Prerequisites for Tourists
Cards
1. Types of Cards Accepted in Bhutan:
- All MasterCard cards
- All Visa cards
- All American Express cards
- All Japan Credit Bureau cards
- All Union Pay cards
- All Rupay cards
- Apple pay wallets linked to cards – on POS
- Google pay wallets linked to cards – on POS only
2. Overview of Card Payment options in Bhutan
| Terminal Type | Accepted Card Type | Supported Transactions | Coverage | Transaction Limits | Velocity Limits | Charges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATM | ✓ EMV chip cards ✓ Magnetic stripe cards | ✓ Cash Withdrawal ✓ Balance enquiry ✓ PIN mandatory | 85 machines in strategic locations across Bhutan | Nu. 15,000 per withdrawal | Unlimited withdrawals | Nu. 315 per withdrawal |
| POS | ✓Contactless cards ✓ EMV chip cards ✓ Magnetic stripe cards | ✓ Card charged for purchases only. ✓ PIN not required | 600+ terminals at key merchants (hotels, restaurants, government agencies, etc.) | Nu. 1,000,000 per purchase | Unlimited purchases | 3.15% of transaction amount charged to merchant |
| Online payment gateway | Online payments with 3D security ver 2.2 and below | ✓ Online payments ✓ 3D security validation if available | 200+ merchants (Department of Immigration, airlines, hotels, etc.) | No transaction limit | Unlimited transactions | 3.675% of transaction amount charged to merchant |
3. Important information for international cardholders:
a. Decline Scenario 1: Your transaction was declined by your card issuer Bank’s Fraud Risk Systems.
| Card Issuer Bank Response | Standard Definitions | Probable Causes | Proposed Remedy/Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspected Fraud | The transaction failed a fraud rule in your issuer bank’s fraud detection system or Visa Real Time Decisioning (RTD)/Visa Risk Manager (VRM). | ✓ Frequent transactions in quick succession ✓ Deviations from your usual spending patterns ✓ High transaction value ✓ Unfamiliar merchant name ✓ Transaction from an unexpected country or region ✓ Others Fraud risk rules set by your issuer bank specific to your card or card type. | ✓ Contact Your Issuer Bank: • Inform your bank to anticipate transactions from Bhutan. • Verify the transaction and provide details if already declined. ✓ Update Fraud Rules: • Adjust and update fraud detection settings to anticipate transactions from Bhutan. ✓ Check International Settings: • Confirm your card is activated for international use. • Request activation if needed and inform the bank of any travel plans. |
| Do Not Honor | Payment refused by your card issuer bank for un-defined reasons | ||
| Invalid transaction | Transaction is temporarily or permanently restricted by your issuer bank. | ||
| Issuer Blocked due to security reasons | Your card issuer suspects this payment to be fraudulent. |
b. Decline Scenario 2 – your transaction was declined by your bank for business reasons:
| Card Issuer Bank Response | Standard Definitions | Possible Causes | Proposed Remedy/Prevention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transaction not permitted to terminal | The transaction is not permitted to the cardholder due to a condition set by the card issuer Bank | ✓ Customer cannot use credit card for this transaction. ✓ Transaction does not meet conditions set by issuer bank | ✓ Contact your card issuer bank and verify your card usage rules. ✓ Request for immediate assistance |
| Exceed amount Limit | Defined amount activity limit for the account is exceeded. | ✓ The issuer or acquirer settlement risk exposure cap has been exceeded. ✓ The issuer defined velocity/amount limit for Original Credit Transaction (OCT) has been exceeded | Contact your card issuer bank and request for an enhancement. |
| Invalid CVV2 | Declined for CVV2 failure. | Wrong CVV2 entered by customer for online transactions | Ensure the correct CVV2 number is used. |
| Invalid PIN | Declined for PIN verification failure | Wrong PIN entered for ATM withdrawals or POS transactions. | Ensure the correct PIN is used. |
| Trace Number not found | ✓ Used when the following conditions occur: • A card has been issued but not yet activated (may trigger alert to cardholder), or • The account is temporarily blocked for all transactions due a special condition (e.g., delinquency or cardholder request | ✓Deactivated Card ✓ Temporary authorization hold on card | Contact your card issuer bank to activate your card or remove the restrictions on your card. |
| Insufficient balance | Insufficient balance in card account | Insufficient credit or debit balance in your card | Ensure that your card has adequate limits for your transaction. |
| Expired card | Expired card used | Card is expired | Use a valid card |
| Pick up | Pick up card (no fraud) | The card account has been closed | Use an active card |
c. Alternative offered to Direct Card Payments
• SWIFT/ Wire Transfers
goBoB – The Digital Wallet
goBoB is a virtual wallet powered by Bank of Bhutan Limited. Tourists visiting Bhutan with a Bhutanese mobile number can sign up for goBoB. Users can store money for online transactions, such as phone recharges and merchant payments. CLICK HERE to know more.