Most common way to pay the albergue

[LSab]

Am getting ready for my first walk and am wondering what the most commonly accepted form of payment is at municipal albergues and/or private albergues? Cash or epayment methods like Revolut or PayPal or Apple Pay? Are there others? I want to carry as much cash as I need but also (for obvious reasons) as little as I need. Thank you!

 

[trecile]

In municipal, parochial, and association albergues cash is the most common method of payment. And of course for donativos where you put money in a box. Some private albergues accept non cash payments, others don't. But when I used my credit card I always used it via the Google Pay app on my phone. Places that take credit cards are set up for contactless payments.

 

[CWBuff]

What @trecile said. I've made no secret that i am a heavy CC user. So as such I paid for most of my lodgings with a credit card. Some I "prepaid" couple of days ahead when I made a reservation (mostly via WhatsApp)
some i paid on the spot when i checked in (and using the actual card - I dont like paying apps.... not knocking them down by no means - just not for me) and some I did pay cash.
I would say good 90% of them were private albergues to punctuate the point made above.

Good luck and Buen Camino

 

[J Willhaus]

We use cash for smaller purchases. Some albergues will only accept cash and those are the kind of places we stay. Just as a side note, my husband and I have been traveling on another trip for more than 62 days. He had one card hacked (probably a card skimmer device) and misplaced or lost another. Be sure you have backup cards when traveling.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

When I was in Spain last year (along the Norte but not on foot) all of the places I stayed in took CCs - one place looked askance when I offered banknotes!
Don't forget to make sure you pay in Euros and not your home currency - there is a difference in the exchange rate the banks use.

 

[Roland49]

On my CP 2023 in July the majority of used Albergues (parochial, municipal and private) did take cash.
But they widely accept paying by card, I had only 3 of 10 Albergues not offering another way of payment.

Credit- or Debitcards are on the rise, even in rural Portugal or Spain!

 

[robproct]

Mentioning having a CC hacked, I wonder if one uses Apple Pay can that be hacked too?

 

[J Willhaus]

Mentioning having a CC hacked, I wonder if one uses Apple Pay can that be hacked too?

Or what if you lose your phone?

 

[dbier]

Or you run out of charge, or break it?

 

[trecile]

Mentioning having a CC hacked, I wonder if one uses Apple Pay can that be hacked too?

Anything can be hacked, but Apple Pay is actually more secure than using your card.

Apple Pay security and privacy overview - Apple Support

See how your Apple Pay personal and payment information, and transaction data is protected.

support.apple.com

Or what if you lose your phone?

It's usually more convenient for me to use my phone to pay, but I carry my card as back up.

 

[J Willhaus]

With all things there are risks so it is good to have some cash, a backup card, or phone if that's what you do. We've encountered places this summer where the ePay system was down entirely. Always have a Plan B or C.

 

[Maple Leaf Walker]

Cash. Your stops are mostly in small villages and the albergues are running a business with not-great margins.

 

[GaleW]

On my CP 2023 in July the majority of used Albergues (parochial, municipal and private) did take cash.
But they widely accept paying by card, I had only 3 of 10 Albergues not offering another way of payment.

Credit- or Debitcards are on the rise, even in rural Portugal or Spain!

I purchased RFID pouches for my Passport, Credit Cards and Debit Card. I am hoping that this will prevent this issue.

 

[Jeff Crawley]

I purchased RFID pouches for my Passport, Credit Cards and Debit Card. I am hoping that this will prevent this issue.

Your pouch may be reassuring but don't rely on it too much. Straight forward theft or skimming is more of a threat. Take a look at this article

RFID Credit Cards: Should You Worry About Protection? | Bankrate

If you’re wondering how safe RFID credit cards are, you’re in for some good news.

www.bankrate.com

The best protection is vigilance.

 

[GaleW]

Your pouch may be reassuring but don't rely on it too much. Straight forward theft or skimming is more of a threat. Take a look at this article

RFID Credit Cards: Should You Worry About Protection? | Bankrate

If you’re wondering how safe RFID credit cards are, you’re in for some good news.

www.bankrate.com

The best protection is vigilance.

Thank you. Great information!

 

[trecile]

I purchased RFID pouches for my Passport, Credit Cards and Debit Card. I am hoping that this will prevent this issue.

I was expecting @henrythedog to chime in here, as he's no fan of RFID pouches.

RFID bag. A personal hobby horse. The only function this serves is that it’s a bag, the RFID element is utterly pointless. I’ve offered on many occasions to send €50 to the first person who can cite an authenticated police report of a crime committed remotely which accessed a chip on a card. It’s a scam.

 

[DwainS]

Am getting ready for my first walk and am wondering what the most commonly accepted form of payment is at municipal albergues and/or private albergues? Cash or epayment methods like Revolut or PayPal or Apple Pay? Are there others? I want to carry as much cash as I need but also (for obvious reasons) as little as I need. Thank you!

when I walked this year I paid mostly credit card but some I paid cash. At this one albergue were I had a room reserved I paid cash. A man came in right behind asking if there were still rooms available and she said yes. He said would you like cash or credit card. Without hesitation she said cash. So I gather a lot of them take credit cards but I think they like cash if possible.

