Isn't that what you'd prefer, to be billed in RMB instead of having the charge DCC'ed to US$?

Thanks. Old age error, and now edited.

That's crazy! I was just in Athens and saw 9.5%, which is the highest I had ever seen. And despite hitting to not accept the DCC markup, I still (somehow) got hit with it. There may have been another screen I didn't fully read. Frustrating to need to hit decline twice to not get hit with this awful fee!

On a recent trip to India (Delhi/Golden Triangle)
- hotel, restaurants all had DCC, but in all cases the person asked or handed the terminal to me or proactively selected INR
- 8% DCC option presented at two different ATMs

are you guys disputing these transactions? I had a forced DCC at my hotel in Switzerland. Here is what happened. I was asked to pay CHF 7.50 for a city tax (I had already prepaid for my hotel). The machine gives me the usual CHF or USD options. I choose CHF. However when the receipt prints out it said I accepted DCC and it has applied a 4% markup. I complain to the guy and he says from their side it's charged only CHF 7.50 but that isn't what the receipt says and my posted charge is USD 8.83 which in fact reflects a 4% markup from the official exchange rate. They refuse to correct the error telling me there isn't any error at all and the rate I got is from my bank and they insist that they charged the CHF and nothing more which is of course just pure lies.

So, the card is a Chase United Mileage Explorer... can I call Chase and just dispute the entire transaction telling them that I infact had declined the DCC and the machine has ignored it? It's only 43 cents difference but why should I pay what I don't owe?

I suggest you forget about 43 cents and all other shenanigans of Switzerland. People in neighboring countries find it easier to just curse Switzerland at every opportunity. :D

Dispute the entire transaction, just on principle.

chase handled my dispute quickly and easily. Per advice here I provided the exchange rate and what I should have been charged vs what I was, explained I didn't want DCC but merchant forced it. A credit appeared quickly. Just dispute the whole charge and add the info to the notes

I had a particularly egregious case of the DCC scam last week in Switzerland. Used a German card (billed in EUR) and was given the option of paying in CHF (local currency) or USD.

Now, I hate DCC with a passion, but most jurisdictions seem to have nothing against it. But how does the already flimsy rationale of "convenience of paying in your own currency" work in this case? Allow us to convert the local currency (CHF) to a third currency (USD) at a markup, and then your own bank can convert it to your billing currency (EUR)? How's this not illegal?

I don't know how this one would work in practice. Was the hotel offering to run your card in USD verbally, or was the terminal presenting a USD option?

Handheld terminal brought to the restaurant table. Tap card, then the terminal presents option 1=USD, option 2=CHF.

I haven't seen that before, but I wouldn't be inclined to press for USD to find out.

The closest I've seen - although I've never held the terminals - is in Cancun where the hotels where I've stayed run the transaction in USD, at least for USD denominated cards. However, I believe there is a button for MXN if one is using a MXN denominated card. I don't know about other currencies. The itemized hotel bills have have been in MXN with a quoted exchange rate to USD. Since the exchange rate has been almost the same as the real exchange rate, I haven't complained being billed in USD. Furthermore, I've always used an Amex card, so there was no possibility of DCC.

Pardon my lack of knowledge, but what do you mean by this? My understanding is that any card can be subject to DCC if the local vendor turns it on. And the Amex website has info on avoiding DCC costs.

Only Visa and Mastercard networks support DCC. Other networks do not.

Love learning new stuff -- so by using an Amex abroad when possible I could avoid this issue? That wasn't my understanding. Interestingly, Amex doesn't say this in their education link on DCC https://www.americanexpress.com/en-u...hen-traveling/