DCC: Dynamic Currency Conversion (2017-2025)
Jun 3, 2025 | 9:59 am
#1321
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 7,029
When you buy a UK ETA (required for entry, at least from the US), they ask you what country you are located in, then charge you in that currency plus a conversion fee. There is no option to pay in GBP. The only way I could see to avoid the surcharge was to claim to be in the UK, which would be a problem, since it would mean you're there illegally.
The fee is trivial (about $1 on $22.50), but it annoyed me.
The fee is trivial (about $1 on $22.50), but it annoyed me.
Jun 3, 2025 | 10:11 am
#1322
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Berlin
Programs: LH SEN, BA Gold, SK Gold; Accor Diamond; IHG Diamond-Amb; Meli/HH/Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,682
Jun 3, 2025 | 10:30 am
#1323
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Gold, Marriott Silver
Posts: 4,345
When you buy a UK ETA (required for entry, at least from the US), they ask you what country you are located in, then charge you in that currency plus a conversion fee. There is no option to pay in GBP. The only way I could see to avoid the surcharge was to claim to be in the UK, which would be a problem, since it would mean you're there illegally.
The fee is trivial (about $1 on $22.50), but it annoyed me.
The fee is trivial (about $1 on $22.50), but it annoyed me.
Jun 17, 2025 | 8:15 pm
#1325
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 55
I think in some countries it's not even possible to make purchases in local currency on US cards. E.G. Aruba and Curacao function like this from what I understand. You can't even charge their local currencies on any terminal and the local bank has things set up that way.
Jun 18, 2025 | 12:31 am
#1326
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,959
I think in some countries it's not even possible to make purchases in local currency on US cards. E.G. Aruba and Curacao function like this from what I understand. You can't even charge their local currencies on any terminal and the local bank has things set up that way.
Jun 18, 2025 | 4:38 pm
#1327
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: Just a peon
Posts: 4,569
Exactly - lots of places in the Caribbean that cater to foreign tourists do that. In Anguilla, for example, just about every tourist-focused business denominates all transactions in USD - no conversion, no DCC. I've also seen that at hotels all over South America - not only in places like Cusco/Machu Picchu, which cater heavily to an international clientele, but even random mid-range places in Uruguay that presumably aren't getting hordes of American visitors.
Jun 18, 2025 | 5:07 pm
#1328
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,959
Now, there is sometimes a markup versus paying in the local currency, such as in the Cayman Islands, but I wouldn't be rushing to get local cash out of an ATM.
Aug 7, 2025 | 3:46 pm
#1329
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 22,111
Full circle - China no longer DCCs?
I landed myself in a upmarket Spanish restaurant in Beijings Taikoo Li, not quite what I was planning for dinner (especially since I am in Beijing to fly to Spain by way of PKX and Morocco https://www.verylvke.com/en/2025/02/...d-in-one-trip/ ) but came with recommendation which it lived up to.
When it came to time to pay, I wondered whether the restaurant can take Apple Pay Visa (who offered the highest earning https://www.icbcasia.com/hk/en/promo...ture-card.html , but I have Unionpay App, HK and Mainland Alipay and HK and Mainland WeChat as fallbacks). A Meituan terminal was brought to the table but the server cant make Apple Pay Visa work. We tried inserting the card as a chip-present transaction instead, and lo and behold a DCC-free slip was produced:
When it came to time to pay, I wondered whether the restaurant can take Apple Pay Visa (who offered the highest earning https://www.icbcasia.com/hk/en/promo...ture-card.html , but I have Unionpay App, HK and Mainland Alipay and HK and Mainland WeChat as fallbacks). A Meituan terminal was brought to the table but the server cant make Apple Pay Visa work. We tried inserting the card as a chip-present transaction instead, and lo and behold a DCC-free slip was produced:
Aug 15, 2025 | 8:42 pm
#1330
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,959
Mrs. Majuki and I are in Taiwan right now. I've noticed that National Credit Card Center is the one that does DCC. It's been a consistent 4% offer. For the most part, terminals are customer facing, but, for those that haven't been, the cashier has always offered a currency selection. The lack of a language barrier and cultural familiarity help, but I don't think that visitors would have issues either.
Aug 31, 2025 | 7:05 am
#1331
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,959
I withdrew euros from an International Currency Exchange (ICE) branded ATM at DUB this morning, and the DCC offer was 14%. It was easy enough to opt out:
The ATM offered GBP and USD as well. I was curious about how it would do this and using what exchange rate, but I went through all of the options and was unable to see a way to withdraw anything other than euros with my USD denominated card. Has anyone ever used one of those ATMs that advertises the ability to dispense multiple currencies to get anything other than the local currency where the ATM is?
The ATM offered GBP and USD as well. I was curious about how it would do this and using what exchange rate, but I went through all of the options and was unable to see a way to withdraw anything other than euros with my USD denominated card. Has anyone ever used one of those ATMs that advertises the ability to dispense multiple currencies to get anything other than the local currency where the ATM is?
Aug 31, 2025 | 11:46 am
#1332
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 22,111
Aug 31, 2025 | 1:45 pm
#1333
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,959
HSBC HK and Hang Seng Bank in HK disperse USD/GBP/THB. But they do not take other banks' cards https://www.hangseng.com/en-hk/perso...-currency-atm/
Aug 31, 2025 | 5:21 pm
#1334
Ambassador, Hong Kong and Macau
Join Date: May 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: Non-top tier Asia Miles member
Posts: 22,111
I am a Hang Seng customer, it'll be banknote rate
Sep 6, 2025 | 7:13 pm
#1335
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Los Feliz-Los Angeles (BUR/LAX) Arun Baheti
Programs: UA MM/Gold; HH something depending; Marriott Gold; other opportunistic statuses
Posts: 1,944
New one for me. Finding tripla.ai is used as the booking engine and card processor by some hotels in Japan, "conveniently" offering a way to pre-pay for your hotel room in USD rather than pay in JPY at the hotel. At least one hotel wouldn't let me skip and pay on site or pay in JPY. I didn't understand what was happening so didn't get the precise numbers. (Yes, feeling dumb, but there was no option on that hotel.) Anyone know if they mark up and by how much vs normal Visa exchange rates?