Grey area...but I think airlines do it (Ryanair in UK?)?

I'm with you on that. I don't like surcharges, but I can live with them as long as they're used to recover fees only. The reason I don't approve of DCC is the way it's implemented almost 100% of the time doesn't conform to the rules established by Visa and MasterCard. People don't understand that they're being ripped off, or there would be far more outrage. DCC rarely provides a better rate, and it doesn't avoid foreign transaction fees on cards. However, if merchants universally provided the exchange rate quote and allowed customers to choose freely each and every time, I would have less of a problem with DCC. (I'd still have a problem because most people would be ignorant of the exchange rate or think it's "cool" that they can pay in their home currency.)

Majuki - same. The vigilantism behind this thread owes much the underhandedness and cynicism behind these DCC perpatators' activities.

Plus that of Visa/MC Int'l (not care, boost merchant acceptance and turnover) and vested interests like the Chinese state (do nothing to curb non-compliance, boost their home-grown alternative)

Yeah it never was before (Harrod's is the only place I can ever remember it being offered and declining was easy) but for some reason I had got the impression it had became rampant over the last year or two. I used my Visa at H&M, Clarie's, and some bubble tea place all without DCC offered. I was surprised Claire's didn't take Amex. H&M I knew thanks to reclusive, but it is still strange. All my other credit purchases have been Amex. No DCC and according to reclusive - it is actually cheaper for the merchants.

A good analogy is the body scanner controversy in the US compared to Canada. Compare the way things are handled between the TSA in the US and CATSA in Canada. In the US, most airports use MMW scanners as a primary screening device to clear passengers. In Canada, use of the MMW is random and mostly in the transborder terminals for flights to the US to placate the US. Think of being selected for the body scanner as being confronted with DCC. In the US, the TSA rarely informs you of the option to opt out and receive a pat down. CATSA is required to disclose the options available to you and allow you to decide between using the body scanner and a pat down. In the US, many acquiesce to the body scanners and don't know that a pat down is an option. In Canada, the opt out rate tends to be higher. Furthermore, in the US there are sometimes comments TSOs make to discourage you from opting out. "It's going to take a really long time to find someone to do the pat down." "The pat down is invasive vs. this." It's similar to how some merchants/POS systems/ATMs make it seem like the world will end if you don't accept the DCC exchange rate. "Lock in the exchange rate of xxx/yyy right now. Warning! By declining this option you will be subject to an unknown exchange rate by the network processing the transaction, and we won't be able to help you!"

I would be able to live with DCC if all transactions were to abide by the following rules:

• Having the cashier inform the customer of the option to pay in local or the card's issued currency
• Showing the customer the offered exchange rate should the customer accept DCC
• Demonstrating to the customer the steps necessary to opt in to DCC (currently DCC is greatly biased toward an opt-out process and is usually the default option; with the "ideal" DCC I would have the default be to opt out)
• Confirming the currency choice to the customer
• Not trying to coerce or influence the customer into accepting DCC
• Handing the customer a final receipt that confirms the total amount and denomination charged (no quote slips or tick boxes allowed on the final receipt)

This way most people who don't know about DCC would probably not opt in. Those who really want to use DCC still have the option of doing so.

Well, AmEx doesn't support DCC - not yet anyway! - so your sample size is small with the Visa. Not having DCC at those merchants doesn't surprise me. I think the only places running the DCC scam in the UK are Harrods, Marriott properties, and some other high end stores. At Harrods it's easy to opt out. At Marriott it's like pulling teeth.

Actually if Apple can do it, wouldn't it be too hard for Visa and MC to certify the firmware used in each DCC processor's implementation and only accept DCC transactions from terminals with certified firmware?

An unauthorised firmware that always DCC should be banned from a system under such a system, just like MDM software stopping jailbreaks?

I think it is technically feasible. However, Visa and MC couldn't be arsed to do it I suspect - bad for their business. They just want the antitrust immunity whilst boosting their top line as much as possible - they don't give a rat's arse about the cardholders.

Claires doesn't take Amex in some stores but does in others here. It's a bit of a mystery but I'm guessing some of them are probably franchises.

I've never been to Marriotts in UK, and this July when I will be in London I will stay at the IC. Just being curious, how difficult it is to opt-out DCC at Marriott properties in UK? Is it even harder than China, where you have to inform the experienced front desk agent to press the cancel button?

I don't know enough about the payment protocol between the point of sale equipment and the acquirer, but even if it is technically feasible I suspect you're right about Visa and MC being reluctant to enforce proper DCC for the above reason. Think about how it used to be in the US where card issuers would build in the 1% interchange fee making things more nebulous. It took a lawsuit to stop that. Unfortunately DCC is rare enough in the US - I think there was one complaint in Florida about Avis - where we would need enough foreign cardholders getting ripped off here in order for there to be any movement. I believe it took a lawsuit in Taiwan as well before terminals there became compliant.

It's pretty bad from what I've read. I can't cite any recent FlyerTalk examples that I've found here, but I know it happens. For instance, it happened to me at the Frankfurt Marriott, and I was livid in my comments to the general manager of the hotel. Specify clearly at check-in that you want to be billed in pound sterling, watch any authorizations or receipts that you sign like a hawk, refuse to sign anything other than rates quoting GBP at check-in, and deface any receipts at check-out if they've been naughty and take photos of the defaced receipts. Finally try your best to get them to avoid DCC upon checkout with the knowledge that if they refuse you will be disputing the charge. When you get home, request a Reason Code 76 chargeback if you used Visa or Reason Code 4846 chargeback if you used a MasterCard.

Thanks. I do have a reservation at Renaissance Art de Triomphe. Will report back in the mid July.

As an aside, some issuers still do this. My Simple debit card didn't separately break out the 1% they pass on from Visa when I used it to buy a high-speed rail ticket in Taiwan (apparently my EasyCard would've been fine for non-reserved seating but I wanted a reserved seat and Taoyuan to Taipei isn't really all that much). Neither, apparently, does my Barclaycard Ring- I never see a separate foreign transaction fee for any of my international transactions.

Oh, I wasn't commenting about getting the reserved vs. non-reserved ticket. We always do reserved too, but in a pinch you can use the EasyCard if you don't want to wait for the next train. Even then the cadence is at most every 30 minutes, so you're not waiting too long. The Taiwan HSR stations are well equipped and not a bad place to spend some time getting a bite to eat. ^

I really thought all banks break out the 1% now? I guess that's not the case. I know that Fidelity stopped charging it because I compare a foreign withdrawal to the Visa exchange rate on the posting date of the transaction, and it matches exactly.

I would pay money for a wallet-sized booklet with instructions to the cashier on declining DCC in multiple countries and languages.

No use. In some countries (e.g. China), you just can't. Not even with the most helpful of cashiers and staff. The terminal is set to DCC even if you take it down to its components.

You don't need a Berlitz Phrasebook on "Please charge me in your local currency", you need a chip reprogramming handbook. And a solder iron.