CREDIT & DEBIT CARDS ACCEPTABILITY:
 You
can use some of the major credit cards to withdraw money from
various bank counters in Gambia. Some hotels,
restaurants, airline flights from Banjul Airport to Europe, car
rentals companies and ground tour operators will accept
either American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club or Discover
if agreed before your departure or at the beginning your stay.
Some local businesses, such as supermarkets, accept electronic
payments using Visa debit cards or Mastercard using a POS terminal.
It is strongly advised that you first contact your credit card
company in your country before travelling to inform them of your
travel plans. Furthermore you should contact your designated hotel
and ask them whether they will accept your payment card before
travelling. The last thing you want is for your credit or debit
card to be automatically blocked while on holiday due to unusual
geographical use.
TRANSACTION CHARGES:
Credit card fees can be as much as 5% in some hotels. You are
really better off using your card for emergencies only and use
travellers' cheques and your own foreign currency instead. You
can then change your money as you need it when you get to The
Gambia.
 Visa
Electron Debit Cards and the Visa Classic Debit Cards are
accepted by some banks, such as the Standard Chartered Bank and
Access Bank respectively to make ATM cash withdrawals. As long
as you have the funds available, you may have to make multiple
withdrawals as the maximum single amount dispensed at one time
is often limited to D3,000. Transaction charges will often apply
per withdrawal making it a costly way to obtain Dalasis.
Visa
TravelMoney is a compromise between travellers' cheques
and plastic cards. It is a prepaid card which means you can withdraw
cash at an ATM. Each time a withdrawal is made the amount is automatically
deducted from the card.
MasterCard
prepaid, credit and debit cards can be used at GTBank Gambia
ATMs and Point of Sale (POS) terminals including hotels, retailers
and restaurants located in the Greater Banjul area. This allows
you to make electronic payments and cash withdrawals in the local
currency, the Dalasi. For travellers there is an ATM that is conveniently
located on the Bertil Harding Highway, near the Senegambia Strip
junction in Kololi.
American
Express (Amex) is accepted by some of the major hotels
and some of the more up-market restaurants.
Diners
Club has a limited number of establishments that accept
them.
Maestro
cards cannot be used so far in The Gambia.
Discover
card has only a few establishments that accept them.
Solo
and Switch cards are not accepted. Do talk to your card
company or designated accommodation about acceptability before
making any travel plans. Also Look at the back of your card to
see if there is a Cirrus or PLUS logo as they have the widest
payment network worldwide.
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Travel Advice | Money
Hotels
& Credit Card Acceptability 
