Keep Your Cards In Your Wallet

Paying in Albania   by Davidi

I handed the hotel clerk my MasterCard, and waited for the usual response.  She bit her lip.  "Our machine isn't working," she said.  "Perhaps I should come back in an hour," I replied.  She hesitated.  "Maybe it will work next week."  I pulled out some cash, and gave her two 5,000 Lek notes. She hesitated again.  "I will find someplace which has change."

I carry credit cards with me at all times, but I haven't used them in Albania in months.  We now live in a "cash economy."  Most places do not accept credit cards, and those that do often need a manager to confirm the transaction.  And I've never written anyone a check outside the Embassy, or seen any Albanian accept one from anyone else.  We are careful to have cash with us at all times.  After payday, I bring a pile of cash home from the Embassy that makes me feel like a mobster.

And speaking of criminals, the cash economy makes it awfully hard for prosecutors to trace money or to enforce tax laws.   In the United States, a prosecutor can often look at credit and debit card bills and determine where someone has been, what they ate, where they stayed, and even where they parked their car.  No such luck here.

The great thing about Albanian money, which is called "Lek," is the exchange rate.  Since we arrived, one Lek has equalled one US cent.  A 1,000 Lek note is $10.  A 5,000 note is $50 etc.  For a guy who is "math challenged," this is a great relief.  It is also a relief that 10% is considered a good tip.  That's easy, too.  What isn't easy is financial transactions with older Albanians.

It seems that people at open air markets (there are many) post prices sometimes in "old Lek," the prior currency under communism.  Old Lek and new Lek prices are different by a factor of 10.  You can end up expecting to pay 100, and owing 1,000.  The problem is exacerbated by the language barrier, which is most acute with older citizens.

The great thing about using cash in Albania is that, after the first week, we had learned that we never have to count our change.  No one has cheated us.  People rarely cheat each other, and no one would dare short-change a guest in the country, much less an American.  The ancient law of Albania, the Kanun, provided harsh penalties for the worst of all sins -- dishonoring a guest.  We are honored daily.