Originally Posted by
islandguy84
The primary issue is that most places don’t give you the reader, the staff keep hold of it while you tap your card from the back. It’s a bit sad that the ease of contactless makes DCC easier... As such, with contactless you often can’t see the prompts on the screen or even if you can see it they quickly take it away once they hear the beep.
If contactless transactions are not immune to DCC - in some places contactless is successful in preventing DCC - is it possible to insert the card for a chip-and-signature transaction? If so, you have the ability to deface the receipt or refuse to sign unless the merchant voids and does the transaction again without DCC.
I wouldn't worry about the hotel. You may well be 'offered' DCC, but as long as you make it clear you want to pay in EUR the staff are unlikely to try and trick you. If for some reason the transaction goes awry, someone -- the receptionist you're dealing with or their manager -- will know how to void the transaction...
Disputing a charge and getting it voided is typically harder in a busy restaurant/bar environment (and doesn't become easier if you've had a glass or two of wine). For a dollar or two, with friends waiting, I'm not going to make a massive fuss -- just make my position clear, take my printed receipts and dispute the mark-up later.
To put the above in context: I've used a USD Visa card almost 30 times since arriving in Portugal and only had three DCC issues. One was a hurried server, one was me misreading the second DCC question, one was a hotel receptionist pushing buttons while dreaming. Of the three, one was voided immediately. Chase instantly refunded my DCC loss on the second and I'll dispute the third once it moves from "pending".
I understand that there is more likely to be recourse at a hotel in the case of default, inadvertent, or attempted forced DCC. It's a more controlled environment than a busy restaurant or cafe. However, the situation I often find myself in Europe is checking out in the early morning for a transatlantic flight home. I'm often in a rush to leave and perhaps haven't had the opportunity to get a full night's rest.
Thanks for the data points and the number of transactions. Knowing that there might be two DCC prompts can help out, and, unlike
islandguy84, I am not embarrassed at all to hold onto the terminal until the transaction completes. There have been too many cases of forced DCC to give any place the benefit of the doubt. I particularly like the waiters who were joking around with me and having a great conversation suddenly feigning ignorance or, in some cases, seemingly forgetting the English language entirely upon questioning a transaction with DCC. They know what they're doing. I respond with a 0% gratuity (when they're all expecting a hefty tip based upon my North American accent).