Card payments in Lebanon are accepted in most international hotels, upscale restaurants and in large shopping malls with luxury boutiques, especially in Beirut and Tripoli.

In smaller cities and local Lebanese villages, card payments are much less widely accepted.

If you are going to pay by card in Lebanon: Be aware of currency conversion fees for card payments in Lebanon: Your bank’s LBP to GBP exchange rate may be dramatically bad. This is how banks make money. Before using your bank card for payments in the Middle East, it’s certainly a good idea to contact your bank. This will avoid your card becoming blocked due to international transactions that your bank may find suspicious.

Yes. Lebanon’s economy is very much cash-based. You’ll need Lebanese Pounds in cash for your every day purchases in Lebanon.

Cash is the only payment method accepted by most taxi drivers, tour guides, street vendors, market salesmen and vendors in Beirut’s souks, such as Souk El Akel and the spice market in Marash street.

The cost of living in Lebanon is not very different to the cost of living in the UK: Prices in Lebanon are on average 5% lower than prices in the UK.

For a coffee in a cafe in Beirut, expect to pay around £5000 LBP. A three-course meal in a mid-range restaurant will cost in the area of £50,000 LBP per person.

When eating out in Lebanon, a service charge of 10% to 15% may be added to the bill.

In restaurants that don’t have a service charge added to the bill, tourists are normally expected to leave a tip of around 10% to 15%, paid in cash, either in Lebanese Pounds or in US dollars.