In 2026, the vast majority of taxis in major Portuguese cities like Lisbon, Porto, and Faro do accept credit cards, but it is not yet a universal guarantee. By law, most taxis are required to have electronic payment terminals, but drivers occasionally claim their machine is "broken" or only accept "Multibanco" (a local Portuguese card system) rather than international Visa or Mastercard. To avoid issues, it is best to ask "Aceita cartão?" (Do you accept cards?) before you get into the vehicle. If you want a guaranteed cashless experience, using ride-sharing apps like Uber or Bolt is highly recommended in Portugal, as these handle all payments through the app. For traditional street-hailed taxis, carrying around €10–€20 in cash as a backup is a wise travel habit, especially for short trips or in more rural areas where card infrastructure is less reliable. Most airport taxi queues now feature signage indicating that digital payments are accepted, and the "Free Now" app is another great way to hail official taxis with integrated card payments.