Cash or card in Madrid — what do locals actually use?

Card is the default in Madrid now, and you can move through most of a normal day without touching cash. Contactless payment — tap your card or phone — is accepted at supermarkets, restaurants, cafés, Metro ticket machines, and most mid-range shops. The exceptions are small neighborhood bars (especially in working-class districts like Vallecas or Carabanchel), street markets such as El Rastro, some family-run tabernas in La Latina, and the occasional taxi driver who will claim the reader is broken. Keep roughly 20-30 euros on you for those situations. ATMs are plentiful; use ones attached to actual banks (CaixaBank, BBVA, Santander) rather than the standalone Euronet machines, which charge aggressive fees. Tipping remains mostly cash regardless of how you pay the bill. The Metro and EMT buses are fully card-compatible, so you will not need coins for transit. Think of cash as a backup rather than a primary tool.

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• Where do locals actually go for aperitivo in Madrid?
• Where do locals drink coffee in Madrid?
• What does a local breakfast look like in Madrid?
• Where is the street food in Madrid actually good?
• Where can I eat after midnight in Madrid?
• How do I get from the airport to the city in Madrid?