Cards, ATMs and cash in Cambodia: what to expect

Cambodia is a cash economy with a dollar layer on top. Riel is used for small change and for anything priced under a dollar; larger amounts are quoted and paid in US dollars. You do not need to choose one currency — you will handle both in the same afternoon. Notes should be clean and untorn: shops and drivers routinely refuse ripped or heavily marked dollar bills, and older US$100 notes can be hard to spend.

Cards work where there is a card terminal and a reliable connection. That means hotels, mid-range and up restaurants, malls, supermarkets, some cafés and tour operators in Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. It does not mean the market stall, the tuk-tuk, the small guesthouse, the bus ticket bought at the roadside, or most of the countryside. Treat the card as a backup and cash as the default.

ATMs are common in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, Battambang and Kampot, and thin out fast once you leave the main towns. Bank-branded machines attached to a branch are the safer choice; stand-alone machines in bars, guesthouses and convenience stores can carry higher fees and more skimming risk. Withdraw in daylight, cover the keypad, and check the machine for anything loose or added on.

Two costs stack up on every withdrawal: the Cambodian bank's fee and your own bank's foreign transaction and out-of-network fees. The machine will also offer to convert your withdrawal into your home currency on the spot. Decline that — let your own bank do the conversion, which is normally the better rate.

Cards are also useful for booking flights, hotels and some tours online before you arrive. For day-to-day spending on the ground, plan on cash.

Withdraw larger amounts less often. A US$4–5 fee on a US$60 withdrawal is painful; on a US$300 withdrawal it is a rounding error. Take enough for several days and keep it split between bags.

Keep a stash of small riel notes and US$1, US$5 and US$10 bills. They cover tuk-tuks, water, snacks and market purchases without forcing a vendor to find change for a US$20 note at 7am.

Check your dollar bills before you accept them. Torn, taped or heavily marked notes are often refused, and you may be handed one as change without noticing.

Tell your bank you are travelling, and carry a second card from a different network in a separate place. If one is swallowed or blocked, the trip continues.

If a machine eats your card or fails to dispense, do not walk away assuming it will sort itself out. Note the machine's bank and location, and contact your own bank. This is a common enough event that a backup card is not paranoia.

In an emergency, Western Union and similar transfer services operate in the main cities, and banks in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap can handle a counter withdrawal with your passport.