Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC)

Old Jul 26, 2018, 1:45 pm
  #436  
 
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I would agree. I have asked merchants to reverse the transactions when I don't authorize it to be billed in USD. Usually I am asked but a few times the shopkeepers didn't and billed me in USD. When I explain to them that's a 7% hit (sometimes less, sometimes more) they all say they didn't know that-- which I believe. Global Blue and banks don't exactly train people about their trickery....
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Old Aug 6, 2018, 7:01 am
  #437  
 
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Visa appears to have updated the rule language for disputing transactions involving DCC for transactions processed on or after April 14, 2018.

Check out the Visa Product and Service Rules, Chapter 11, section 11.9.3.1 (page 694 of the document)
https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/downlo...les-public.pdf

Most chargebacks involving DCC would probably fall under this language:
"Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) occurred and the Cardholder did not agree to DCC and did not make an active choice or was refused the choice of paying in the Merchant's local currency."

However, of interest is the section following: 11.9.3.2, which indicates under Dispute Rights:
"The Dispute applies for the entire Transaction amount."

I reside in Hong Kong part of the year and am constantly having restaurants charge me in USD (I use US-based cards with a 0% fee), even though I have specifically checked the box to be charged in HKD on the receipt. I even have the carbon copy of the receipt where it clearly shows that I have checked the box. I'm so tired of this... based on the official Visa language above, does anyone think the US card issuers would honor a chargeback for the entire amount? I haven't tried this yet, but have had success in the past with disputing a partial amount (the DCC mark-up).
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Old Aug 6, 2018, 8:21 am
  #438  
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Thank you for posting this link, kaix. ^ Hope this cuts down on forced DCC.
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Old Aug 6, 2018, 8:55 am
  #439  
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Originally Posted by Kaix
Visa appears to have updated the rule language for disputing transactions involving DCC for transactions processed on or after April 14, 2018.

Check out the Visa Product and Service Rules, Chapter 11, section 11.9.3.1 (page 694 of the document)
https://usa.visa.com/dam/VCOM/downlo...les-public.pdf

Most chargebacks involving DCC would probably fall under this language:
"Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) occurred and the Cardholder did not agree to DCC and did not make an active choice or was refused the choice of paying in the Merchant's local currency."

However, of interest is the section following: 11.9.3.2, which indicates under Dispute Rights:
"The Dispute applies for the entire Transaction amount."

I reside in Hong Kong part of the year and am constantly having restaurants charge me in USD (I use US-based cards with a 0% fee), even though I have specifically checked the box to be charged in HKD on the receipt. I even have the carbon copy of the receipt where it clearly shows that I have checked the box. I'm so tired of this... based on the official Visa language above, does anyone think the US card issuers would honor a chargeback for the entire amount? I haven't tried this yet, but have had success in the past with disputing a partial amount (the DCC mark-up).
HK banks have been doing this since at least 2012 Using Credit Cards in China - The Great CC Rip Off (dynamic currency conversion) .
The practice pre-dates the 2018 VP&SR change.

It's just US banks choosing to discharge their responsibilities to their customers by paying the difference out of their pocket rather than go through the whole Reason Code 76 filing. The rule change changes nothing.
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Old Aug 6, 2018, 9:17 am
  #440  
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Originally Posted by Kaix
I reside in Hong Kong part of the year and am constantly having restaurants charge me in USD (I use US-based cards with a 0% fee), even though I have specifically checked the box to be charged in HKD on the receipt. I even have the carbon copy of the receipt where it clearly shows that I have checked the box.
One option in Hong Kong is asking for a "reprint" receipt. This will show whether or not you've been hit with DCC.

Originally Posted by percysmith
It's just US banks choosing to discharge their responsibilities to their customers by paying the difference out of their pocket rather than go through the whole Reason Code 76 filing. The rule change changes nothing.
I always thought it was the whole amount that you were disputing because the Reason Code 76 was to get the merchant to rerun the transaction in local currency.
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Old Aug 6, 2018, 5:12 pm
  #441  
 
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Originally Posted by Kaix
does anyone think the US card issuers would honor a chargeback for the entire amount? I haven't tried this yet, but have had success in the past with disputing a partial amount (the DCC mark-up).
As I have mentioned earlier in this thread, that is exactly what happened to me. Several years ago, I was staying at the Conrad Beijing and paid by CC. My hotel receipt shows the transaction in Renminbi. After I returned home, I got my statement and the charge was DCCd. I called into Chase's dispute line to challenge what was a $60 difference, and they initially disputed the entire transaction pending Conrad's explanation. When Conrad never responded, they voided the entire $1000+ bill.

