Thanks for the follow up, Happy. For the package from Chase with all of the notes from the acquirer, it seems like Chase contested the charge. What was the reason given for contesting? Were they pursuing a Reason Code 76 chargeback (incorrect currency transaction code), or was there other language?

It certainly is possible to rerun the transaction in local currency, so what the Chase rep told you was incorrect. In fact, there have been a couple of cases in the past of Chase doing exactly that. Regardless, you weren't out any money on this one, and I'm glad you pursued the chargeback even if the outcome is less than ideal. Perhaps with enough complaints from customers and chargebacks to the acquirers the issuers and acquirers will take some action.

As far as this transaction goes, Chase issued a courtesy credit, so Chase ate the loss. The acquirer is the one who makes out well here, but certainly the chargeback inconvenienced them. From the merchant's perspective, it doesn't matter whether your charge was in dirhams or dollars. They're getting paid in dirhams. The only thing they potentially stand to lose by a chargeback and rerunning in local currency is whatever their cut is for performing DCC. Usually the acquirer and merchant split the profits on the spread between the DCC offer and the real exchange rate.

Tell you the truth, I dont care what Chase rep told me is correct or incorrect. The bottom line is, it costs Chase far more to do this rebill thing, then just simply issues a credit for the difference if the dispute is handled over the phone instead of doing the "formal" dispute of the whole thing by reversal and rebill.

Someone has already said it in this thread - it is ALWAYS the US Banks absorb the losses caused by DCC disputes.

At the end, Chase actually gives me $40 credit for the trouble I caused them, while the Acquirer totally got away from this. I should pay $47.10 had the merchant did not DCC.

Remember, I was not going to dispute this $2.35 difference, but decided to do it "for the team" so we at least learned something HOW the US bank would handle such a dispute.

Honestly I do not have patience to read thru 11 pages of the information on the transaction - 5 pages are Transaction Details, 6 pages are Visa Resolve Online. The Acquirer's brief note did mention Code 76. So indeed Chase used the code to "contest" the charge.

Below is what the Acquirer Certificate says - I am typing this as exactly what it says

Dear Issuer.
Your raised dispute under RC 76 Incorrect currency
Your Centre raised for full amount of USD49.45 whereas the charged amount was AED173.00 which is equivalent to USD47.10 only (USD49.45-USD47.10) having a difference of USD2.35.
We are willing to accept the difference amount of USDf2.35.
Please raise pre-arbitration for USD2.35.

Not always. Fellow poster cxua had a successful reason code 76 chargeback about 2 years ago with Chase. Chase did do the correct thing in this case as well, as evidence by the reason code 76 below. So, at the very least, the acquirer was inconvenienced by having to respond to the chargeback.

What likely happened here is that the acquirer balked at the chargeback, Chase took the matter to arbitration, and then the acquirer offered the above difference. The acquirers are the ones who initiate the problem, and many merchants are complicit when it comes to DCC likely because they're getting a cut.

I have successfully reason code 76 chargeback twice with Chase with two different merchants who forced DCC. I followed the detailed charge back instructions written by Majuki or Percysmith (can't remember)

In both cases, the amount was under 10 dollars difference but that wasn't the point.

Chase wiped off a $1000+ charge when a hotel gave me a receipt in Yuan and charged me in dollars. I did not have to resort to verbal gymnastics. Just showed them the evidence and away went the charge.

Chase asked the Acquirer to rebill, if it followed my request. How it actually is handled, is not my business and not my interest to find out.

Totally agree. Just tell Chase what happened. However Chase handled it, it is NOT worth the time and energy to find out.

In your case, the Chinese hotel / acquirer probably never contests the chargeback from Chase. Once the window to contest the chargeback is passed, the merchant/acquirer has to take the chargeback.

In my case, the merchant NEVER gives me an option to choose the currency. Not even a slip to sign so I could deface it. All I got was a slip that had AED173 AND USD49.45, despite I told them to bill in AED when handed the waiter the CC.
The merchant/acquirer contested the dispute. There is no date on the Acquirer Certificate. So no idea when the Contest happened, nor how the process Chase had gone thru to chargeback.

The only thing known to me is, Chase eventually absorbs $40 of the dispute while the amount of dispute is only $2.35 in all reality.

Why Chase decides not to rebill a $47.10 after it has already issued a $49.45 temporary credit is beyond me.

