Some places charge for using a card. Quite a few shops and restaurants add a card fee – usually about 20 rupees (roughly 30p). Not the end of the world, but worth knowing if you’re planning to use your card a lot.
ATMs can sting you. If you need to take out money while you’re there, try to find a Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB) ATM – they don’t charge local fees. Other machines often do, so it’s worth keeping an eye out.
VAT-free shopping’s a thing. You’ll see signs in some shops offering VAT refunds. Sometimes you collect the item at the airport, or you can get the tax back when you leave – just make sure to get the form stamped before going through security. The refund desk is after security, and they’ll pay you in cash (minus a small fee).
Bottom line: Mauritius is amazing, but it’s not quite a tap-and-go kind of place yet. Take more cash than you think you’ll need – it’ll make life a lot easier.
I had a great trip and hope you do to
Mark – co founder Besttravelmoney.com
Mark helped bring contactless payments to the UK and got Visa cards working on the Tube. These days, he splits his time between travel money, community banking, and cheering on Southend United (mostly in hope, not expectation)
Over the past 30 days, the pound has weakened against the Mauritian Rupee. The best Mauritian Rupee rate fell by 0.32%, from 59.8103 on 15 October 2026 to 59.6189 on 13 November 2026.
This means £1 buys less Mauritian Rupee today than it did at the start of the period.
On a £750 purchase, you would receive about Rs44,714.18 today, around Rs143.55 less than on 15 October 2026.
Mauritian Rupee rates moved around during the month, ranging from 59.4672 on 11 November to 60.0295 on 5 November. That shows why checking live rates before you buy can make a real difference.
Last refreshed at 12:00 on 13 November 2026.