What is better cash or credit card in Ukraine?
Ukraine is a modern country and sure thing we use credit cards, which is better way for everyone, plus you don't have to carry a lot of money in cash with you. But at the same time there are some things which you need to know and remember.
Our Ukrainian currency is gryvnia (UAH) One hundred kopiykas are for one hryvnia (UAH). There are bills for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 hryvnias. Coins are for 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kopiykas. Hryvnia can be easily converted to hard currency in any authorized bank of Ukraine or in numerous currency exchange offices. Please note that they do not exchange coins in Ukraine, so only banknotes are convertible.
There are three main credit cards accepted in major restaurants, stores, hotels and other venues. These are Visa, MasterCard and Eurocard. However, note that credit cards sometimes will not be accepted (particularly if the matter concerns smaller shops, cafes and remote areas). We recommend that you always have some cash at hand in case your credit card won't be accepted. That can be 100 USD per day. If you have some local store credit cards, it's better to leave them at home, as you will not need such cards in Ukraine. In case your credit card was stolen, you may immediately call the issuing bank (the bank's number is on the back of your card, so it's better to write this down somewhere else in order you can find the number fast). An emergency credit card can be delivered to you within one or two days, depending upon the bank policy. It's very important to inform your bank before your traveling to Ukraine, as they can block it to safe you from scam. Your credit card will work here only after your confirmation in the bank. Finally, it's a good idea to have a different credit card as a backup. With a different card you will have access to more machines. And if you have, for example, AMEX card, take Visa or MasterCard as an alternative, as American Express and Diner are less popular in Ukraine than those ones.
Today all major cities of Ukraine have a huge network of ATMs. In Ukraine an ATM will give you money in local currency, that is in hryvnias. In order to withdraw money from ATMs one should know his personal identification number (PIN), which must contain numbers only, as Ukrainian keypads have no letters. Large Ukrainian cities have a lot of ATMs where you can get cash from your credit cards. If you travel to small towns or villages in Ukraine, it would be better to exchange money into Ukrainian cash in advance.
Traveler's checks are not widely accepted in Ukraine. It's recommended not to bring them (or bring only as a backup), as a high commission rate and much paperwork are always expected.
To sum up everything what was written above, you definitely need to have cash and credit cards with you while traveling to Ukraine, just make sure that your credit cards will work in Ukraine and you bank was notified about your plan to use your cards in Ukraine, what are commissions from using ATM, what limit for withdrawal of money from your credit card per day. We assure you won't have any kind of problems to exchange your money to our local currency.
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Our Ukrainian currency is gryvnia (UAH) One hundred kopiykas are for one hryvnia (UAH). There are bills for 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 hryvnias. Coins are for 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 kopiykas. Hryvnia can be easily converted to hard currency in any authorized bank of Ukraine or in numerous currency exchange offices. Please note that they do not exchange coins in Ukraine, so only banknotes are convertible.
There are three main credit cards accepted in major restaurants, stores, hotels and other venues. These are Visa, MasterCard and Eurocard. However, note that credit cards sometimes will not be accepted (particularly if the matter concerns smaller shops, cafes and remote areas). We recommend that you always have some cash at hand in case your credit card won't be accepted. That can be 100 USD per day. If you have some local store credit cards, it's better to leave them at home, as you will not need such cards in Ukraine. In case your credit card was stolen, you may immediately call the issuing bank (the bank's number is on the back of your card, so it's better to write this down somewhere else in order you can find the number fast). An emergency credit card can be delivered to you within one or two days, depending upon the bank policy. It's very important to inform your bank before your traveling to Ukraine, as they can block it to safe you from scam. Your credit card will work here only after your confirmation in the bank. Finally, it's a good idea to have a different credit card as a backup. With a different card you will have access to more machines. And if you have, for example, AMEX card, take Visa or MasterCard as an alternative, as American Express and Diner are less popular in Ukraine than those ones.
Today all major cities of Ukraine have a huge network of ATMs. In Ukraine an ATM will give you money in local currency, that is in hryvnias. In order to withdraw money from ATMs one should know his personal identification number (PIN), which must contain numbers only, as Ukrainian keypads have no letters. Large Ukrainian cities have a lot of ATMs where you can get cash from your credit cards. If you travel to small towns or villages in Ukraine, it would be better to exchange money into Ukrainian cash in advance.
Traveler's checks are not widely accepted in Ukraine. It's recommended not to bring them (or bring only as a backup), as a high commission rate and much paperwork are always expected.
To sum up everything what was written above, you definitely need to have cash and credit cards with you while traveling to Ukraine, just make sure that your credit cards will work in Ukraine and you bank was notified about your plan to use your cards in Ukraine, what are commissions from using ATM, what limit for withdrawal of money from your credit card per day. We assure you won't have any kind of problems to exchange your money to our local currency.
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