A day after the final follow up call from Chase, I saw my available credit was reduced by $9.45. That was on Thursday afternoon. However, instead of seeing $9.45 adjustment charge, the available credit no longer reflects the $9.45. So the account is back to the state after Chase issued the temporary credit - the full $49.45 is reversed immediately after the filing of dispute.

I just hope that little $9.45 would show up before we leave on a long trip next Wed. I want to pay everything on the CSR before the statement closes on Apr 24 because we would be on a cruise during the next 16 days, and may not have secured internet access even after the cruise when we travel thru Eastern Europe. New charges after Apr 24 would be fine as we would be home shortly after the May 24 statement close. But I really dont want to log in Chase to pay bill when we are on the road in Eastern Europe!

Just pay it now and if it doesn't show up I'm sure you'll find a way to spend an extra $9.45 in the next billing cycle ;)

Chase website would NOT let me pay an amount above what is currently outstanding, including any pending. It grayed out the statement balance because it was already paid. It wont let me put in an amount that is more than the total of currently posted plus pending. :rolleyes:

I recall being able to "transfer" an arbitrary amount from my checking/savings to my credit card account at any point, but it does require that you have a checking/savings with them. But you should still be able to send a check, no?

I got DCCed by STA Travel UK last month. I did a booking over the phone, paying part of my Contiki tour (in GBP) by reciting the credit card numbers. Two days later, when the charges posted, they were much higher than I expected so I requested the merchant to show me the credit card receipts. As I expected, I got DCCed! The prevailing rate was 1 GBP = 1.25 USD and the receipt noted 1 GBP = 1.29xx USD hence a 3% commission fee. It was irritating considering that STA Travel already impose a 2% fee for credit card payments (which I agreed to).

I complained as I never agreed to the DCC amount. The travel agent who processed my payment had no idea she ran the transaction in USD instead of GBP so I told her that I wanted to speak to her manager. In the end, they offered to refund the amount I was overcharged. As I still had an outstanding payment due, I requested the amount I was overcharged to be deducted from my outstanding balance.

Unfortunately, the training provided in using credit card terminals in the UK is generally quite poor, especially at small businesses or franchises. I regularly find staff in smaller businesses have no idea what to do when prompted with anything unusual (e.g. DCC, declined payments, referrals, cards without chips).

Don't get me started on how my dentist made me driving a 12-miles round trip through the city centre to make a payment because they had no idea how to process a request for authorisation over the phone.

Ironically, right at the bottom of STA Travel's website, they discourage DCC:
http://www.statravel.co.uk/cashcard-topup.htm

The saga continues.

Yesterday I did what you said and transferred an amount slightly more than covering both a pending dining charge AND the Net $9.45 I was told by the Chase CSR, from my Chase checking account. It did allow me to do it. So I thought it finally ends.

NOPE! This morning I checked Chase one more time before heading out to the cruise terminal later. I found my Available Credit was reduced but there was no pending billing to show that. After some reconciliation (due to the payment would have resulted a small credit but now I actually "owe".), I found that the full $49.45 IS now being "rebilled" as the Available Credit Limit is reduced by the Net of $49.45 + the overage credit resulted by the overpayment yesterday.

The $40 credit promised by the CSR IS NOT included in the Available Credit.

Last Thursday I saw the Available Credit was affected by a NET of $9.45. Now it is affected by a $49.45.

Since I bought TLL-HEL ferry tickets this morning at 44 euro, I went ahead transferring $100 from the checking account to cover both the $49.45 and the ferry tickets which I am not sure it would be treated as Travel until it is billed. (Still have lust under $50 travel credit to use for 2017).

Now I will not have internet access or at least affordable access from this afternoon thru May 1st the first port of call on the mainland. Satellite internet on the ship is ultra slow and ultra expensive at $070 per minute...

What a STUPID thing to do by going thru the full blown RC 76 dispute for a $2.35 difference. I would just write it off to begin with but the obsession of some posters here got to me and I foolish to do this "for the team" even though I am skeptical on the worthiness of such. Turns out my original hunch is right. It is totally NOT worth it.

It has caused tons of work for Chase and tons of time to follow up from me. Totally NOT worth the trouble. A very simple phone call on the DCC difference without all this gymnastic would be a much quicker resolution. In any case, it is the US Banks absorb the scam charge. Those who think that going thru the formal dispute process would make things better in the future, you are living in a pipe dream.

