In general, you can pay with credit cards almost everywhere in the country. Most hotels, restaurants and petrol (US: gas) stations will accept this form of payment. However, smaller shops usually only accept cash. The following credit cards are generally accepted: Eurocard, JCB, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Diners Club.
Cheques are not commonly used in Hungary. Nevertheless you can cash your cheques at any bank. It is possible to check this bank service on the internet. Travellers Cheques are accepted by banks, bureaux de change and numerous shops. It's recommended to buy Travellers Cheques in Euro or US Dollars.
Transferring & Receiving Money
- Postal cheques: you can pay your bills by postal cheque in every post office. Post offices are open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. In addition, all post offices (more than 3,200 branches) offer cash facilities for Visa, Visa Electron, MasterCard, Maestro Cards, Eurocheques and American Express cards.
- Bank Transfer: you can transfer money at every bank in person, or if you do not have the time, you can use online banking which allows you to make transfers across the Internet. Commission for domestic bank transfers is around: HUF 2,000 - 4,000. Commission for foreign transfers is around: min. €5 – max. €500 depending on your bank and size of the transaction.
Transfers within the European Union
The main advantage of this method of payment is that you're charged the same fees as with domestic bank transfers for amounts up to €50,000. In order to being able to make such a transaction you need the IBAN (International Bank Account Number) and BIC (Bank Identifier Code) of the beneficiary. Online banking can also be used for Euro bank transfers.