Can you travel Singapore without using cash?

Can you travel in Singapore without using cash?

When I went to Singapore for 3 days, I only had about 30 SGD with me. I was operating under the assumption that I can survive without the need to pay with cash. Upon landing, it suddenly dawned on me that I could have assumed wrongly, and I got a bit nervous. However, thankfully and surprisingly, at the end of that short trip, I still got to have a spare of 8 SGD with me.

Hence, to quickly answer your question, you can definitely travel in Singapore without using cash, and I'll be sharing more about that in this post.

Marina Bay Sands Hotel in the heart of Singapore

Transportation

Almost 100% of the residents, including tourists, are no longer paying cash for bus and/or trains. They have this value card that they use to navigate around the city. Fortunately, for tourists, we have the option to just use our Visa/Mastercard, either a debit or a credit card. Hence, you will be able to tour around the cities without any cash. 

Do you need to register the card prior to tapping it on the bus/train?

No. There is no need for you to register your credit/debit card. You can just straight up tap it upon entry and exit. However, you CAN register your card, so that you get to view history of your trips.

Singapore's famous Kaya Toast - delicious!

Food

A huge percent of food establishments, with the exception of some hawker-style stalls, is already cashless. Hence, you will be able to pay with the use of your debit or credit cards. The only caveat here is that if you want to save more from just sticking with smaller hawker-style establishments, you will need to have cash with you. Otherwise, just swipe away!

TL:DR - Bring cash if you plan to go to hakwer! 

Accommodation

It's very common for us to book in advance, so we usually do not have to worry about this when reach Singapore. However, for those who are booking on-the-go, most hotels accept credit and debit cards, so you won't have to worry about that as well.

Water World Show - something you don't want to miss when you go to Universal Studios Singapore

Activities

For us Filipinos, we have the convenience of booking most common tourist attractions, such as Universal Studios Singapore (USS), in Klook, and hence by doing so, we avoid the need for cash transactions. Also, in the case of USS, there are kiosks just outside the entrance which you may use to purchase tickets, and you may conveniently use your cards to pay. 

By the way, if you still don't have a Klook account, feel free to use my sign-up link for an additional P250 promo code.

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