Ghana Currency and Money Guide

The single most useful thing to know about money in Ghana is that you will be paying in cedis. Not dollars. Travelers who arrive assuming US currency is widely accepted spend their first day discovering otherwise, and the reason is legal rather than cultural.

The Ghana cedi

Ghana’s currency is the Ghana cedi, currency code GHS, usually written with the ¸ symbol and divided into 100 pesewas. It replaced the Ghanaian pound in July 1965 and is issued solely by the Bank of Ghana, which is the only institution entitled to issue or redeem cedi notes and coins.

We deliberately publish no exchange rate on this page. The cedi moves, any figure written into an evergreen guide is wrong within weeks, and a stale rate is worse than none. Check a live rate close to travel; the Bank of Ghana publishes daily interbank rates.

Why you cannot simply pay in dollars

This is a legal point, not a preference. Under the Foreign Exchange Act, 2006 (Act 723), no resident of Ghana may price, advertise, invoice, receive or make payment in a foreign currency for goods or services without a license or authorization from the Bank of Ghana. A vendor who declines your dollars is complying with the law.

You will still find dollars quoted in parts of the tourism trade. Treat that as the exception it is, and expect to settle in cedis in markets, in taxis, at craft stalls and with guides.

Cash, cards and mobile money

Cash is still king for day-to-day spending. Markets, street food, taxis, tipping, community projects and small craft sellers are cash transactions.

Cards are accepted at hotels, larger restaurants, supermarkets and established tour operators in Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast — and much less reliably outside them. Visa is more widely accepted than Mastercard; American Express rarely. Never rely on a card as your only means of payment, and always carry enough cash to get through a day without one.

Mobile money is the way most Ghanaians actually pay, and it is far more ubiquitous than card terminals. It runs through the mobile networks and normally requires a local SIM and registration, so it is more practical on a longer stay than on a two-week trip. If you buy a local SIM on arrival anyway — and you should — ask your guide whether registering for mobile money is worth it for your itinerary.

ATMs

• Use ATMs inside bank branches, hotels or shopping centers, in daylight.
• Withdrawal limits per transaction are lower than many visitors expect; plan on several withdrawals rather than one large one.
• If offered a choice, decline conversion to your home currency at the machine. Dynamic currency conversion is almost always the worse rate.
• Machines run out of cash, particularly at weekends and around public holidays. Do not leave your last withdrawal to the last moment.
• Take your card and your cash and step away before counting anything.

Changing money

Use licensed forex bureaux or banks, which display their rates. Bureaux generally offer better rates than hotels. Bring clean, undamaged, recent notes — worn or older-series foreign notes are often refused or discounted. Count what you receive before you leave the counter, and keep the receipt.

Do not change money in the street. Beyond the obvious risk, unlicensed dealing is precisely what the foreign exchange rules prohibit.

Tipping

Tipping is customary and genuinely appreciated, without being rigidly codified.

• Guides and drivers: the largest and most expected. Tip in cash, in cedis, at the end of the service or the trip.
• Restaurants: check whether service has been added; if not, rounding up or about 10% is normal in tourist-facing places.
• Hotel staff: small amounts for porters and housekeeping.
• Site guides at the castles and museums: customary, and worth carrying small notes for specifically.

On a group tour, ask your operator what is already covered before you travel — it avoids both under-tipping and paying twice.

Markets and small vendors

Bargaining is normal in markets and with craft sellers, and not in supermarkets, hotels or restaurants. Two money-specific habits make it go well: carry small notes, because a trader who cannot change a large note loses the sale, and agree the price before the goods change hands. The etiquette side of this is covered in Ghana culture and etiquette.

Avoiding the common problems

• A blocked card. Tell your bank your dates and destinations. Carry a second card from a different issuer, stored separately.
• Everything in one place. Split cash and cards across two locations, and leave what you do not need that day in the hotel safe.
• Relying on cards outside the cities. Draw cash before you leave Accra or Kumasi for the coast or the north.
• Damaged or old foreign notes. Bring clean, recent notes for exchange.
• Assuming ATMs will be working. Build a buffer, especially before a weekend or a public holiday.
• Dynamic currency conversion. Always pay and withdraw in cedis.

Budgeting for personal spending

On an organized journey your major costs — accommodation, internal transport, guided visits — are settled in advance, so what you are budgeting for is discretionary: meals not included, drinks, souvenirs and craft, tips, optional excursions, and contributions at community sites. Ghana is not an expensive destination by international standards, but the coastal craft trade is very good and most people spend more on it than they planned.

Carry a mix: enough cedis for a few days at a time, a card for hotels and larger restaurants, and a reserve you do not intend to touch.

Paying for a group tour

For the Echoes of Africa Tour 2027, the package price, deposit and payment schedule are handled through the booking process in advance, so nothing about the tour itself depends on you carrying cash into Ghana. What you carry is for personal spending. To see what the package covers before you budget the rest, review the trip options and inclusions on the tour page.

Common questions