
I have used my credit card almost everywhere. There are a few restaurants and places that either don’t accept credit card payments or their POS never works. I usually ask before I buy anything if their system is running and if they take credit cards. They even accept them at the farmers market and arts fairs. Not an issue at all. - Jun 2025
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
