Payment logistics

Money, Cards, and Cash in Sofia

The completed euro transition, which cards and ATMs actually work, when cash still matters, and tipping norms.

First Time in Sofia already establishes that Bulgaria uses the euro, not the lev. This page goes further into the actual payment logistics: what's left of the currency transition, which cards and ATMs work reliably, and when you genuinely need cash.

Start with the currency situation, since it's more settled than a lot of advice still online suggests, then use the card, ATM, and cash detail below to prepare properly.

Currency: Euro, fully, right now
Cards: Reliable for most spending
Cash: Still useful, not essential

Currency, settled

There's No Lev to Think About Right Now

Bulgaria's dual lev-euro cash circulation ran for exactly one month, 1 to 31 January 2026. Since 1 February 2026, the euro has been Bulgaria's sole legal currency. This isn't a soft caveat: there is no lev to budget for, exchange, or think about in everyday spending right now.

One nuance worth knowing: commercial banks and post offices were only required to exchange lev banknotes and coins for euro free of charge through 30 June 2026, a deadline that has already passed. If you somehow still have old lev cash, an ordinary bank branch may no longer take it for free. The Bulgarian National Bank itself, however, continues to exchange lev for euro free of charge with no deadline at all, so that option remains open indefinitely.

Cards and ATMs

Cards Work for Most Spending, With Real Exceptions

Cards are widely accepted for hotels, larger restaurants, supermarkets, and petrol stations, with reliable contactless and chip-and-PIN acceptance. Visa and Mastercard, including Maestro, are reliably accepted at ATMs across the country.

American Express is generally accepted too, but less consistently than Visa or Mastercard, so it's worth carrying a backup card rather than relying on Amex alone. JCB and RuPay acceptance in Bulgaria specifically isn't well documented in general travel-finance guidance either way, so treat that as a genuine information gap rather than a confirmed rejection: confirm before you rely on either network, or carry a backup.

Cash and tipping

Where Cash Still Matters, and Tipping

Cash still matters for small vendors and markets that may not take cards at all, so carrying some is genuinely useful, even though it's no longer strictly essential the way it once was. Around 10% at restaurants is a commonly cited tipping convention in Bulgaria, but it's a soft social norm, not an official rule or a fixed service charge.

What's changed

Pre-Ordering Currency Is No Longer Relevant

Pre-2026 advice commonly suggested ordering lev before your trip. That advice is now moot for Sofia specifically: the euro is already the currency most visitors are arriving with, and there's no separate local currency left to prepare in advance. If you see that suggestion online, treat it as outdated rather than something to act on.

Where to go next

Where to Go for Broader Trip Preparation

For the central first-trip currency fact-check this page adds payment-logistics depth to, see First Time in Sofia. For general advance-booking guidance, see What to Book Before Visiting Sofia. For arrival-transport payment considerations, see Sofia Airport to City Centre.

Before you travel

What's Worth Confirming Yourself

JCB and RuPay acceptance specifically, and any individual merchant's card policy, are worth confirming yourself before you rely on them.

This guide is built from research, not firsthand visits. Hello Sofia hasn't personally tested a Bulgarian ATM or paid with every card network, so treat it as a starting point rather than a review.

Staying accurate

How We Keep This Payment Guide Accurate

Nothing on this page is currently flagged as a source disagreement, but card-network acceptance and ATM fee practices can shift, so we treat them as worth a fresh check rather than assuming they hold indefinitely.

Return to First Time in Sofia, or plan ahead with What to Book Before Visiting Sofia.