Which countries don't accept my credit or debit card? (2024)

FAQs

What countries don't accept credit cards? ›

Geographic restrictions, currency limitations, and other factors can also contribute to payment failures. Issues like OTP problems, network or authentication issues, and suspicious transactions can further complicate the payment process. There are times when we want to shop from international websites.

Norways is the most cashless country, with only around 2% of payments being made by cash, and 100% of the population having a bank account.

Sweden, the first European country to introduce banknotes in 1661, became the world's first cashless society on 24 March 2023. Finland and the UK are top–ranked to become cashless societies as well. Poland, on the other hand, has scrapped plans to limit cash payments to ensure freedom of choice.

Mastercard is not accepted at certain stores and merchants that only take cash, such as vendors at a local fair. Mastercard is also not accepted at retail chains that have an exclusive agreement with another card network.

While there may be a few credit unions that issue debit cards limited to domestic use, most debit cards are backed by Visa or Mastercard, trusted financial brands that are accepted worldwide.

Japan. In Japan, there's no formal nationwide credit system. A person's creditworthiness is typically determined by each bank, based on its relationship with the consumer. Each financial institution will look at factors like salary, length of employment and current debts to determine their level of risk as a borrower.

Why Germans don t like credit cards? ›

“Germans do not like debt,” said Doris Neuberger, head of the money and credit department at Germany's University of Rostock. In fact, the German word for debt and guilt are derived from the same word (Schuld), and this moral charge helps produce the country's “low debt ratio and low usage of credit cards.”

Thanks to technological advances, tax evasion, and merchants' disgust with fees, you may find that credit cards in Europe are not nearly as welcome as other payment methods. What is chip-and-PIN?

Large purchases, charges from sellers in foreign countries, or activity that seems unusual may trigger the bank or credit union to lock down your account to avoid fraud. Before traveling, contact your bank or credit union to let them know you'll be out of town.

All you need to do is inform your bank about certain specifics, i.e. the currency, daily usage limit, time period etc. Once you have informed your bank, subject to sufficient funds available in your account, your bank will activate international usage on your card.

Besides fund insufficiency, here are some of the most common issues behind a card decline: There was a manual error. You've reached your daily purchase limit. Your debit card expired or is inactive.

Egypt: With nearly 70% of the country not using a bank account, Egypt's citizens regularly use cash. Kazakhstan: With nearly 12 million residents relying on the Kazakhstani Tenge, the economy of Kazakhstan thrives off of cash payments.

Thanks to technological advances, tax evasion, and merchants' disgust with fees, you may find that credit cards in Europe are not nearly as welcome as other payment methods.

International merchants with credit card terminals will almost always accept Visa or Mastercard, issuers with strong international payment networks. Unfortunately, American Express and Discover can prove finicky abroad, as these two issuers have less robust payment networks outside the United States.