Hello,
Ill be travelling to America this year and I will be using a different card to get better exchange rates. However, currently the card I have is digital only and I’m wondering if I should order a physical one. In the uk contactless payment (Apple Pay) is default and is accepted at 99+% of places, but from browsing reddit I have heard otherwise about the US.
For reference I will be travelling around California
Thanks and I can’t wait to visit your stunning country!
8 comments
You’ll want a physical card for sure.
Big brands will have them, pretty much any that you’ve heard of. Small local stores have a good chance of having it available but don’t count on it.
Sources: San Diego
I’d say about 50% of the places I go have working, available contactless payment.
Get a physical card. You could *probably* get by without it if you had to, but it’ll save you a lot of potential headaches.
You’d want a physical card, and if you’re going off the beaten path you’ll want cash.
Contactless will work most places, it expanded dramatically during covid, you’ll want a physical card though because most is not all, and once in a while you’ll find a cash only place so it’s a good idea to have some actual cash with you too.
You could probably manage without it, but I’d recommend getting a physical card anyways. You’ll miss out on a lot of neat places if you don’t have one.
You’ll be able to find Apple Pay at most businesses outfitted for tap transactions, but a significant minority of businesses don’t do tap. I suggest you get a stored-value card that would act more as a debit card here, with which you’ll need to enter a PIN. (Unlike in Europe, most credit card transactions in the US don’t require a PIN.)