Can you pay by card in Sharm El Sheikh, or is cash required?

Cash is more reliable in practice — small shops, street vendors, and taxis often don't take cards, while large hotels and supermarkets accept them fine.

Cards from sanctioned Russian banks like Rosselkhozbank generally don't work at Sharm El Sheikh airport duty-free — payment gets declined due to international sanctions on the bank.

Standard Visa and Mastercard issued by non-sanctioned banks work best across the resort — accepted at hotels, restaurants, and shops.