In those limited circumstances when you are permitted to purchase your tickets onboard, you may pay with cash. Customers boarding at unstaffed stations can buy tickets with their credit card on Amtrak.com or on the Amtrak app prior to boarding.

In 2026, the ability to pay cash on trains has become increasingly rare as global rail networks move toward digital-first and contactless systems. In many European countries, such as Sweden and the Netherlands, cash is virtually no longer accepted on board or even at some station kiosks. In the UK, while you can still use cash at staffed ticket windows in larger stations, many "on-board" staff are now "cashless," and several train operating companies have removed cash-accepting vending machines. However, in countries like Germany and Japan, cash remains a high-value backup; most Japanese ticket machines and many German "DB" kiosks still accept physical currency. A peer-to-peer essential for 2026: always have a contactless credit card or a digital wallet (Apple/Google Pay) ready. Even in regions where cash is "accepted," you are often blocked from purchasing the cheapest "Advance" or "Mobile-only" fares if you don't use a digital payment method, making cash a more expensive and less convenient way to travel the modern rails.