Can Chase reverse credit card refunds into check account? I don't have US banking experience but in HK this can be arranged for incoming credit card refunds.

Seeing a big uptick in DCC in Hong Kong in the past 4 or 5 months particularly at restaurants (Mak Mak, Beef & Liberty & Big Fernand). Always try to stress to staff to please process in Hong Kong Dollars and they almost always say:
1) Yes, sure, we always do (but of course it goes through with DCC added)
2) There’s not choice on the terminal

Had success disputing with Chase but it’s a lot of paperwork, postcards & voicemails from India (very hard to call back).

Thanks for the report. Were these locations previously not offering DCC and now do? Or have they changed their acquirer where they allowed opting out and now do not?

In Hong Kong, especially with the carbon copy receipts, you have good evidence for filing a chargeback. I also request a courtesy copy or reprint. It will show whether or not you're safe:

http://i.imgur.com/qe7nCttm.jpg

In the case of DCC, you can request that the merchant void the transaction and retry to see if there is a facility for opting out or with another card.

Now I am really furious, PayPal has started DCC!

This is not new, sadly. They've done it for many years.

It has always been possible to opt out, though. After some further investigation it turns out that the default setting for my cards have been changed from "Charge in currency of seller's invoice" to "Paypal conversion to Card's home currency" without my knowledge or notification. :mad:

I urge everyone to log in to their PayPal account and check the status of their cards wrt currency conversion.

About 10 days ago my Paypal account for recurring payments on MasterCard had suddenly changed from seller invoice currency to PayPal DCC. Also my payment in store (I only use at certain Shell petrol stations in the U.K.) had changed source from an Amex to my current bank account.

Obviously I did not make either change. Naughty PayPal....

Japan now has compulsory DCC
 

Supplied by kaka, infringing merchant is Kokumin Drugstore at Odori, Sapporo, no asking and cannot be reversed.

Breaks the assumption Japan is compliant even if DCC is offered.

http://www.hongkongcard.com/uploads/...9c388ab688.jpg

DCC is such a nasty plague.

You mean the machine puts in the tick/check mark for you?

Any idea on what to do with a non-compliant Japanese website? The website used forced DCC: I can neither pay in my local currency nor in the merchant's local currency but only in the currency of a third country which is incorrectly identified as my card's billing currency. I need to use the website once in a while and therefore can't risk being declared a persona non grata by the website owner, so it's a bit risky to file for a chargeback. Is there a way to anonymously report the website to VISA or to the authorities to have this shortcoming rectified?

https://usa.visa.com/Forms/merchant-...aint-form.html - use the 'other' checkbox.

But be sure that this is actually a DCC situation. If they process all cards through a merchant account in, say, the US, they can still charge you USD even if your card is in, say, CAD. This would only be against policy if the site shows prices in JPY but then actually charges you in a different currency.

Any option to pay with JCB (or Discover card)? I'm confused considering the third country currency. That's automatic grounds for a chargeback. However, since to seem to be familiar with those who operate the website, would it be possible to inquire with the website operator about how the website processes payments?

Or Amex?

Thanks! I'll try that.
Well, the prices are in yen on the website, but when paying, it suddenly says "12345円 (543.21XYZ)" and you're charged the amount in currency XYZ. There's a statement on the website that you must pay in the currency of the country where the card was issued. I have an e-mail from the customer service confirming this and also stating that I need to use a card issued in Japan if I wish to pay in JPY. Sounds exactly like DCC.

Would it really be permitted for a Japanese website to use a merchant account in, say, the United States? VISA's chargeback reason code #76 seems to cover this: "The merchant didn’t deposit the sales receipt in the same country as the transaction."

Unfortunately, I don't have an AMEX card to test with.

Yeah, that's definitely DCC, unless this is some gigantic site that has operations in other countries. In that case, they can say the transaction actually occurred in the other country (because the website transferred it there for billing purposes.)

Airbnb, for example, does that.

Does that ever work? We in HK can never make Visa Hong Kong Limited (our local Visa subsidiary) do anything.

https://forum.hongkongcard.com/forum...w/11430?page=6 #58
https://forum.hongkongcard.com/forumSE/show/5972?page=1 #2

I know Visa's been pushing people to their issuers for other types of complaints so I wouldn't be surprised if that link does nothing now. Which is a shame because I'm not sure my issuers would know what to do if I were to, say, complain that a ticket machine wouldn't take my chip and signature card despite supposedly being required to.