From the information you posted, it sounds like Visa is taking a hard line in the customer's favor, and making it clear to everyone that ignoring customer's DCC choices would be unwise for the merchant.
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 12:43 pm
  #442  
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Originally Posted by 747FC
When Conrad never responded, they voided the entire $1000+ bill.
Was the charge ever reprocessed in RMB?
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 2:14 pm
  #443  
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Originally Posted by 747FC
As I have mentioned earlier in this thread, that is exactly what happened to me. Several years ago, I was staying at the Conrad Beijing and paid by CC. My hotel receipt shows the transaction in Renminbi. After I returned home, I got my statement and the charge was DCCd. I called into Chase's dispute line to challenge what was a $60 difference, and they initially disputed the entire transaction pending Conrad's explanation. When Conrad never responded, they voided the entire $1000+ bill.

From the information you posted, it sounds like Visa is taking a hard line in the customer's favor, and making it clear to everyone that ignoring customer's DCC choices would be unwise for the merchant.
Cool! So if you wanna 'avoid' a large purchase made abroad, let them do the DCC without leaving a proof of explicit consent to the DCC, then dispute the charge on the basis of DCC without consent when you get home
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Old Aug 7, 2018, 2:15 pm
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Originally Posted by Majuki
Was the charge ever reprocessed in RMB?
No. It turned into a free stay.
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 11:49 am
  #445  
 
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Surprising Conrad wouldnt at least respond to a disputed transaction and be willing to just let a grand go by the wayside.

Although if a transaction is disputed to a large merchant like Conrad/Hilton, who would be the one to respond? The manager of the hotel? Someone in Hilton corporate office?
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 11:53 am
  #446  
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Originally Posted by 747FC
From the information you posted, it sounds like Visa is taking a hard line in the customer's favor, and making it clear to everyone that ignoring customer's DCC choices would be unwise for the merchant.
It might simply be a matter of chargebacks for the entire amount being much easier to deal with than dealing with what proportion of the charge to claw back, especially when exchange rates get involved. The consequences for non-compliant merchants becoming worse is a nice side effect.
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Old Aug 8, 2018, 8:02 pm
  #447  
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Originally Posted by Dadaluma83
Surprising Conrad wouldnt at least respond to a disputed transaction and be willing to just let a grand go by the wayside.

Although if a transaction is disputed to a large merchant like Conrad/Hilton, who would be the one to respond? The manager of the hotel? Someone in Hilton corporate office?
It is up to the merchant to repost the transaction in local currency following a successful chargeback.
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Old Aug 9, 2018, 11:03 pm
  #448  
 
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DCC is obviously a scam but in my particular case it was especially blatant. I used my UK-issued debit card for a purchase in Dublin (Euro) and even though my bank (Citi) lets me link the card to the local currency (GBP/EUR/USD) to avoid the exchange rates and the 2.7% fee, the restaurant in IRL was quick to offer me a choice of 21 EUR or 20 GBP (!!!) as a balance even though the card WAS linked to the EUR account. Imagine anyone uninformed thinking paying in GBP is a better deal.
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Old Aug 10, 2018, 3:40 am
  #449  
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Originally Posted by greglvnv
21 EUR or 20 GBP
That's 6% over the current Visa or MC rate!

Mrs. Majuki and I are touring around. I met up with percysmith Tuesday evening in Hong Kong. The only DCC offer I saw was at a Lush cosmetics shop. Mrs. Majuki made her usual stop at Francfranc, which does have DCC, but Google Pay was able to avoid the DCC offer completely. I used AmEx for my hotel stay, so there were no other DCC offers that I saw. At Lush, the cashier seemed pleased when I was quick to choose HKD. "Ah, good.."

We're now in the Maldives, but since all of the hotels use USD as the transaction currency there are no DCC offers either. I wanted to pay by credit card at the National Museum gift shop, but the cashier said that foreign transactions are subject to a $5 surcharge. (Perhaps I misunderstood.) Seeing as I was only purchasing a $4 refrigerator magnet, it made no sense to do a card transaction, but I would have liked to have seen whether or not the card transaction was a native USD transaction or processed in MVR. I went to the new Burger King by the ferry terminal in Mal for lunch, but I only had USD on me. They gladly accepted USD and gave change in MVR. The exchange rate used was the real exchange rate, so I was surprised there was no markup. My only other experience has been places like Niagara Falls or Vancouver where places will accept USD but at unfavorable exchange rates.
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Old Aug 16, 2018, 2:13 pm
  #450  
 
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6% is obscene but that is DCC for you. Seems very much in line with what I have seen as their exchange rates.
I wish someone could file a class action suit against the biggest offenders-- Global Blue, banks...
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