If you’re arranging a trip to Doha, Qatar, it’s important to have a plan. Where are you going to stay? What souvenirs are you going to buy? How are you going to get from Point A to Point B? And maybe most importantly, how are you going to pay for all these things? Not as in how will you be able to afford it, but what actual currency or method of payment are you going to use?
Can Euros be used in Doha? The answer is yes you can use Euros in Doha, but it’s not a good idea. Your best option, since everything you buy in Doha will be presented in their currency, the Qatari Riyal (QAR), would be to exchange your currency either at the airport’s currency exchange station or you can use your debit card to extract QAR from any of the ATMs all around the city.
Many establishments nowadays also accept credit and debit cards, with Visa and Mastercard being the most popular, although some do also accept Cirrus, Diners Club, and American Express (AMEX), too.
What are the pros and cons of just sticking with Euros?
As mentioned before, there aren’t really many good reasons to stay with Euros while in Doha. If you exchange your euros to Qatari riyals and find yourself with some leftover riyals at the end of your trip you can always change them back to Euros on your way out. Or you can keep the coins/notes as an awesome souvenir.
Some cons that come to mind immediately are the unfavorable exchange rates, unnecessary math (math while on vacation is a big no-no for me), and some businesses only accept the local Qatari Riyals. Some credit and debit cards also charge a foreign exchange fees (you will need to check the terms of your particular cards), which essentially makes everything a little more expensive. You won’t usually notice this until you’re already back home and getting ready to pay your credit card bill (yikes!).
One big pro of dealing in riyals, especially if you’re a good negotiator, is that oftentimes you can score extra perks. Some hotels will give free room upgrades or discounted deals if you’re paying with their cash and especially at the local souqs (markets). Ultimately, it’s best to get QARs or use a credit/debit card that doesn’t have any foreign transaction fees. Dealing in terms of Qatari Riyals is really the best way to go if you’re spending any lengthy amount of time in Doha. If you’re only stopping for a layover for a few hours, you can get by just using your euros.
Any other words of wisdom or financial tips for my trip to Doha?
During my first trip to Doha, I made a huge mistake. It’s one that I will never make again, and hopefully I can help you avoid it, too. I forgot to inform my credit card companies that I had a trip abroad planned.
Upon arriving in Doha I found myself starving. After waiting in a huge line (with many people behind me) for some food, I stepped up, swiped my card and it declined. Now, I always pay my cards off 100% every month, so I know that the 25 QAR I was trying to pay for a burger (which is less than $10) was available on there. So, what did I do?
Well, I did what anyone would have done in that situation and hastily pulled out another card. I swiped it and same thing, declined. Now I’m thinking, what the heck!? At this point I begin hearing those behind me start getting impatient. Luckily, the third card I used, which was an AMEX, went through. When I finally walked away with my burger, I checked my mobile phone and found a couple of alerts from my credit cards.
It turns out they had blocked the transactions due to fraud protection. Well, duh, they didn’t know I was out in another country. Looking back, I’m glad they have that protection in place, but c’mon it was less than $10. I immediately called both card companies, while I was scarfing down my burger, and had the block lifted and let them know about my trip so that there wouldn’t be any further disruption.
Moral of the story
You should always let your card companies know if you’re planning a trip. This doesn’t only apply for trips out of the country, but any trip. Sometimes, depending on how “protective” your card company is, even using the card in another city can set off red flags in their system. A lot of the popular credit cards allow you to set this up online or even on their app with just a few simple taps.
I wish I had known/remembered to do this one thing before leaving. It would have helped avoid an embarrassing (and stressful) situation at the start of my otherwise wonderful vacation.
