Hi everyone, I’m planning a trip to Sri Lanka in late 2025 and I’m a bit confused about how payments work there. I’ll be carrying my Indian debit and credit cards (mostly Visa and RuPay), but I’m not sure how widely they are accepted in hotels, restaurants, and shops across Sri Lanka. Do most places take international cards, or should I expect to pay mostly in cash (Sri Lankan Rupees)?
Also, are there extra charges or conversion fees when using Indian cards in Sri Lanka? I’ll be visiting Colombo, Kandy, and some coastal towns like Galle and Bentota. Is card usage common in smaller towns too, or just in bigger cities?
Would you recommend withdrawing money from ATMs there with an Indian debit card, or carrying USD/INR to exchange into Sri Lankan Rupees instead? Any recent experiences or tips would be really helpful, as I want to avoid getting stuck without the right payment method.”
