What forms of payment can I use in Virunga National park?
What forms of payment can I use in Virunga National park? You have several choices of paying for your safari or trip to Virunga national park in DR Congo.
Yes, payments can be made with debit or credit cards through an online booking system of Virunga national park to secure your gorilla trekking permits and accommodation reservation. However, if you are already in the park, you can make payments for services with cash, although Only United States Dollars (USD) are accepted. Travelers opting for this mode of payment must ensure that the notes are clean, not damaged/torn, and not older than 2009 because banks in DR Congo don’t accept currency notes printed prior to this date; they reject notes even with a slight tear.
If you are worried and prefer using a credit card for extra services at the lodge while in Virunga national park, feel free to get in touch with one of the staff to clear your bill without any hustle.
What forms of payment can I use to book a safari with a tour operator to Virunga National park?
In most cases, travel agencies have booking policies and to secure a tour to Virunga national park with them, a down payment to cater for a gorilla permit, and Nyiragongo volcano permit is required. The down payment may also cater for hotel reservations which is usually about 30% of the total safari price.
The final payment for Virunga national park safari is made 30 days prior to the starting date of your Safari. Below are forms of payment travelers can use to book a safari with a tour operator to Virunga National park;
Bank to Bank Wire Transfer: Payments can be made through Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) however, the transfer takes about 3 to 5 working days for money to reflect on the tour operator’s account. In most cases, transfer charges are born by the sender but this is subject to the company policies. Seek clarifications from the company you are using for your tour to Virunga.
Credit or Debit Card payment using Pesapal: Pesapal provides a simple, safe and secure way for travelers to make safari payments in Uganda and the East African region. This is almost similar to using PayPal to make transactions.
Here is how Pesapal works for a Safari Payment; travel agencies will send you a Pesapal link whereby you have to open it and pay online. Travel companies do not receive credit card information but are notified when the payment is made.
Travelers also receive a notification once payment is successful. However, Pesapal charges 3.5% surcharge on every transaction though lower than the 5% or more charged in most East African countries for using credit cards.
Methods to avoid using for a safari payment
You can make safe and secure payments for your Virunga national park safari and tour using any of the above-mentioned methods however try as hard as you can to avoid transferring money on personnel bank accounts, MoneyGram, use of Western Union, Skrill (MoneyBookers), Payza, cryptocurrencies, PerfectMoney among others that we haven’t recommended. Many scammers use such payment platforms to process their payments therefore, always think twice before making any transactions through them unless you are very sure of the safari company you are dealing with.
