Money, cards and ATMs in Cambodia

One country, two currencies, one exchange rate

The US dollar is the everyday money and the Cambodian riel is the change. ATMs give you dollars, prices are quoted in dollars, and anything under a dollar comes back in riel at a flat 4,000 KHR to USD 1. Buy a 3,500 KHR coffee with a five dollar note and you get a dollar note and 1,500 riel back. That rate barely moves, so you can do the arithmetic in your head.

The thing nobody warns you about

Damaged US notes are refused, and the standard is far stricter than you are used to. A small tear, a scribble, a soft worn note or an older series design is enough for a shop, a driver or a hotel to hand it straight back. Two consequences:

• Check the notes you are given, in the exchange booth and as change, and hand back anything torn or taped at the moment you get it. Once you have walked away it is yours.
• Bring clean, flat, recent dollars if you are bringing cash at all. The riel has no such problem - torn riel circulates freely.

Cash

• ATMs dispense USD and mostly in 50s and 100s, which are awkward to spend. Withdrawing an odd amount such as USD 180 tends to force out smaller notes.
• Withdrawal fees run about USD 4 to USD 6 on top of your own bank's charge, so take out more, less often. BRED and ACLEDA are the usual picks for the lower fee and the friendlier note mix.
• Keep a stock of USD 1 and USD 5 notes. Tuk-tuks, markets and entrance fees all want them.

Paying by phone

KHQR is everywhere - it is on the counter of practically every shop, stall and restaurant. Until recently it was closed to visitors; now the Bakong Tourists app from the National Bank of Cambodia lets you register with an email, link a Visa or Mastercard, and scan those codes at some 3.3 million merchants. Alipay and WeChat Pay also work on KHQR. It is the clean way round the torn-note problem.

Cards and costs

• Cards are fine in city hotels, mid-range restaurants and supermarkets. Everywhere else is cash.
• The Angkor pass is USD 37 for one day, USD 62 for three days and USD 72 for seven from Angkor Enterprise. The 3-day pass is used on any 3 days within a week, the 7-day on any 7 within a month, and they need not be consecutive. Children under 12 are free but may be asked for a passport as proof.