Cash is still king outside the bubble
Ghana uses the Ghana cedi (GHS), divided into 100 pesewas. Cash is essential for markets, tro-tros, taxis, street food, tips and small vendors. Upscale hotels, malls, supermarkets and international restaurants take Visa and Mastercard, and some take mobile money, but do not assume a card works at a small shop or guesthouse. Carry a mix of denominations, including plenty of small notes.
- Keep roughly GHS 50-200 in small notes on you; trying to break a GHS 200 note at a market stall is a nuisance for everyone.
- The cedi has depreciated significantly over the years, so treat any price you read online as a starting point and confirm current rates.
Mobile money (MoMo)
MTN MoMo, Telecel Cash and AT Money let people send, receive and pay for almost anything using a phone number, and they are used by everyone from market traders to ride-hailing drivers. Visitors can register a wallet, but you generally need a registered SIM and identification, and wallets opened with a passport can carry lower transaction and balance limits than Ghana Card wallets. The tiers and limits change, so ask the agent what yours allows.
- Register at an official operator shop and ask the agent to note your tier limits for you.
- Cash out at the operator's own shop or a trusted agent, and count the money before you walk away.
The MoMo scams that actually catch people
The most common fraud is a call or SMS claiming money was sent to you by mistake and asking you to return it, or someone posing as an agent and asking for your PIN or a reversal. Legitimate mobile money staff never ask for your PIN, and a genuine mistaken transfer is the sender's problem to raise with the operator. A related trick offers airtime or a cash-out at an unusually good rate and then reverses the transaction.
- Never share your MoMo PIN, and never approve a transaction you did not initiate; check your own balance first.
- If someone claims a mistaken transfer, tell them to contact the operator; do not send anything back yourself.
ATMs, cards and forex
ATMs from Ecobank, Stanbic, Absa, GCB, Fidelity and others accept foreign Visa and Mastercard, but not every machine does, and daily withdrawal limits and fees vary by bank and by your home bank. Withdraw during the day at a bank branch or a mall where possible. Forex bureaux in Accra: Osu, Airport Residential, Circle, generally give better rates than hotels or the airport, and changing money on the street is both illegal and a good way to be short-changed.
- Take out larger amounts less often to reduce per-withdrawal fees, and check what your own bank charges for foreign use.
- Tell your bank you are travelling to Ghana so your card is not frozen on arrival.
- If an ATM declines or swallows your card, contact your bank before assuming the money left your account.
Rules, fees and opening hours change. Confirm anything that matters before you rely on it.