Credit card or cash in Northern Ireland?

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Accepted answer

Outside of areas very close to the border I would not rely on retailers accepting euro in Northern Ireland.

In my recent experience I had no problem paying electronically for taxis and restaurants. Very small places, particularly market stalls, might only accept cash but it's quite possible they will also have card readers. Mobile versions are very common.

Note also that Visa is more popular that Mastercard in the Republic of Ireland and that may be true for the UK & NI as well. I have never, ever, seen a retailer take Mastercard but not Visa. The reverse is rare but I have experienced it.

Upvote:5

Visa and Mastercard are accepted almost everywhere in Northern Ireland, including most markets and stalls. Most pubs accept cards but might be worth checking before you settle in for a long afternoon ;)

That said, a bit of cash is useful for tips, ice creams and other really small purchases; think of it as petty cash. For three days, I would say £20 or £30 would probably be more than enough. The complication is not getting cash (there are cash machines almost everywhere) it is getting rid of it again. Northern Ireland has its own bank notes that almost nowhere else accepts.

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