đŸ‡±đŸ‡§ Monzo in Lebanon [Wiki]

Monzo Chat Travelling with Monzo
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This is a wiki crowdsourced by the Monzo Community to help you travel with Monzo.

Just like Wikipedia, anyone can edit it to help out others. If you have any tips or feedback for visiting Lebanon with Monzo, please feel free to edit this guide. You can also add a comment or question below — someone will then incorporate your comment into the main text below and then delete your comment. To create your own “Monzo in 
” guide if one doesn’t already exist, just copy this template into a new post and write away!

Safe travels! :wave: :airplane:

Currency

Lebanon uses the Lebanese Pound (often abbreviated to LL).

Monzo users pay the Mastercard exchange rate with no added fees.

Change is relatively rare so whenever possible, try to break your bigger notes into smaller notes — this is much easier in large department stores and international chains.

Card usage

Debit card readers are relatively common in Lebanon, especially in the capital Beirut. Most upscale restaurants and bars will allow you to pay by card — but always opt to pay in Lebanese Pounds rather than US Dollars when asked. Outside of Beirut, you should always carry cash as card readers are much rarer. Contactless is very rare.

ATMs

Most ATMs in Lebanon seem to support Monzo cards, although some banks will charge an additional fee to withdraw cash (Byblos Bank). ATMs are common throughout the country and any mid-sized town has at least one.

There are ATMs in the arrivals hall at Beirut Airport that support Monzo cards, so you do not need to exchange cash in advance.

Payment and withdrawal limits

All Monzo cards have some payment and withdrawal limits. To check yours before you leave, tap on the manage card icon and then tap on Spending and card limits.

Crowdsourced merchant data

As a less popular tourist destination than many countries, the Monzo merchant data is often incorrect (eg. the map shows the wrong location or the name of the place is not correct). Please submit improvements to this data so it can get better for future visitors.

Miscellaneous

Car rental places tend to want a credit card for the deposit. Some negotiating can often smooth this over though.

To edit this guide, just tap the pencil icon below. Alternatively, add a reply with your comments and someone from the community will incorporate your suggestions into the guide and then delete your comment.

5 Likes
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Just came back from Lebanon. Cash machines are relatively easy to find, and more modern restaurants and shops will take card (where my Monzo worked perfectly well every time). But cash is still king out there, so be ready to draw larger amounts to keep you going from ATMs.

Didn’t try all the banks
but several charged for withdrawal (up to £5). The only bank where my Monzo was refused was BLC Bank, so avoid them!

1 Like
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Hi @edgreav,

I’m going out to Lebanon in the next few weeks? How did you find it?

What’s your recommendations for cash / card? I was hoping to try and get by just by using my card and withdrawing a couple hundred pound in Livre.

Thanks,
Matt

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Has anyone used their Monzo in Lebanon. Going in a few months and want to double check there’s no issues. There’s a pretty extensive card network in the main cities, so wondering if anyone’s got any feedback on it?

Thankkkks!!

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Hi @mattrichardson

I’ve moved your post here to keep the discussion all in one place. Hopefully you shouldn’t have too many issues reading the above.

Hope you enjoy your trip!

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Thanks @Jackcrwhitney

Noticed there was a Lebanon thread a looooong way day the forum!!

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Hi Matt,

In the bigger and more touristy towns cash machines and card machines in shops/restaurants were relatively prevalent, but you should be prepared to draw cash to survive on in smaller places. It was pretty affordable most places, but I went a year ago so it depends how different the value of the pound is now!

Lebanon is an amazing country, where are you planning on going when you’re there?

Ed

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Been in Lebanon for a week or so now and it’s been brilliant and easy to use my Monzo.

Cash is definitely still king here and my top tip is to break your notes down into the green 1000 pound / livre.

They are essential when travelling on a ‘servis’ or in a taxi, and many shops hate having to break anything down from a 50,000 note. Another tip is to withdraw 90,000 from an ATM so that it gives you some smaller notes. I’ve gone into the bank after withdrawing and they’re more than happy to change the notes down to whatever you want.

When using an ATM, I’ve found the the SGBL ( SociĂ©tĂ© GĂ©nĂ©rale de Banque au Liban) bank doesn’t charge for withdrawals. The ATM at the airport wanted to charge a ÂŁ5 withdrawal fee.

My last tip for travelling is to save your 30 mins of free wireless at the airport until you are through passport and baggage and get an Uber into town. As soon as your in town you’ll find one of the banks and be able to withdraw cash easily enough.

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Hi everyone.
I’m traveling to Lebanon in few days and that’s the first time I use Monzo card over there. any tips? any idea which banks do not charge for withdrawals? also, what if the ATM swallowed the card? anyone encountered such an incidence in Lebanon? thanks

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Hey. :wave:

I’ve moved your thread over to the main Lebanon thread.

Hopefully there’s some information here to help you out.

Safe travels!

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Really good acceptance in shops. But the only ATM I tried was Bankmed which wanted to charge 7,500LL ($5) to withdraw.

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Just returned from Lebanon. Monzo card worked well in the couple of places I tried it. With regards to cash withdrawal:

  • airport ATM charges ÂŁ5 per withdrawal
  • SGBL bank mentioned earlier now charges a ÂŁ5 withdrawal fee
  • Fransabank and Audi Bank don’t charge withdrawal fees
yet


Hope this helps!