The Republic of Ireland uses euros, but Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom, uses sterling and may require a UK visa or Electronic Travel Authorisation even when you cross by land. Cards and contactless payment are widely accepted, yet a physical card, PIN and modest euro cash remain sensible backups. Core Dublin public transport still relies on a physical Leap Card or operator-specific tickets because general bank-card tapping is planned for 2028. Taxi apps dispatch licensed taxis rather than ordinary private cars. Compare the displayed fare and separate app fees, and remember that every taxi must accept cash and card. If driving, keep left, confirm how the rental company handles tolls and pay any self-managed M50 toll through eFlow by 8pm the following day. Save tickets and accommodation details offline, check Met Éireann warnings before exposed trips, and call 112 or 999 in an emergency.
A short-stay visitor does not need an Ireland-specific payment app.
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted, including contactless card and phone-wallet payments, but American Express is less dependable. Bring a physical card with a known PIN, a second card on another network or account, and modest euro cash for a small rural business, market, ferry, parking machine or temporary terminal outage. A business can be card-only if that condition is made clear before the transaction, so cash is a backup rather than a universal right at the till. Revolut is extremely common among residents, but that does not make opening it an arrival task.
Eligibility, identity checks, card delivery and plan fees depend on the traveler's home country and account. Wise has the same limitation. Either can be useful when the traveler already has a suitable account, but neither is required to pay Irish merchants. At a terminal or ATM, choose euros and reject an offer to convert the amount into your home currency.
That conversion normally uses the operator's rate rather than your card issuer's. Prefer a bank-linked ATM in a secure location, read every disclosed fee and withdrawal amount before approval, and do not assume a particular Irish bank will never charge a foreign card. Your own bank can also apply foreign exchange or cash-advance fees. The Republic uses euros.
Northern Ireland uses pounds sterling, so crossing the border changes the local billing currency even though there is no routine land-border payment checkpoint.
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Guac eSIM covers Ireland with plans from $0.58 per GB. Install it before you land and activate instantly.
How to Pay in Ireland