You mean the Visa chip card has problems in Japan?

My was OK this trip for 3 days, totaling about 10 chip transactions and 20 swipe transactions. Of course it was in Tokyo.

Interestingly Japan has a lower CC acceptance rate than Korea (to me). Majority of the people still carry tons of coins. Of course we needed some too, when buying bottled drinks and ordering ramen :)

I am about to throw the slips I have from Japan to trash bin. Man this CC sales slip from JR Narita looks nice...

It's just a slip... But it's got JR engravings all over the train ticket-like slip.

I finished my last transaction in Taiwan with a successful DCC opt out - the receipt printed as SALE OPT_O with [X]NTD box checked - and headed to Hong Kong. Both percysmith and I will be meeting at Greyhound Cafe tomorrow to try to obtain a DCC free sales slip. However, I have had a couple of transactions, and DCC showed up on the first two transactions.

First Transaction - DFS HKIA (DCC - Successful Opt-Out)

Terminal Type: Euronet

My wife collects the DFS exclusive boxes of Godiva chocolate, and she wanted the Hong Kong box. I got to test out the DCC functionality that percysmith was curious about a month ago:

I'm happy to report that it was very easy to opt out of DCC. I specified HKD upfront, and the woman directed me to the signature pad. While there was a box around the USA flag and showing the exchange rate on the right-hand side, the left-hand side had the HK flag and amount of HK$270.00 clearly denominated. I pressed the HK flag, and the receipt printed without me having to sign for the transaction:

http://i.imgur.com/8p6qTrqm.jpg

The receipt printed free of any DCC verbiage, and the pending transaction amount on my Chase Sapphire Preferred account is $34.82. This matches the Visa rate exactly:

270.00 HKD x 0.128963 USD/HKD = 34.82 USD

The bottom line is that with the payment terminals used at DFS, it's easy to select between the two currencies - always choose the flag that isn't yours! - and the pending transaction amount is the non-DCC amount.

If all transactions with DCC were this hassle free for me, I'd have few problems. I still think the fact that the machine places the DCC option to the right probably gets more people to select it by default, but that's just a guess. I'm fine if people pay for their ignorance (or stubborn behavior) as long as I can opt out of DCC while continuing my educational campaign.

Second Transaction - HSBC ATM (DCC Free)

Terminal Type: HSBC ATM

There was no DCC offer, and I withdrew HK$3000. The pending transaction amount on Fidelity of $386.89 matches the Visa rate:

3000 HKD x 0.128963 USD/HKD = 386.89 USD

I avoid Travelex ATMs because I know they like to offer DCC and make it seem like it's the end of the world if you don't accept their rate. I'm glad to know the World's Local Bank has confined its DCC practices to POS transactions, at least for now.

Third Transaction - MTR Airport Station Manned Counter (DCC - Successful(?) Opt-Out)

Terminal Type: Citibank

Thanks to percysmith for the suggestion of getting pair of tickets to qualify for the group rate! After standing in line for quite awhile I ordered the tickets and handed over my Chase Sapphire Preferred. It was a Citibank terminal, and I noticed a tent card off to the side saying something to the effect of paying in your own currency. :eek::eek::eek::eek: The lady had already inserted the card and I quickly blurted, "Charge HKD please!!" This was the first time I have encountered DCC in mass transit. I understand hotels, department stores, restaurants (mostly upscale ones), and the occasional souvenir shop, but this was a first. I got a thermal paper signature slip with the tick boxes, so I ticked HKD and signed. I got this final receipt that doesn't contain DCC verbiage and is denominated in HKD, so I think I'm fine:

http://i.imgur.com/lUfGKFZm.jpg

The HK$160 transaction is pending with Chase as $21.50. I used the Visa rate to calculate what the transaction should have been:

160 HKD x 0.128963 USD/HKD = 20.63 USD

it would appear that the DCC markup is 4.2%:

20.63 USD * 1.042 = 21.50 USD

In absolute terms, this is $0.87, so it's not a big problem if DCC actually happens. I will still, however, fight this on principle, but I expect Chase to issue a courtesy credit if I can get someone knowledgeable with Reason Code 76 chargebacks.

Fourth Transaction - Courtyard Hong Kong Check-in (DCC Free)

Terminal Type: Bank of China (Hong Kong) :eek:

I requested HKD to which the front desk clerk said that it would be settled upon checkout. Not wanting to mess anything up with earning Marriott Rewards points, I reluctantly handed over my Marriott Rewards Visa (Chase). I saw her key in the amount of HK$12000. So my surprise, when I checked my online account, the pending authorization hold of $1547.56 matches the Visa rate exactly:

12000 HKD x 0.128963 USD/HKD = 1547.56 USD

I wasn't hit with DCC at this hotel three years ago - I can't say the same for the Venetian Macau across the harbor - so I assumed it wasn't automatic at this hotel.

Third slip - is identical to a normal local slip I will sign, so I can guarantee that's not DCC.

I purchased a lot of MTR Airport Express tickets on MTR's website. Haven't run into DCC there...

