Money, cards and ATMs in Ghana

Bring a Visa card, not only a Mastercard

• Many hotels, guesthouses and shops accept credit cards except for Mastercard, which is not widely accepted. This is the FCDO's own wording and it is the single most useful money fact about Ghana.
• Check ahead that a place can take your card, and carry back-up funds. A card that works in Accra hotels is not a card that works everywhere.
• Tell your card issuer you are travelling, or the first Ghanaian transaction may block the account.

Cash

• ATMs are common in large towns and may simply not exist in rural areas. Draw what you need before you leave a city.
• Be alert at ATMs, go by pre-arranged transport where you can, and look at the slot for a skimmer before you insert the card.
• Keep your card in sight when you pay a bill.
• Do not carry large sums or visible valuables.

The declaration

• Hard currency is declared on arrival, all of it.
• USD 10,000 equivalent is the ceiling. Carrying more risks confiscation of the whole amount rather than the excess, so this is not a rule to round off.

At police checkpoints

• Do not hand cash to a police officer. It can be treated as a bribe, and impromptu checkpoints on roads at night are normal.