Amidst a growing controversy on social media, Viazul, the interprovincial transport service for international travelers in Cuba, justified why it only accepts payments in euros (EUR) and through international cards and e-wallets, completely excluding US dollars (USD) or cards MLC.
The controversy arose recently when users reported that, when trying to purchase tickets, the system only allowed payments in euros through platforms such as VISA, MasterCard, American Express, PayPal, GooglePay, Among others.
This also happened with attempts to pay in cash—no dollars (USD), only euros—on Cuba's Viazul, the only company dedicated to tourist transportation in the country.
According to Viazul, this policy responds to the need to attract hard currency to sustain the service's operations, but excluding the US dollar. Something that's incomprehensible.
"Viazul is a service aimed at the foreign sector. Its objective is to raise the foreign currency needed to maintain the vital vehicle fleet through direct purchases and payments in these currencies to suppliers of buses and their components," the company stated on its official website.
How can I currently pay with Viazul in Cuba? Euros, cards, or cash?
The company clarified that Payments in US dollars are not accepted, not even through cards associated with accounts in MLC.
The The only payment methods available are cards and international e-wallets. such as VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Maestro, Union Pay, JCB, Discover, Diners, virtual cards, Bizum, PayPal and GooglePay.
"Fees are in EUR, and you must select EUR on our platform when paying. However, your bank will apply the exchange rate based on the currency of the card you are using during the payment process. We only accept international cards and e-wallets: VISA, MasterCard, American Express, Maestro, UnionPay, JCB, Discover, Diners, Virtual, Bizun, PayPal, and Google Pay," they stated.
Viazul justified the decision by explaining that the use of virtual currencies such as MLC (Freely Convertible Currency) would involve national processes with intermediaries, which makes the service more expensive and affects its profitability.
"If cards were accepted MLC or Classic, the company could not opt for this variant,” the company added.
In addition, they pointed out that the Cuban citizens residing they have access to the system of National Buses, which offers "more opportunities and is heavily subsidized by the state." What do you think about this?
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2 comments
National buses offer very poor service, not to mention the endless lines to buy a ticket, and when they can't, they're overpriced.
What's the point of having an opinion in Cuba? Please, they'll keep doing whatever they want. There's no compensation or competition. It's a monopoly of ineptitude with the eternal justification of the "blockade."