Does one need cash in Australia?

score:2

Accepted answer

After my trip, I found that there are enough places (the vast majority of them being budget Asian restaurants) interesting for me that are cash only, both in Sydney and Melbourne, so in my situation it made sense to have some cash. A considerable number of places have a surcharge for using a credit/debit card (which is, from what I've seen, mostly below 1%, which is fine if the card gives you 1% cashback on everything; but some places had higher surcharges like 1.5%). I've barely seen any minimum transaction limits to be able to use a credit card. The upshot is that one doesn't need cash unless they are specifically interested in those budget Asian restaurants (you can find many others that accept cards).

Upvote:5

While you can get by without using cash for much of the time in Australia, there are exceptions:

  • I have seen places that have a minimum limit for credit card transactions (where there is a minimum, it's often $10 or possibly $20).
  • Virtually every restaurant will accept credit cards. Street vendors might or might not.
  • Some places may charge an extra fee for using a credit card. This, like the minimum transaction limit, should be clearly indicated.

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