Almost all hotels, restaurants and shops in the city centre do accept credit and debit cards. The best choice to take is Visa and MasterCard, followed by AMEX. Remember that cash advance always incurs an interest charge, and there may also be a transaction fee. Outside Prague, you might experience problems in smaller shops, so it is still advisable to have some cash. There is also a dense net of cash dispensers in Prague, where you can withdraw cash 24 hours a day.
Withdrawing cash from ATMs or paying with your card is safe but can be expensive if you let the ATM or card processing operator do the conversion (choose ‘Without Conversion’ and instead pay in local currency when the question comes up).
Lost credit cards can be reported to the following numbers:
Visa & MasterCard – Tel. 272 771 111
American Express – Tel. 222 800 222
Diners Club – Tel. 267 197 450
Paying Larger Amounts by Credit Card
If you plan to go shopping or pay larger amounts using a card issued overseas, it is wise to note your bank phone numbers before travelling to Prague. Recently, many banks worldwide have put in place security checks due to the risk of your card being misused. So, for example, if you pay a large amount in another country, this might cause your card to be automatically blocked, or the bank will ring your mobile to verify that you made that purchase. It will not happen if you pay your hotel bill, but rather if you do a big shopping or you pay a large amount at a nightclub, for example, or if you do many transactions in a short period of time. Some shops also require that you present your ID or passport if you are buying something more expensive, usually over 15000 CZK.
