Portugal · Currency & payments · 2026

Paying for things in Lisbon

Card-everywhere in Lisbon and Porto. Outside the cities, Multibanco (the local debit network) is dominant — visitors with foreign Visa/Mastercard cards still work fine, but smaller establishments may have a €5-10 minimum for card use.

€EUR

Cash, cards, and ATM tactics

Multibanco ATMs (the green 'MB' logo) charge no fee on the Portuguese side. Your home bank's foreign-withdrawal fee may still apply.
Decline DCC at the ATM and at restaurant card machines. Always pick 'charge in EUR'.
Tap-to-pay caps at €50 without PIN. Above that, expect to enter your PIN even if you've tapped — your card needs the chip-and-PIN feature for it to work.
Some traditional Portuguese tascas still don't take cards. Carry €40-60 in cash for a meal-out backup.

Tipping — what locals actually do

Restaurants: 5-10% if service was good. The bill rarely includes a service charge; if it does (couvert is bread + olives, not a tip), it's a few euros.
Taxis: Round up to the nearest euro. 10% for an airport transfer or long ride.

The travel-card question

Wise and Revolut work flawlessly. Multibanco MB Way (instant phone-to-phone payments) is local-only — don't expect to use it as a tourist.

Last reviewed 10 May 2026. FX rates are not quoted on this page — they move daily; use Wise’s converter for the live rate.