We went to a total of three resorts.

The first two hotels have crappy billing systems. Angsana Ihuru presented a very confusing bill and only after leaving did I realise they overcharged me for board. Banyan Tree Vabbinfuru charged me for individual meals as well as board at the same time and I had to spend 20 minutes with them arguing they had to be taken out.

But no DCC problems - their card terminals are fine. They used a local bank. The amounts were posted correctly in USD (their native currency) on my Citi HK online banking.

As I checked into the third resort, the Taj Exotica, I noticed they had a Global Payments card terminal. I thought I will be shafted at checkout.

The stay was good enough for me to forget the thought. We weren't given late checkout on last day but my flight was at 22:35, but we played so much we barely had 15 minutes to checkout before the 20:00 boat transfer to airport.

The bill was correct for once. I handed my card, saying very distinctively and slowly "charge U-S dollars please"

The cashier handed me a slip to sign. I frowned.



"You selected USD right?"
"Yes sir"
I ticked the box, signed and photoed the hell out of it and signed. I was further worried when the cashier gave me a cardholder receipt with two unticked boxes.

"Are you sure this is USD?"
"Yes sir, if you want HKD, I have to press a button after."

She even offered me her name for the record and I sat down. I was not comfortable at all (given Citibank has a HK$2/mile promo for non-HKD spending but denies all points and passes on 0.8% FTF for DCC, not to mention the 2.4% scalp Global Payments is trying to rob). I couldn't help calling HK and asking how much credit was held. To my horror it was HK$12,409.42 (a USD charge should be held at the HKD-USD currency peg rate of 7.76 x USD amount or approx $11,886.23, with the amount being grossed up by 1.95% FCF when posted)

I stormed back to the desk and asked to void. She said she will fix it in the "back office" a bit later. When I said there is no such thing she went to the back office and grabbed her supervisor. Then she sent someone to stop the boat that's meant to take us away.

The supervisor voided the slip, which showed Global Payments indeed had went ahead and charged me in HKD.

He proceeded to charge me a second time. I adopted the Global Payment stomach over counter posture again. I saw the following:

1. Supervisor keys in amount
2. Cardholder receipt printed
3. Card terminal prompts "Print next receipt?" --> Supervisor presses no (presumably his junior pressed yes here)
4. USD and HKD choices offered. He selects USD.
5. USD selected and cardholder receipt printed (confusingly, identical to DCCed transaction above)

He also prints off the "Merchant Courtesy Copy", which shows USD only.



I decided to sign (I had a USD card but that practically earned no miles), photo (had to use my missus's iPhone as my own decided to hang at this point) and we run off to the boat. I had kept two other couples waiting.


I was feeling pretty good until my flight landed in HK - I flipped on my phone and got connected to Citi before my flight reached its parking bay. Dammit, HK$12,409.42 is being held again.

Maybe the terminal holds credit at DCC rate and posts according to cardholder selection (not yet), but I've had Citi send me a dispute form (getting Citi's fax server to fax you a form takes half a day...) cos I don't have a good feeling about this.

Even if the terminal eventually posts correctly, Global Payments deserves a large sharp piece of coral shoved up its anus for this. By default, the terminal will DCC unless you answer the illogical answer ("No") to a deceptively worded question ("Print next receipt?").

I think the staff's reaction was reasonable but Taj Exotica deserves to be named and shamed for signing up for DCC (and a non-compliant one at that).