Currency for Iceland

[suron]

I know the currency in Iceland is Icelandic Króna but would like to know if credit/debit cards are accepted everywhere or is it advisable to get some local currency 

[VMax1700]

1 hour ago, suron said:

I know the currency in Iceland is Icelandic Króna but would like to know if credit/debit cards are accepted everywhere or is it advisable to get some local currency 

Cards are the way to go (not Amex) in all of Scandanavia and most of Europe.  

[fruitmachine]

2 hours ago, suron said:

I know the currency in Iceland is Icelandic Króna but would like to know if credit/debit cards are accepted everywhere or is it advisable to get some local currency 

When we were there on a five day land trip in late 2019 we didn't take or use any Króna.  Credit cards - and in particular contactless cards - were the norm then.  Four years on, that will be even more so.
 

Now - even at home here in the UK - cards are near universally accepted.  This week, I used cash for the first time this year, and that was only because the banknotes had been sitting in my wallet for six months.

[hallasm]

No cash, but a credit card with chip and PIN is highly recommended. Most terminals are contactless and will also accept Apple Pay.

Chip and PIN is the standard payment method in Iceland, and many small businesses as well as automated machines and self-service terminals, may not accept magnetic stripe cards or signature-based transactions.

[suron]

Many thanks to all for the useful information.  

[suron]

1 hour ago, VMax1700 said:

Cards are the way to go (not Amex) in all of Scandanavia and most of Europe.  

Many thanks for the information 

[suron]

42 minutes ago, hallasm said:

 

No cash, but a credit card with chip and PIN is highly recommended. Most terminals are contactless and will also accept Apple Pay.

Chip and PIN is the standard payment method in Iceland, and many small businesses as well as automated machines and self-service terminals, may not accept magnetic stripe cards or signature-based transactions.

Thank you

[suron]

2 hours ago, VMax1700 said:

Cards are the way to go (not Amex) in all of Scandanavia and most of Europe.  

Thank you

[CruiserBruce]

4 stops there last summer...never touched Icelandic money. All credit cards. And if you are from the US, you don't have to use a PIN. 

 

You will find a lot of related discussions on the Northern Europe board, here:

 

https://boards.cruisecritic.com/forum/116-northern-europe-amp-baltic-sea/

 

Expect the Mods will probably move this over there.

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

4 stops there last summer...never touched Icelandic money. All credit cards. And if you are from the US, you don't have to use a PIN. 

 

I never had to use a pin either on my land trip to Iceland and the merchants don't want cash. Also most cc terminals would do contactless. The taxis take credit cards. One exception though, outside many toilets there is a request  a small donation, a bowl or some such. It is an honor system so if you don't have Krona, don't worry. 

Edited June 10, 2023 by Charles4515

[mnocket]

5 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

. And if you are from the US, you don't have to use a PIN. 

Thanks.  That always confuses me since I don't have a PIN.

[hallasm]

34 minutes ago, mnocket said:

Thanks.  That always confuses me since I don't have a PIN.

PIN is not required when you use your card at hotels, restaurants, taxi or most shops - however if you want to 100% avoid cash you might need a pin as many small businesses as well as automated machines and self-service terminals, may not accept magnetic stripe cards and signature-based transactions -  you might be able to pay if using contact less. Apple Pay will not require pin.

[cruisemom42]

Contactless cards are probably the way to go for many US credit card holders traveling overseas. No pin required and can be used at unmanned kiosks (toll roads, parking garages, etc) in most cases.

 

Many credit card companies are now routinely issuing contactless cards when they update your expiring card. It may be worth asking about getting a new card if you are traveling soon.  More info here:

 

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/credit-cards/contactless-credit-cards/

 

At most places in Europe that I've traveled to since the chip-and-pin cards came out, you can still use a chip card, the terminals are all required to offer an option to print and sign receipt. The problem is that operators sometimes aren't aware of how to make that happen....

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, cruisemom42 said:

Many credit card companies are now routinely issuing contactless cards when they update your expiring card. It may be worth asking about getting a new card if you are traveling soon.  More info here:

I use my Apple Watch for all my contactless transactions and have been for years, all my credit cards are in my Apple Wallet but over the past two years as my credit cards expired the new cards were contactless. All my cards are now contactless. I think many Americans don’t know they have contactless cards since when I am at stores they are still inserting them. At the grocery store a lady customer was having a problem with her chip card and the cashier took it and tapped it and the transaction went through. The lady customer was dumbfounded.  

[trixiee]

How do you tip your drivers or tour guides? Specifically in Norway, Iceland and Greenland?

[hallasm]

1 hour ago, trixiee said:

How do you tip your drivers or tour guides? Specifically in Norway, Iceland and Greenland?

Tips are not expected - tips are included in the price of the tour.
Tour guides, and drivers are paid a decent salary.

 

Edited June 11, 2023 by hallasm

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, trixiee said:

How do you tip your drivers or tour guides? Specifically in Norway, Iceland and Greenland?

In Iceland drivers and tour guides will accept US dollars. That is what we did. We tipped every driver $5 and every tour guide $10 but feel free to not tip them or tip more. Restaurants there is no tipping. 

[ljandgb]

In the last two trips I've taken there, totaling 13 days, I've needed cash twice - both for 100ISK toilets.  I had gotten about $30 worth of ISK at the airport ATM when we arrived this last trip, last month.  I came back with almost all of it, as my plan was to spend any remaining cash at the airport and we did not have time.