Visa is always very merchant friendly in my book. Mastercard's more cardholder friendly (or at least, responsive) to me.

Depends on the issue. Visa isn't quite as merchant friendly as US merchants would like with regard to debit routing policies, for example.

Anyway, I've never received a response to complaints made via their websites for what it's worth.

Spain
 

Mixed results on Menorca this week from this US-based visitor -- just now saw the Spain note in the wiki (thanks for that!).

Hotel San Miguel courteously asked, "You want to be charged in euros, right?" My first experience with their stellar service.

One restaurant server made the DCC choice for me -- and even signed the terminal! I complained and she said she couldn't reverse the transaction, but she ran it again without DCC and refunded me in cash for the first transaction (€14.20). So I still have a net charge that's the higher, DCC amount, but I've essentially MS-ed it, so assuming it codes correctly on the Sapphire Reserve as a restaurant I've paid 62 cents for an extra 47 UR points -- sort of an even deal.

At tonight's dinner I didn't catch the terminal in time and the slip printed in USD. I asked it to be reversed, but the server said every time she tries to choose euros at the DCC prompt the terminal cancels the transaction (Caixa Bank terminal). We'll dispute it, but has anyone heard that explanation?

I'd say about half of merchants have been offering me a choice and respecting it.

Seth

I've never heard of the terminal canceling the transaction. DCC is definitely prevalent in Spain. I would say the part about the terminal canceling the transaction isn't true. Perhaps the staff don't know how to opt out properly. I would say you'd have grounds to dispute the transaction the waitress signed for you.

Let us know how the dispute goes.

Remember the phrase: Si hay una opción, pulse el botón por euros.

Many of the terminals in Spain are touch screen. Often the DCC is in a green box and non-DCC in a red box. This implies (to me anyway) that you have to press the red button on the keypad to opt-out of DCC. This is not the case. You actually have to press the red box on the screen. Many staff seem unaware of this.


With a US card, I assume it is not a chipped card? My experience improved massively since Spain started accepting EMV cards, since you can keep control of the terminal until the transaction is complete. Something not possible when the card is swiped.

This happened to us in Madrid the first time around with a BBVA terminal. I pressed cancel and it cancelled the transaction. It turned out one had to press on the screen.

Most US cards are likely to have chips now, so the good thing is the terminal will usually come to the table.

Thanks for this and thanks to others who have replied -- very helpful. It was a chipped card, but it seems what you wrote above is probably what happened. Since then I've seen a couple of terminals where pressing the red box on the screen is a matter of jamming a fingernail in just the right way. Two merchants have done it, understanding what was going on, but it wasn't easy to press.

Seth

The Final Closure of the ridiculous process of a very minor DCC dispute with Chase
 

So I thought I was going to do this for the team and disputed a small DCC amount happened in Dubai on the Chase CSR card. Details of the process from dispute filed on 02/08, to the merchant contest and the resolution proposed by Chase on 04/14 , are posted in this thread.

I thought the resolution would be final. I was NAIVE. NOTHING promised by Chase dispute dept rep over the phone and in the subsequent letter dated the same date of the recorded phone call she made, has ever happened. Instead, the full disputed amount was rebilled on 04/18 (reflected in the reduced Available Limit but not showed up as posted at the time I left for a cruise). The promised credit of $40 has never showed up on the card. We left for a 16 days cruise from 04/19 and did not have internet access until 05/05. That was when I first accessed Chase online and saw Chase had blotched the whole thing. We did not return home until 05/25. 2 statement cycles have gone by, the mistake remains.

This is no longer a simple DCC issue, but a serious lack of customer service and the issue of how poorly Chase handles disputes (of any kind).

There is a new thread in Chase forum started by a poster who had disputed with Chase a $2200 hospital charge without signature authorization that also was DCCed. So I posted my experiences in that thread.

