There was no DCC using the Travelex ATMs at LHR T3 to withdraw GBP back in May. Rates were the Visa rates.

Something's wrong. They definitely are supposed to offer DCC: http://www.travelex-corporate.com/EN/What_we_do/ATMs/

Schwab debit card as well or another card?

I would dispute it. In those situations, I just offer to pay cash instead.

It was a Fidelity Cash Management Account Visa debit card, so it's a similar but different data point. Now, I didn't actually try to draw Euros from the ATM, only GBP, so I don't know if the ATM would have tried some multi currency conversion obfuscation with EUR or have used the Visa rate as well.

My last trip was on the day of the BA IT meltdown, so I was running from T5 to catch another flight from T3. I didn't have time to test some corner cases like known DCC establishments with Android Pay. I was getting some GBP for my parents.

I also used a Travelex ATM landside in T5 without DCC in May 2016 and didn't experience DCC. In fact, the only DCC I encountered was at Grosvenor House and the LHR Marriott, and both places offered an easy, no pressure opt out.

My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I believe DCC was offered during my November 2011 trip at a Travelex ATM in T3.

Initially I was thinking that it was something with how the Schwab debit card's programmed that's preventing DCC from happening but now I'm wondering if my theory about them not bothering for small amounts is correct. I don't want to pull out £100+ to confirm though, especially since I may have a difficult time spending all of it before leaving.

Unless, of course, you did pull out a lot during the previous trip and it still didn't ask. In that case, I have no idea why.

I withdrew £300 in May, and I didn't see a DCC prompt. (I would have recorded the transaction if there were one for this thread.) Also, I doubt there is a threshold at which DCC kicks in. It will either be present or absent.

Huh. From the Marriott app when I tried to do mobile check-in earlier:

https://imgur.com/yr9WlfMl.png

It's a bit weird that the alternate currency is EUR and not USD (and I'm also not sure this is DCC per se due to this). I presume there's no benefit in choosing one or the other if the card isn't denominated in either currency, right?

Schwab debit card does NOT prevent DCC. I’ve seen it offered at some ATMs.

It does indicate DCC preference, and Marriott properties in the UK all have DCC. (I've been hit before.) It's been awhile since I've seen the prompt, however. As a best practice, I preauth the room with an AmEx and then settle the bill with the card of choice. For Marriott properties, this is the SPG AmEx, so no card change is currently required. Before the merger, I would switch to the Chase Marriott card upon check out.

That makes the choice of alternate currency even more confusing. I would have thought that Marriott would know that I'm using a USD card by my online profile if nothing else. Maybe they just assume that most people staying there are from the EU?

I don't remember it listing the currency code, but it's been awhile. I think it simply gave the options between local currency and card currency without specifying the denomination.

Tesco's ATMs apparently do DCC too (5% markup). :rolleyes: At least the opt-out option is fairly obvious.

Marriott, meanwhile, hasn't placed a hold on my card yet even after picking up my key. Maybe that gets taken care of at checkout.

Even more weirdly, the second Marriott property I'm staying at this trip actually mentioned "card currency" as the other option during mobile check-in. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Oh well, choosing GBP anyway.

I was in Prague a few weeks ago, at a small Vietnamese cafe (part of a chain, apparently). I paid with credit card (of course) and was surprised to see DCC was applied - the printed receipt said "I was offered the option to pay in local currency but I chose to pay in US dollars". I certainly did NOT have any opportunity to select either option, they just ran it as DCC without asking. The staff there (just a couple kids) claimed total ignorance, I explained what DCC was, pointed to the receipt which incorrectly stated that I was offered a choice, and told them I didn't appreciate them stealing from me. They professed surprise and claimed the register system was new, I know nothing, the boss isn't around, etc.

This was at a cheap semi-fast food place, our total bill was around 20 Euro (even with the sneaky DCC slipped in) and the DCC gouge was probably less than 2 Euro...so I didn't make a big stink over it, although it did piss me off and I did give them a short lecture. They promised to take it up with the manager the next day. Yeah, sure. I let it go.