Taiwan
TaiwanMoney
EasyCard, cash habits, and where foreign cards stop.
Do you need cash in Taiwan?
Some. Convenience stores and chains take cards, but night markets and small kitchens run on cash — and on the transit card.
Can you get a tax refund on shopping?
Yes: spend NT$2,000 in one day at one store carrying the Taiwan Tax Refund label, then claim at the airport before you check your bags.
How do I change money, and what about leftover cash?
Change at designated banks or your hotel — and keep the receipt. Without it you cannot convert leftover NT dollars back before you fly home.
Can I pay for things with the transit card?
Yes — up to NT$1,500 in a single purchase and NT$3,000 in a day at shops that take it. Those ceilings do not apply to government fees, medical and school payments, parking, or anything counted as transport, so the card is capped as a wallet and uncapped as a ticket.
Why does everyone here keep their receipts?
Because the receipt is a lottery ticket. Winning numbers are drawn on the 25th of every odd-numbered month, the special prize is NT$10,000,000 and the smallest is NT$200, and you have three months from the sixth of the following month to claim. A passport works as identification, so visitors are not excluded from any of it.