Romania
Cards, ATMs and cash in Romania: what to expect
Yes — cards are widely accepted in Romanian cities, malls, hotels and most restaurants, so you can travel on plastic for days. Carry RON 100–200 in cash anyway: village shops, markets, small guesthouses, monastery stalls and some taxis are cash-only. Always decline the ATM or terminal's own conversion and pay in RON.
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GuideRomania
Key facts
- Card acceptance
- High in cities, malls, hotels, supermarkets, chain cafés and most restaurants; low in villages, markets and small guesthouses
- Cash to carry
- RON 100–200 (about €20–40) as a backup
- Currency to pay in
- RON — always decline the terminal's or ATM's own conversion
- ATM fees
- Romanian banks' own ATMs are usually cheapest for foreign cards; independent machines in tourist areas charge more — the fee shows on screen before you confirm
- Contactless
- Common on cards and phones; accepted almost everywhere cards are
- Tipping
- About 10% in restaurants, in cash even when you pay by card
- Card problems abroad
- Tell your bank you are travelling; keep a second card and some cash separate from your main wallet
Details
Romania runs on the leu (RON), and card infrastructure has caught up fast. In Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Brașov, Sibiu, Timișoara and Iași you can pay by card or phone for hotels, supermarkets, chain cafés, pharmacies, fuel and most mid-range restaurants. Contactless is standard, and small amounts are rarely refused.
The gaps are predictable. Village shops and markets, small guesthouses in Maramureș or Bucovina, monastery stalls, some rural buses and a share of taxis still want cash. Fuel stations on main roads take cards; a pump in a remote valley may not. Keep RON 100–200 on you and you will not be caught out.
ATMs are everywhere in cities and at airports, and most accept Visa and Mastercard. Two things decide what you actually pay: the machine's operator fee and the conversion. If the ATM offers to charge your card in your home currency, decline — that is dynamic currency conversion, and its rate is worse than your bank's. Take the amount in RON.
The same rule applies at card terminals in shops and restaurants: if the machine asks whether to pay in RON or in your own currency, choose RON. Your bank then converts at its own rate, which is normally better. Some independent ATMs in tourist areas and small shops add a fixed fee per withdrawal; the screen shows it before you confirm, so read it.
Card security is normal European practice: chip and PIN, sometimes a signature for small amounts, and 3-D Secure for online payments. Tell your bank you are travelling so a Romanian transaction does not trip a fraud block, and carry a second card plus some cash somewhere other than your main wallet. If a card is swallowed or blocked, a bank branch in any large city can usually help, and mobile banking works on hotel and café Wi-Fi.
Cash is still useful for the small, human parts of a trip: a market stall in Sibiu, a bowl of soup in a village, a tip, a toilet that charges RON 1–3, a rural bus. Change small notes when you can — a RON 200 note can be awkward at a village shop early in the morning.
Summary table
| Situation | Card or cash | Note |
|---|---|---|
| City hotels, malls, supermarkets, chain cafés | Card | Contactless standard |
| Mid-range restaurants in cities | Card | Leave the tip in cash |
| Village shops, markets, monastery stalls | Cash | Keep RON 100–200 on you |
| Small guesthouses, rural stays | Ask first | Many take cash only |
| Taxis and Bolt/Uber | App or card | Some taxis are cash-only |
| Fuel stations | Card | Remote pumps may not |
| Toilets, small fees | Cash | RON 1–3 coins help |
| ATM withdrawal | — | Decline conversion; pay out in RON |
| Card terminal abroad | — | Choose RON, not your home currency |
Tips
- Withdraw larger amounts less often: a fixed ATM fee hurts more on a small withdrawal.
- Use bank-branded ATMs inside branches or malls rather than standalone machines in tourist lanes, and read the fee screen.
- Keep a RON 50–100 note and some coins separate from your cards for markets and tips.
- Photograph your card's back and your bank's emergency number before you fly.
- If a terminal offers to charge you in USD, GBP or EUR, say no and pay in RON.
- Carry a second card from a different network (Visa plus Mastercard) if you can.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Are credit cards widely accepted in Romania?
Yes in cities, malls, hotels, supermarkets and most restaurants, where contactless is standard. Acceptance drops in villages, markets, small guesthouses and some taxis, so carry RON 100–200 in cash as a backup.
Which ATMs have the lowest fees in Romania?
ATMs run by Romanian banks are usually cheaper for foreign cards than independent machines in tourist areas. The fee and any conversion offer appear on screen before you confirm — read them, and always withdraw in RON.
Should I pay in local currency or my own?
Always pay in RON, at ATMs and at card terminals. If a machine offers to charge you in your home currency, that is dynamic currency conversion with a worse rate. Your bank's conversion is normally better.
Can I travel in Romania without any cash?
In Bucharest, Cluj, Brașov, Sibiu and Timișoara, mostly yes. Once you head to villages, markets, small guesthouses or rural transport, cash is often the only option, so keep some lei on you.
Do I need to tell my bank I am going to Romania?
It is worth doing. A Romanian transaction can trigger a fraud block on an unannounced trip. Carry a second card and some cash stored separately from your main wallet.
Deep dive
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