Do I need cash in Portugal, or can I use cards?

Portugal is card-friendly. Contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay are widely accepted in Lisbon, Porto and tourist areas, and Visa and Mastercard work in most places.

Keep some euro cash for small shops, cafes, bakeries, markets, and rural or small-town spots, where cards are less certain. A card covers most spending, but cash smooths the small stuff.

When a card terminal or ATM asks whether to charge in dollars or euros, always choose euros. Dollars trigger dynamic currency conversion at a rate about 3 to 8% worse than your own bank's. Decline it every time.

For cash, use an ATM (a multibanco) attached to a real bank, not a standalone Euronet kiosk, which charges high fees and pushes the dollar conversion. See the Euronet ATM fees guide for more.

A card covers most spending, especially in the cities. Keep a little euro cash for markets, small shops and rural areas. Use a debit card at the ATM to avoid cash-advance fees, and take out a sensible amount to limit trips.

For tipping norms, see tipping in Portugal, and for the wider picture, the Portugal money guide.

Common questions

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More on Portugal

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• Taxis in Portugal, and the Bolt appPortuguese taxis are cheap and mostly honest, and ride apps are even cheaper, with Bolt the local favorite. The main thing to watch is the odd airport driver, so here is how to keep it simple.
• Tipping in PortugalPortugal is a light-tipping country. Staff earn a wage, nobody expects a US-style percentage, and a modest tip for good service is welcome but never required. Here is what you actually owe, and what that couvert on the table is.
• How to avoid the yellow Euronet ATMs in LisbonThe bright yellow machines by the airport exits and in the tourist squares are the most expensive way to get euros. Here is how to spot them, what to use instead, and the one habit that matters more than the machine.
• The IVA tax-refund kiosk at Lisbon airport, step by stepIf you shopped in Portugal and want the IVA (VAT) back, it comes down to a self-service kiosk at the airport and one green screen. Here is the exact sequence, and the one timing mistake that costs people the refund.
• Does tram 28 in Lisbon take contactless?The short, honest answer is: not reliably. Tapping your own card is solid on the metro, but on the historic 28 tram it is hit or miss, so here is the cheap way that always works.
• Bringing your dog or cat to Portugal.Portugal runs on the single EU pet-entry process for a US-origin dog or cat: microchip, rabies in the right order, and an EU health certificate on a 10-day clock. No quarantine, no rabies titer. Here is what that means for Portugal, and the local parts worth knowing.