Money myths
Common beliefs about paying abroad, from no-fee cards to airport exchange, checked against how the money actually moves.
How to pay5 min read
The Crisp Dollar Bill Myth, and Everything Else Travelers Get Wrong About Paying in Cambodia
Torn dollars, riel change, ATM runs: most advice about money in Cambodia is outdated. Here is what paying with KHQR actually looks like, and how visitors can join in without a local bank.
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Expat life5 min read
Cash Is King in Colombia, and Four Other Myths Expats Should Retire
Colombia's cities now run on Nequi, Daviplata, and Bancolombia QR codes. We correct the most common money myths expats arrive with, from cash dependence to card cloning.
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Expat life5 min read
Everything You Were Told About Paying in China, Fact-Checked
Cash refused, foreign cards ignored, WeChat Pay everywhere. We test the most common beliefs about paying in China and explain what actually works for expats without a Chinese bank account.
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Expat life5 min read
Everyone Told You to Get GCash. Here's What They Didn't Mention.
Six myths expats believe about paying for daily life in the Philippines, from GCash signup for foreigners to island ATMs, and how QR Ph actually works for visitors.
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Money myths5 min read
Six Money Myths That Follow Tourists Around Laos (and What Actually Works in 2026)
Ask a traveler who visited Laos years ago how to handle money there and you will get confident, outdated advice. Ask a forum and you will get the same advice, repeated louder. The trouble is that money in Laos has…
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Money myths5 min read
No, You Don't Need a Brick of Pesos: Argentina Street Food Money Myths, Corrected
Ask five travelers how to pay in Argentina and you will get five confident, contradictory answers. Bring crisp hundred dollar bills. No, use your card, the rate is fine now. No, cash only, especially at markets…
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Money myths6 min read
Nobody at the Pasar Malam Wants Your RM100 Note: Malaysia Market Money Myths, Corrected
Ask a group of travelers how to pay at a Malaysian night market and you will get confident, contradictory answers. Bring lots of small ringgit. No wait, everyone uses Touch 'n Go now. Actually cards work everywhere…
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Money myths5 min read
Six Things Travelers Get Wrong About Paying at Thai Street Food Stalls and Markets
There is a whole genre of travel advice about money in Thailand, and most of it was written for a country that no longer exists. The advice usually goes: carry small bills, guard your coins, and never expect a khao man…
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Money myths5 min read
"Bring All Your Cash to Bolivia," They Said. La Paz Would Like a Word.
Bolivia attracts a certain kind of nomad: the one who has already done Medellin and Mexico City and wants somewhere with real edges. And with that crowd comes a thick layer of received wisdom about money. Some of it is…
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Money myths5 min read
Cashless Doesn't Mean Foreigner-Friendly: What Nomads Get Wrong About Money in South Korea
South Korea has a reputation as the place where money simply works. Fast internet, tap-to-pay everywhere, a society that treats cash like a relic. So nomads arrive in Seoul or Busan with a Wise card and a shrug, and…
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Money myths5 min read
Your Friend Who Backpacked Vietnam in 2019 Is Giving You Outdated Money Advice
Every nomad heading to Vietnam gets the same briefing from someone who went a few years ago. Carry cash for everything. Your card is useless. Budget an afternoon each week for ATM hunting. That advice was reasonable…
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Money myths5 min read
Six Money Myths That Will Follow You From Lima to Cusco
Ask five travelers how to handle money in Peru and you will get five confident, contradictory answers. Bring dollars. Never bring dollars. Cards work fine. Cards work nowhere. Get Yape. You can’t get Yape. Somewhere…
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Money myths5 min read
Nobody Warned You That Ulaanbaatar Skipped the Card Machine Era
Ask ten travelers what to expect from money in Mongolia and you will hear ten versions of the same story: bring a brick of cash, guard it with your life, and hope the one ATM in town is working. Some of that story is…
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Money myths5 min read
Almost Everything Travelers Believe About Money in Cambodia Is Out of Date
Cambodia has a reputation problem when it comes to money. Ask in any travel forum how to pay in Cambodia and you’ll get the same recycled advice: bring crisp US dollars, hoard small bills, expect chaos with the riel…
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Money myths5 min read
Cash Is King in Colombia? Medellín Would Like a Word
Ask a traveler who visited Colombia ten years ago how to handle money there, and you’ll get confident, outdated advice. Bring cash. Withdraw big amounts to spread out the ATM fees. Guard your card at all costs. Some of…
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Money myths5 min read
Your Visa Card Won't Save You in Shanghai
Here is a scene that plays out daily at arrivals halls from Pudong to Chengdu. A traveler lands with a wallet full of crisp yuan from the airport exchange counter, a premium travel credit card, and total confidence…
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Money myths5 min read
Six Money Myths That Follow Travelers Around the Philippines
Ask five travelers how to handle money in the Philippines and you’ll get five confident, contradictory answers. Bring stacks of cash. Never bring cash. Get GCash on day one. Don’t bother, foreigners can’t get it. Use…
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Read up, then pay like a local.
Scan local QR codes from your own bank or card, with no local account.