How to Pay in Cambodia: Riel, Dollars, Cards and QR Explained

Most travelers land in Cambodia expecting to fumble with an unfamiliar currency. The reality is easier. The country has its own official currency, the Khmer riel, alongside the widely accepted US dollar, and a growing number of places — from hotel restaurants to fruit stalls at the market — just want you to scan a QR code. Here's how money actually works on the ground, and how to use it in a way that's simple for you and good for the places you visit.

The four ways to pay

In practice, you'll use one of four methods, often switching between them in a single day.

• Khmer riel. The riel is Cambodia's official national currency. The rough rate to remember is 1 USD ≈ 4,000 riel. It's used for everyday amounts and comes back as change whenever you pay in dollars.
• US dollars. The dollar is also widely accepted and works for most everyday spending. Carry clean, untorn notes — worn or damaged bills are sometimes refused.
• Credit and debit cards. Cards work in hotels, larger restaurants and bigger shops. They're less reliable at small local spots, markets and street stalls.
• QR payment by phone. Scan, pay, done. This has become the default way to pay across the country, and it can settle in riel just as easily as in dollars.

Start with the riel — it's the local currency

It's easy to lean on dollars as a visitor, but the riel is the currency the country runs on, and the National Bank of Cambodia has been actively encouraging its everyday use. Paying in riel is straightforward: the 1 USD ≈ 4,000 riel rate makes the maths simple, and small notes are perfect for street food, tuk-tuks, markets and tips.

A practical habit: when you pay in dollars and get riel as change, keep it and spend it rather than treating it as a souvenir. It saves you breaking another note later, and it's the easiest way to support the local currency as you go. Riel is best for smaller, day-to-day spending; for a large hotel bill or a card terminal, dollars and QR both still have their place.

US dollars: still useful, especially on arrival

Dollars remain handy, particularly for your first day, for taxis and for anywhere that prefers cash. Keep your notes in good condition — torn or heavily worn bills can be turned down. Think of dollars as a useful backup rather than your only plan: a modest amount covers arrival and emergencies, while riel and QR handle most of the rest.

Why QR is now the easiest option

QR payment has quietly become the most common method in Cambodia. You'll see the small printed code stands on café counters, restaurant tables, shop tills and market stalls alike — places where a card machine would never appear. Over 3.3 million merchants now accept QR payments, which makes it more widely usable than credit cards. Better still, it works in riel, so you can pay in the local currency without handling cash at all.

The appeal is obvious once you try it: no notes to count, no change to wait for, no card terminal that may or may not work. You open your app, scan the code, confirm the amount and you're done.

Setting up QR payments as a traveler

The practical question is which app to use. The Bakong system connects Cambodia's banks and payment apps, and there's a Bakong Tourist app designed for visitors so you don't need a local bank account. Setup takes only a few minutes, and once it's linked you can pay with your phone the same way locals do — including in riel.

If you bank with one of the larger Cambodian banks, their own apps also scan the same codes. Either way, the experience is the same on the merchant's side: one code, scanned from your phone.

A simple plan for your trip

You don't need to choose just one method. The easiest approach: keep small riel for street food, markets, tuk-tuks and tips; carry a modest amount of US dollars for arrival and anywhere that prefers cash; and set up a QR app for everything else. That mix covers a market lunch, a tuk-tuk ride and a hotel bill without any friction.

A few things worth keeping in mind:

• Spend the riel you receive as change — it's the local currency, and it keeps your wallet simple.
• Keep your dollar notes clean and untorn.
• Have a backup. Card and QR both depend on a connection, so a little cash is always useful.

Want to understand the money itself?

If you're curious about how Cambodia's currency and financial system came to be, the SOSORO Museum in Phnom Penh is a good stop. It's an easy, well-presented way to add some context to the riel and the codes you'll be using on your trip.

Explore more travel tips and places we like on The Map Cambodia.