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Fortunately, the answer is yes. Credit cards are accepted widely at most larger hotels and restaurants. However, you should carry some cash wherever you go, as many small merchants won’t take cards. If you’re going to a big tourist city like Cabo San Lucas or Cancun, you can often use US dollars — but the local merchants are likely to give you poor exchange rates.
When traveling in Mexico or anywhere else abroad, be sure to get a card without foreign transaction fees. Although they may seem small, these fees can rack up quickly over the course of a trip.
If you use your card in Mexico, you could incur the following fees:
Yes. Avoid this by getting a card without foreign transaction fees and always decline DCC if offered.
American Express cards are widely accepted in Mexico, but not as much as Visa or Mastercard. If you want to use an ATM to withdraw cash with your Amex card, look for HSBC or Scotiabank ATMs.
| Merchant acceptance | ATM acceptance | |
|---|---|---|
| Visa |  High | High |
| Mastercard | High | High |
| American Express | High | High |
| Discover |  Medium |  Low |
It’s easy to get cash in Mexico, as ATMs are widespread. Still, consider getting cash only from ATMs at bank branches, where you’re less likely to become a victim of fraud.
It’s best to use a debit card at an ATM. That’s because your credit card will probably charge a cash advance fee when you withdraw money. Further, you’ll immediately start accruing interest on the amount you withdraw. You may still pay ATM fees when you use your debit card, but at least you’ll avoid paying interest.
A cash advance fee is assessed when you withdraw cash from your credit card. It’s usually the greater of a flat fee or a percentage of the transaction. For example, the cash advance fee for the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is either $10 or 5% of each transaction, whichever is greater.
No. However, if you prefer to pay with your card, you can use Uber. It’s cheaper and you won’t have to worry about having cash in you.
In the United States, we’ve been using magnetic-stripe — or magstripe — credit cards for years. Only recently have we started the transition to microchip-embedded cards. What you may not know is that many countries around the world have already adopted these chip cards. We’re simply catching up.
In Mexico, chip cards are the standard. You can use a magstripe card at many locations, but you may run into merchants who will only accept chip cards.
It’s a good idea to get either a chip-and-PIN or a chip-and-signature card before traveling.
Chip-and-PIN cards are becoming the norm around the world, so you may want to upgrade to one eventually. However, a chip-and-signature card should be widely accepted during your trip to Mexico — you’ll simply sign your receipt when prompted.
It’s generally safe to use a credit card in Mexico. However, you should always try to:
Before you leave for Mexico, make a few arrangements to ensure you can use your card without a hitch.
Mastercard, Visa and American Express are widely accepted in Mexico, especially in most hotels and restaurants. However, some of the smaller merchants may accept only cash. If you want to make cash withdrawals, consider getting a debit card, which usually has no cash advance fees. You can also get a travel card and decline DCC when offered to avoid additional fees and poor exchange rates.
See more guides on using a credit card in other countries.
Images: Shutterstock
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Is it better to use a pre-paid Visa while traveling in Mexico or should I use my Capital One credit card for all purchases?
Hi Carole,
Thanks for reaching out! Ultimately, it will depend on where you are in Mexico and what you’re spending in. Essentially, a prepaid travel money card is good to save on foreign exchange fees. You’d also need a credit card for any emergencies that take place during your trip. Hope this was helpful. Don’t hesitate to message us back if you have more questions.
Best,
Nikki
There are heaps of options for saving money with ATM withdrawals and spending overseas. Checkout monzo, revolut, and TransferWise. You can use these cards freely with no fees when making purchases with them. They also use the interbanking rate for conversions (not the consumer rate like these Banks). As for ATM withdrawals, they give you a free amount per month to withdrawal after that it is a 2% fee (which still beats most banks). The trick is to sign up to all of them to multiple your limits. This is also a good idea as you have more cards travelling in case of robbery or you lose your card somewhere. Keep them in separate places. Etc
is there a regional lock on cc in northern mexico because every time i travel down there its a hassle to use mine
Hi Bob,
Thank you for leaving a question on finder.
You may want to contact your credit card provider regarding this concern to check if there are restrictions on your card. Based on recent updates, there are no restrictions in the usage of credit cards in Mexico.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Reggie
I want to know if the Visa Card from UBA is valid and if it can be used in Mexico. Thanks.
Hello Maria,
Thank you for your comment.
Yes, you can use this card in Mexico as long as it has a Visa logo. The UBA Visa Classic Debit Card can be used in Visa enabled ATMs in over 200 countries and can purchase at merchant locations where Visa is accepted worldwide.
Regards,
Jhezelyn