 

[henrythedog]

I was expecting @henrythedog to chime in here, as he's no fan of RFID pouches.

The offer still stands!

Five years now.

 

[Kirkie]

Am getting ready for my first walk and am wondering what the most commonly accepted form of payment is at municipal albergues and/or private albergues? Cash or epayment methods like Revolut or PayPal or Apple Pay? Are there others? I want to carry as much cash as I need but also (for obvious reasons) as little as I need. Thank you!

I am using my phone right now so forgive me if I do not scroll through all posts. I asked two people in Navarra two different questions. One is in Zabaldika. It is a parochial and does not accept reservations. As ever, if you arrive by around 3pm you will get one of the 18 beds. That leaves you 8km approx to Pamplona. Cash payment only, to respond to the question. Additional information: many people, since Covid, seem to need to book, so many skip Zabaldika. And other non reserving albergues. If the skippers only knew! Another
Incidental piece of casual information: numbers are not high. They never were, actually, in Zabaldika. Some people don't know it is there. Others think it is not on 'the true trail'. Others see the hill and say no! They miss so much. So do I this year, I cannot go to help out as I usually do!
Edit:cash yes, payment no. It is donativo, at the discretion of the pilgrim.

 

[Kathy F.]

I pay by cash.
I carried about €200 with me at a time. For the short cafe con leche in the morning, the bocadillo in the afternoon, or the pilgrim meal in the (early) evening, cash was easiest for me.
When I ran low, I went to an ATM attached to a bank, during the week, and withdrew more money.
I paid attention whether transaction fees were a flat fee or if they were a percentage.

 

[TravellingMan22]

I pay by cash.
I carried about €200 with me at a time. For the short cafe con leche in the morning, the bocadillo in the afternoon, or the pilgrim meal in the (early) evening, cash was easiest for me.
When I ran low, I went to an ATM attached to a bank, during the week, and withdrew more money.
I paid attention whether transaction fees were a flat fee or if they were a percentage.

Unless someone knows otherwise I think ATM fees are always a flat fee in Spain irrespective of supplier?

 

[Getwood]

Old tech geek here. The RFID discussion makes me twitch slightly.

All RFID-blocking methods (assuming the item in question actually *has* RFID and is not just a "marketing gimmick") are basically variations on a "Faraday cage," which you can replicate with a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil (or two layers of the regular stuff) turned into a pouch. I've used this cheap method with much success.

That being said, remote RFID attacks are few and far between — most theft via wireless chip hijacking happens at skimmers. But the most common form of theft is simple human engineering; the perp takes your card, disappears into another room or a little annex, copies the info, returns the card to you. I've also had the info copied *while I was standing at the counter,* and the employee didn't bat an eye. I found out about the theft weeks later when I got home and Mastercard alerted me to weird charges. AMEX, on the other hand, is more aggressive in their vigilance and stomps down hard on stuff that doesn't pass their smell tests, for which I've been thankful more than once.

Vigilance is fine, but don't beat yourself up too much if you've been scammed. Scammers are extremely smart and seemingly tireless, and may eventually get the best of you.

Cash is not copy-able, but of course, it too can be stolen. As my favourite economist likes to say, "There are no solutions, only trade-offs." I've settled on a trade-off I can live with, and I'm sure all of you can do the same.

Buen Camino!

 

[TravellingMan22]

Old tech geek here. The RFID discussion makes me twitch slightly.

All RFID-blocking methods (assuming the item in question actually *has* RFID and is not just a "marketing gimmick") are basically variations on a "Faraday cage," which you can replicate with a sheet of heavy-duty aluminum foil (or two layers of the regular stuff) turned into a pouch. I've used this cheap method with much success.

That being said, remote RFID attacks are few and far between — most theft via wireless chip hijacking happens at skimmers. But the most common form of theft is simple human engineering; the perp takes your card, disappears into another room or a little annex, copies the info, returns the card to you. I've also had the info copied *while I was standing at the counter,* and the employee didn't bat an eye. I found out about the theft weeks later when I got home and Mastercard alerted me to weird charges. AMEX, on the other hand, is more aggressive in their vigilance and stomps down hard on stuff that doesn't pass their smell tests, for which I've been thankful more than once.

Vigilance is fine, but don't beat yourself up too much if you've been scammed. Scammers are extremely smart and seemingly tireless, and may eventually get the best of you.

Cash is not copy-able, but of course, it too can be stolen. As my favourite economist likes to say, "There are no solutions, only trade-offs." I've settled on a trade-off I can live with, and I'm sure all of you can do the same.

Buen Camino!

First time in Spain for a few months. Card acceptance even greater then I remember and minimum card thresholds seem to be declining though I went to a place this morning that had a €20 minimum. Certainly nearly all the private albergues accept card. Of course you need cash as many of the municipals and donativos like cash. Don’t assume cash is more profitable for organisations. That is a narrow view of an organisations ‘cost of sale’. Processing cash is not free and carries risks.