Ok..

Just to clarify so you didn't found the workaround to "东亚银行DCC"?

No, I haven't. I'll go try when the place is less busy.

I got dcc'ed in Taiwan 2 days ago.
Though this was not my first dcc, this was (or could be) my first time acting correctly after I thought I finally understand dcc. :o

However, after I chose the local currency, the pending transaction in my bank still showed the same amount of dcc'ed USD (1256 USD), instead of 1202USD (after visa exchange rate).

Is that normal?
The card is no FTF.
And the receipt did show I chose the local currency NTD.
Sight... I thought I finally know how to handle dcc...
I might need to dispute the difference. :(

You won't really know until the transaction posts. Pending transactions often have the dcc amount listed but then post correctly.

A computer-printed X comes out as NTD in my experience. The Taiwanese are not that non-compliant.

DCC transactions may hold for home currency amount but eventually post in local currency (Taj Exotica Maldives in the wiki).

This is expected behavior. You're completely fine and have not been hit with DCC. A check next to NTD shows your currency choice was respected. Pending transactions always show the DCC amount, but the transaction will post using the Visa exchange rate.

I have used my cards extensively in Taiwan and have seen every variation possible. I've been able to dodge DCC every time without issue. Taiwan is not China and is DCC compliant.

Brief reports from a few places I visited in December/January:

Singapore: no problems except in one small self-service restaurant. The owner insisted that he hadn't chosen DCC and I'm happy to believe that he didn't do so knowingly, as he spent 20 minutes on the phone getting the transaction reversed while we ate.

Malaysia: no problems once I remembered to specify Ringgit when handing over my card.

Taiwan: one restaurant charge went through in USD despite my choice of TWD being clear. I disputed the difference (approx. 5 USD) and Chase credited my account within minutes.

S. Korea: a supermarket terminal gave me a clear choice, complete with coloured flags, and a tiny restaurant processed my payment in Won without any questions (and without a signature).^

Can you give more information here? The signed receipt and your customer copy indicated [X] NTD printed thermally by the printer (not simply you checking the box yourself?

Can you name and shame the restaurant? I can investigate during my next trip. This behavior is contrary to what I've experienced in the past over dozens of DCC transactions from many acquirerers.

No: I was wrong to compare my case to dddscy's and have gone back and edited my post. In my case I checked the TWD box manually (and told my server that I was doing so), but did not receive a fresh customer copy. (The 'draft' receipt included the phrase "no signature required".)

I won't "name and shame" the restaurant: dinner was wonderful and I am not accusing them of deliberately attempting to rip us off. It seems more likely that the cashier made a mistake (or was on autopilot and selected the option most often chosen by foreigners?).

But that's what DCC is, it is them attempting to rip you off. We have articulated there is no common case where it is advantageous for the cardholder to be DCCed. Them refusing your preference on the quote slip is also nothing else if not a deliberate attempt to rip you off (if they really cared about settling the transactions in cardholder currency, they would have.)

Obviously, nobody can force you to name the restaurant, but I think that you are giving them too much credit. DCC doesn't just accidentally happen, it is something that the restaurant management chose to sign up for and chose not to adequately train their personnel to deal with.

It seems that we perceive "them" differently. DCC is first and foremost about the card processor trying to rip me off.

If the merchant is a major hotel or a duty free shop I'll join you in assuming the worst: someone in management has knowingly chosen to 'offer' DCC. If it's a small business, though, I'm far more inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt. Small business owners don't typically have a lot of scope for negotiating terms with their bankers (or many other suppliers).

Eh, I dunno. DCC appears to be generally sold to merchants as "you get half the markup and so do we", which would make my ire at least equally targeted to each party :)

No need to disclose the merchant (restaurant) but can you disclose the acquirer (bank/processor)? I wonder is it Global Payments (I have some history getting involuntarily opted into DCC with them in Taiwan) or another acquirer.

Generally in Taiwan the acquirer is disclosed on the card slip.

This is why I'm not inclined to give the merchant the benefit of the doubt. Admittedly, there have been a few cases where owners have been unknowingly hitting their customers with DCC, but these cases are rare. If there were no financial benefit to the end merchants offering DCC, it would be easier to give them the benefit of the doubt. I've been in non tourist places and local shops in Taiwan and those stores that do take credit cards rarely have DCC. DCC is primarily encountered at large department stores or chain restaurants. This leads me to believe that DCC is not universal, even among DCC-prone acquirers.

Of course: Global Payments, as you suspected. FX rate: Visa + 5.45%.

In several different countries I've encountered DCC at retailers and restaurants both large and small. My experience, including watching the reaction of several smaller merchants when I explain what their bank just did (and also often watching them go to considerable lengths to make things right again) leaves me confident that many of them are unwitting partners in the DCC crime. (There will of course also be some greedy exceptions.)

I observe something similar when talking to small restaurant owners in the town where I live. They are often severely challenged by aspects of running a business that they never really anticipated or planned for, including the costs of accepting card payments. They can typically tell you what they paid (or pay on a recurring basis) to get a POS terminal, and what percentage of card sales is creamed off by their processor, but that's all. They are often not aware that they might be able to get a better deal with a different processor (if they're prepared to swallow termination fees and buy/rent a new terminal). They are even less likely to be aware that their 'choice' of processor might make a difference to some of their customers.