Haiti
Cards, ATMs and cash in Haiti: what to expect
Assume cash first: cards work in some hotels, supermarkets and restaurants in Pétion-Ville and Port-au-Prince, but most everyday spending is cash. Carry gourdes and US dollars, withdraw from bank-branded ATMs in daylight, and treat any card use outside a staffed counter as a last resort.
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- Plan calculated
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GuideHaiti
Key facts
- Card acceptancecheck
- Hotels, supermarkets and larger restaurants in Pétion-Ville and Port-au-Prince; rare elsewhere
- Cash is the default
- Markets, tap-taps, small shops, guesthouses and rural areas
- Currency
- Haitian gourde (HTG); US dollars widely accepted for larger purchases
- ATMscheck
- Bank-branded machines in Pétion-Ville and Port-au-Prince; few outside the capital area
- Withdrawal limitscheck
- Often capped per transaction; several small withdrawals may be needed
- Feescheck
- Local ATM fee plus your own bank's foreign fee; 2026 estimate
- Best backup
- Two cards from different networks plus a cash reserve in USD
Details
Haiti runs on cash. The gourde is the local currency, and US dollars are accepted for larger purchases in tourist-facing businesses, often at a rate set by the seller rather than the official one. For anything small — a tap-tap ride, a bottle of water, a plate of food from a street vendor — expect to pay in gourdes and expect no card option at all.
Card acceptance is concentrated in the wealthier parts of the capital area. Hotels, supermarkets, pharmacies and mid-range restaurants in Pétion-Ville and Port-au-Prince commonly take Visa and Mastercard; some take American Express. Outside those districts, and in Cap-Haïtien and smaller towns, acceptance drops sharply. A card may work at a hotel front desk but not at the shop next door.
ATMs exist but are not everywhere. Bank-branded machines in Pétion-Ville and central Port-au-Prince are the most reliable; machines at airports, large hotels and supermarkets are convenient but can run out of cash or be out of service. Withdraw in daylight, inside a staffed branch or a busy commercial building where possible, and keep the transaction small enough that you are not counting a large stack of notes in the open.
Carry a mix: gourdes for daily spending, US dollars as a reserve, and two cards from different networks in case one is blocked or a machine rejects it. Tell your bank you are travelling, and keep a photocopy or photo of your card details separate from the cards themselves.
Summary table
| Situation | What works | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hotel or supermarket in Pétion-Ville | Visa, Mastercard, sometimes Amex | Ask before assuming; small shops may be cash only (check) |
| Restaurant in Port-au-Prince | Card at mid-range and up | Street food and small eateries: cash (check) |
| Tap-tap, market, small shop | Cash in gourdes | No card option (check) |
| ATM in Pétion-Ville or Port-au-Prince | Visa or Mastercard debit | Bank-branded machines are the safer bet (check) |
| ATM outside the capital area | Unreliable | Plan to arrive with cash (check) |
| Paying in US dollars | Accepted for larger purchases | Change is often given in gourdes; rate set locally (check) |
Tips
Withdraw less, more often. A single large withdrawal leaves you carrying more cash than you need, and ATM limits may force several transactions anyway.
Keep small notes. Vendors and drivers rarely have change for a large gourde note, and the same is true for a US$20 bill in a small shop.
Use a card only at a staffed counter where you can see the transaction. Handing a card to someone who walks away with it is the main risk.
Have a second card and a cash reserve. If a machine eats your card or your bank blocks the transaction, you want a fallback that does not depend on the same network.
Check your bank's foreign transaction fee before you go; it is often the largest single cost of using a card abroad. All figures here are 2026 estimates.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Are credit cards widely accepted in Haiti?
No. Cards work at hotels, supermarkets and larger restaurants in Pétion-Ville and Port-au-Prince, but most everyday spending — markets, tap-taps, small shops, rural areas — is cash only. Carry gourdes and a US dollar reserve.
Which ATMs have the lowest fees in Haiti?
Bank-branded machines in Pétion-Ville and Port-au-Prince are generally the most reliable, but local fees and your own bank's foreign fee both apply and change often. Check the fee shown on screen before confirming; 2026 estimates only.
Should I pay in local currency or my own?
Pay in gourdes where you can, and keep US dollars as a reserve for larger purchases. If a seller quotes a dollar price, compare it with the gourde price before agreeing, since the rate is set locally.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- secondaryWikivoyage – Haiti
- officialBanque de la République d'Haïti