Can you pay with USD or foreign bank card in shops and pharmacies in Hurghada?

An RSHB card was accepted at the Bestway store with no surcharge. A spa hotel added 2% to card-paid services, and a pharmacy also stated that card payment would incur a 2% fee.

The shop at Azalia accepted US dollars for purchases.

Staying at Seagull hotel on Sheraton, the author withdrew Egyptian pounds without issue from the hotel's ATM using a Russian Agricultural Bank (RSHB) card. Nearly all nearby shops accepted this card for payment, and the exchange rate for card payments was even more favorable.

An older 100 USD bill (2006 series, in good condition) was accepted without issue in Hurghada shops, pharmacies, for visa payment and excursions — the only rejection happened at a hotel reception when trying to pay for sunbed booking.

At a pharmacy and a shop, paying with a mix of USD and exchanged Egyptian pounds in the same purchase worked smoothly with no issues.

According to bank staff, a foreign card doesn't work everywhere — payments go through at large chain stores like 'Lenta', but acceptance elsewhere is uncertain.

A foreign card may not work everywhere: payment is possible only where there is a compatible UnionPay terminal, and the card usually has to be inserted — contactless payment may fail. It worked in a tourist clothing shop and in a leather shop at Senzo Mall, but at Spinneys supermarket there was no suitable terminal, so payment had to be made in Egyptian pounds.

Chain supermarkets in Hurghada do not accept US dollars — only Egyptian pounds or bank cards. It's best to have local currency or a card ready.

Paying in USD at pharmacies can lead to overcharging if you don't check the price printed on the packaging. Pharmacies that price in Egyptian pounds per the label offer a fair deal.

Some foreign bank cards work well in Hurghada: ATM withdrawals in Egyptian pounds and card payments at supermarkets, small shops, pharmacies, and hotels are possible with a good exchange rate. In Makadi Bay, currency exchange is hard to find, so a card is more practical.