Most common payment methods in Bulgaria

Number 1 is the debit card (credit cards aren't popular here). Number 2 is cash (for small payments*) when dealing with small transactions/private sellers.

Bigger transactions, as everyone knows/should know - ie €5,000 and over - are illegal if they're made any way other than by bank transfer.

@Cheryl

Despite people saying they have to take card, even for larger purchases we have to use cash. As soon as you’re out of the cities you need cash.

it’s caught us out a couple of times.

There's no requirement for traders to accept cards if they prefer cash, subject to the restriction on €5,000 transactions*. However they must have a system connected to НАП and must issue the buyer with a fiscal receipt (фискален бон) regardless of the method of payment.

*For clarity, I should mention that it is permissible to pay for a purchase over the €5,000 limit with a credit/debit card, as there is a fiscal receipt issued by the card company; the limit applies to cash transactions only.

Hello everyone,

Thanks everyone for sharing all these details! This kind of information can be really helpful for newcomers.

Keep sharing your experiences!😉

Cheers,

Cheryl

@Cheryl

EasyPay/Epay is great for your household bills.

Debit cards are widely accepted now, though four years ago when I first bought my house here, I was asked to pay cash for a 9000 leva purchase of building materials! It was all above board, with a fully itemized invoice. The small town builders merchants just didn't accept cards at all then. They do now. Even our village shop now has a cards sign in the window, though I always pay cash there and many small shops and cafes are still cash only. I've found buses and taxis are still always cash, apart from in the bigger cities.

Epay is wonderful for online household bills like council tax, electricity, and water. Set it up once for each bill, all that's needed is the  account number, and they email when a bill needs paying.