See posts on the aforementioned thread where I provided more details and the frustrating experiences in trying to get the dispute handler to return my multiple calls to no avail.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28368470-post9.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28384480-post17.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28390089-post19.html

At the end, it is still the US Bank absorb the DCC dispute amounts based on what has happened on my dispute and the dispute by the starter of the Chase dispute thread. The merchants learn they can be defiant and the US bank would then cite with the merchants when the amount is big, or give customer some good will to close the dispute. It is completely up to the cardholders to fend for themselves when traveling overseas to be extra vigilant on the DCC scam.

In the case of the small amounts of DCC, just call your banks and ask to speak to a supervisor / manager and complain. The higher up folks have the discretionary power to issue credit in small amount while the front line reps either have no clue of the issue or not being enpowered to do so.

DONT bother to file a formal dispute on small amount. If the amount is big, follow up the filing IN WRITING by sending a letter to the address listed at the back of your card statement or find that info online if your account is paperless. Only then, you could have legal protection on your dispute.

Finally, Chase has shown that it takes the side of the Merchants when the merchants contest the dispute (in the case reported in the thread) or handled disputes in a very cardholder-unfriendly way as demonstrating in my experience and others experiences reported in that thread.

Always remember, ONLY Dispute in Writing, would provide you the legal protection. That is why the banks try to make telephone and online disputes look easy so you are deceived to use those mechanisms and then forfeit your legal protection.

Poland and The Baltic
 

Poland is DCC country on every POS but almost all cashiers know how to opt you out once you emphasize to them using the key word "Polish" when they swipe your card.

Their English generally is poor or non-existent, but they all seem to understand when customer said "Polish" when handing out the card, the customer wanted the local currency.

Sometimes the device to swipe and the device to choose currency is 2 different devices. Witnessed something like this happened at a train ticket window. Saw the lady punched on a different device than the one she swiped my card. Good though that lady chose PLN for me. Not so at another train station where we used on 2 consecutive days and where the woman was particularly rude. She was super annoyed the day before when we gave a 100 PLN for the train tickets. The next afternoon I decided to use card, thinking it worked at train ticket window before - this time this rude woman DCCed me. Then she shrugged on my question. I truly believe she did it on purpose. For $0.20 difference, it has to be LOL moment.

The other time was at a McD inside a train station. The cashier did not know what to do with CC payment. A supervisor was called. She processed the payment very swiftly. I also noticed she swiped the card on one device and punched on another device. Unfortunately this time she chose the DCC button. I was never asked the whole time. But I think it is an innocent mistake in McD's case.

At a big Carrefour I did not know what to do after I used the correct red button on the stand alone little device (the same one that I saw in other places where the cashier did for me) to opt out, as the screen displayed another message that was quite confusing. Instead of going further I showed it to the cashier and told her "Polish". She immediately understood and punched the red button again TWICE. Receipt was in PLN.

At restaurants , the handheld device by the table handled both payment process and options on conversion. No need for separate devices. All wait staff understood what "Polish" meant - far far more effective than saying "please bill in Zloty" as I tried to do during our first couple days.
We ate many times at North Fish, a Poland only fast food chain with very good seafoods, in the food courts of shopping malls in different Poland cities. Again, the word "Polish" works.

The DCC mark up in Poland is 3%, versus the 5% experienced in Dubai earlier this year in January.

Buying train/bus tickets on the machines through out Poland never encounter DCC option and never being DCCed. No PIN was ever needed either, despite it shows how to insert the chip card. In fact the purchase experiences from ticket machines in Poland by far being the most smooth among all our travels in Europe in all the years. I am truly impressed. This is very good because the fares always seem to have cents involved. Using CC to purchase makes it so much easier when it comes to either finding the changes or getting back a bunch of changes and to keep track of them.

At Vilnius, Lithuania we ate at a chain Asian fusion restaurant called Manami. They seem to only locate in shopping centers. We ate at 2 different locations, with one super convenient being just directly across from the Radisson Blu we stayed at. The bill was always in Euro even I forgot to tell the waitress one time. Excellent foods and dirt cheap by the way.
We had lunch at another restaurant near the Town Hall and the bill also came in Euro.
Entrance fee at Trakai Castle was also in Euro. No DCC.

Did not use card in Tallinn where we only bought a day pass on the public transportation with cash as the only spend.

At Helsinki the only spend was to pay the Finnair bus to the airport. The driver processed the payment with CSR, in Chip + Signature fashion. No DCC.

Will return to South Africa in August. IIRC there was no DCC on our last 2 trips (2015 and 2016). Hopefully this time would be the same.