Hungary
Cards, ATMs and cash in Hungary: what to expect
Cards work almost everywhere in Budapest and most Hungarian cities: hotels, supermarkets, chain restaurants, fuel stations and BKK ticket machines all take them. Carry HUF 10,000–20,000 in cash for markets, small rural shops, public toilets (HUF 200–400) and tips. Always choose to pay in forint, not your home currency, and decline the ATM's own conversion rate.
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Key facts
- Card acceptance
- Widely accepted in Budapest and larger cities; patchier in villages and at markets
- Cash you actually need
- HUF 10,000–20,000 for markets, small shops, toilets (HUF 200–400), tips
- Currency to choose at the terminal
- Forint (HUF) — never your home currency
- ATM conversion
- Decline 'conversion to your currency'; let your bank do it
- Typical foreign ATM feecheck
- HUF 1,500–3,000 per withdrawal at some banks; varies by bank and card
- Tipping
- 10–15% in restaurants without service charge; nothing extra if szervízdíj is added
- Contactless
- Standard on cards and phones; used for transit tickets and small purchases
Details
Hungary uses the forint (HUF). Euro is not accepted in shops, though a few tourist-facing places near the Danube may quote prices in euro — you still pay in forint. Budapest runs on cards: contactless is standard, and the BudapestGO app and BKK ticket machines take bank cards. Outside the capital, acceptance narrows. Supermarkets, chain hotels and petrol stations are safe; a village bakery, a market stall at Lake Balaton, a small pension in the countryside or a taxi you flag on the street may be cash-only.
Plan on carrying a modest cash float rather than a large one. HUF 10,000–20,000 covers a day of small purchases, a public toilet (HUF 200–400), a market snack and a tip. Withdraw from a bank-owned ATM — OTP, K&H, Erste, Raiffeisen, UniCredit, MBH — rather than a standalone machine in a tourist street, which often adds its own fee and a worse rate. When the ATM offers to convert your withdrawal into your home currency, decline: the machine's rate is usually several percent worse than your bank's.
At card terminals the same rule applies. If the screen asks whether to charge in HUF or in your home currency, choose HUF. This is dynamic currency conversion, and it typically costs you a few percent. Some terminals ask in a way that makes the home-currency option look convenient; it is not.
Notify your bank before you travel if it requires it, and check its foreign transaction fee — many US cards charge around 3%, while several UK, Canadian and Australian cards charge none. Revolut, Wise and similar multi-currency cards are widely used in Hungary and work at most terminals and ATMs; check the free-withdrawal limit on your plan before relying on it.
Keep a backup card separate from your main one, and a small euro or forint reserve for the day a card is blocked. If a card is swallowed or declined, bank branches in Budapest can usually help during opening hours; smaller towns are harder.
| Situation | Card or cash | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Budapest hotels, supermarkets, chains | Card | Contactless standard |
| BKK tickets and passes | Card | Machines and BudapestGO app take cards |
| Rural shops, markets, small pensions | Cash | Carry HUF 10,000–20,000 |
| Public toilets | Cash | HUF 200–400, coins useful |
| Taxi | Card or cash | Bolt and licensed taxis usually take cards |
| Restaurant tip | Cash or card | 10–15% if no service charge |
| ATM withdrawal | — | Use bank ATMs; decline conversion |
| Card terminal | — | Choose HUF, not home currency |
Tips
Withdraw larger amounts less often: a fixed per-withdrawal fee hurts more on small sums. Use an ATM inside a bank branch during opening hours if you want help nearby. Keep coins for toilets and lockers at baths. Check your card's foreign fee before you go, and carry a second card stored apart from the first.
- Decline the ATM's conversion offer; always take forint.
- At the terminal, choose HUF over your home currency.
- Use bank-branded ATMs, not standalone machines in tourist areas.
- Carry HUF 10,000–20,000 for markets, toilets and tips.
- Tell your bank you are travelling if it requires notification.
- Keep a backup card and a small cash reserve separate from your main wallet.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Are credit cards widely accepted in Hungary?
Yes in Budapest and larger cities: hotels, supermarkets, chain restaurants, fuel stations and transit ticket machines all take them, and contactless is standard. Acceptance is patchier in villages, at markets and in small pensions, so carry HUF 10,000–20,000 in cash.
Which ATMs have the lowest fees in Hungary?
Bank-owned ATMs (OTP, K&H, Erste, Raiffeisen, UniCredit, MBH) are usually cheaper than standalone machines in tourist streets. Fees vary by bank and card, often HUF 1,500–3,000 per withdrawal — check your own bank's terms. Always decline the machine's currency conversion.
Should I pay in local currency or my own?
Always pay in forint (HUF). If an ATM or card terminal offers to convert the amount into your home currency, decline — that dynamic currency conversion typically costs a few percent more than letting your bank handle the exchange.
Deep dive
Every source; changeable facts are marked check
Sources
- officialHungarian National Bank (MNB)
- officialHungarian Tourism Agency
- secondaryWikivoyage – Hungary
- secondaryWikivoyage – Money