Perfect. I assumed a customer copy denominated in HKD without DCC verbiage would be DCC free. Thanks for confirming. ^

As I said, I was surprised since I've never seen DCC offered on transportation before.

MTR AEL terminal - I think since it's DCC-enabled I think it's hard coded to hold in DCC rates. But it respects your eventual choice to be billed in HKD.

I got a little bit of good news regarding the DCCing of my hotel bill at the Regal HKG Airport Hotel. I wrote the front desk manager, complaining about being DCCed without my consent, especially after explicitly telling the front desk clerk NOT to charge my CC in USD, but in HKD (I never got a CC signature slip w/ the check boxes, just a hotel bill/invoice A4 printout in HKD). He apologized & stated that refunding me the $4.24 (33 HKD) DCC overcharge would be complicated, so he offered me a room upgrade & executive lounge access on my next stay there.

Good for you :cool:

But I do remember someone on this forum received similar treatment before, probably in Germany?

Yes, I got a similar treatment from the Frankfurt Marriott after being hit with DCC. The general manager offered to refund the approximately €5 of DCC or give 1000 Marriott Rewards points. Even valuating at less than 1¢/point it was a no brainer to take the points.

Fellow FlyerTalk member percysmith and I ate at Greyhound Cafe tonight, and we were unable to dodge DCC. A post will follow...

We've just been.

After 2 hours of banter and four dishes we decided to get the bill.

I explained to the waitress in Cantonese that my friend (Majuki; should be cxua but it's not obvious from his redacted card slip) had a problem with the card charge last time and whilst we are not asking for any compensation we would like to see how the charge is made. She said she will fetch the manager.

The manager arrived shortly after and I explained the problem. He showed us to the card terminal and attempted to charge Majuki's CSP. I admit I had the better view of the terminal so I will describe what I saw.

1. Manager puts card into chip reader slot of card terminal
2. Terminal displays "Connecting" in English and Chinese and counts down from about 40
3. For about *2* seconds, the display shows "Enquiry" in English (and some Chinese characters I can't see as I was peeking beside the manager in the very cramped cashier's closet). In the centre of the bottom edge I see "Opt" but there is no button directly corresponding to the button.
4. Once it times out, the countdown continues
5. The carbon DCC slip is printed out with the tick boxes .

The manager then voids the slip. The USD amount is shown as credited.

I asked the manager to repeat once, but press cancel in (3). He duly did, the countdown contined but the result (and the void) is still the same.

Majuki then asked if there is any post-transaction input he can make. The manager confirmed no.

I then asked the manager:
"Who is the acquirer? Global Payments?"
"Not that"
"BoC"
"Not that either"
"Do you mind if I ask who it is?"
"HSBC"

I thanked the manager and presented my HSBC HK Plat Visa for payment. He voided majuki's second slip and charged mine.

I confirmed HSBC cannot be an acquirer so when an merchant says his acquirer is HSBC he meant Global Payments (confirmed here http://www.visa-asia.com/ap/hk/en_US...ingbanks.shtml) - probably HSBC handles all post-acquisition remittance to the merchants so they are not aware of Global Payments' role at all.

I also think Greyhound is not to blame in all this. The manager is profesional, apologetic for the previous DCC and co-operative even though he did not invite us to solve his DCC problem (unlike moondog's 蛇口 restaurant).

I await majuki's redacted photos of his CSP slips. I will also send a PM to both majuki and cxua.

First, thank you for the recap and explaining the situation to the manager. I wouldn't have been able to negotiate the situation without your help. I do think the manager was being accommodating, but there was really nothing that could be done, so we had the manager void both transactions.

Here are the two charge attempts and corresponding void slips:

http://i.imgur.com/ZYh0eaQm.jpg

I checked my online account, and the void charges are there too:

http://i.imgur.com/PsoFYbzm.jpg

The DCC markup is 4.2% above the Visa rate. So our 565.00 HKD transaction was quoted with a DCC amount 75.92 USD. Using the October 11th Visa rate the, the charge should have been 72.86 USD, so the difference was 3.06 USD. We made the executive decision to have percysmith make the charge in his card denominated in HKD. I hope cxua can pursue a successful chargeback and that Chase follows through, but I have my doubts that they will with such a small difference.

Some data points from HK:

Respected my DCC choice:
Marks & Spencer (All Branches)
La Rotisserie
Others that don't come to mind right now.

Did not respect my DCC choice:
Ajisan Ramen
El Taco Loco

Overall DCC is not that high in HK from my experiences. Say around 10%. Of those only a few were problems. Though I must say I was surprised at the one time I had to use a MC in Shenzhen I thought I would have to chargeback but it processed correctly.

Did these establishments use the carbon copy paper like above?

Also, can someone comment on whether or not 7/11 in HK uses DCC? Would they balk at a small credit card purchase? I've been using an Octopus card, but I'd rather charge if I know it's safe from DCC.

I used my US Visa card at 7/11 several times in HK and never got DCCed. They also let me use it for small purchases w/ no problems.