Airbnb's sneaky 3% FX fee - deceitful and infuriating, and now unavoidable?
Dec 14, 2016, 4:11 am
#46
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Cheshire
Programs: BA, Accor, Hilton, ITA
Posts: 377
Well they did try it on with this reply:
"As you can see on page 85, 3th line: "POI currency conversion is a service that may be offered by a Merchant or Acquirer. The service enables a Cardholder to decide whether a Transaction should be completed in either the local currency or the billing currency."
It may be offered but it's not mandatory. Airbnb, unfortunately, don't have for now a way to do that."
"As you can see on page 85, 3th line: "POI currency conversion is a service that may be offered by a Merchant or Acquirer. The service enables a Cardholder to decide whether a Transaction should be completed in either the local currency or the billing currency."
It may be offered but it's not mandatory. Airbnb, unfortunately, don't have for now a way to do that."
Dec 16, 2016, 4:01 am
#48
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Cheshire
Programs: BA, Accor, Hilton, ITA
Posts: 377
That was from AirBnB.
Yes, I know they are converting my booking from EUR to GBP, and then trying to convince me with that Mastercard statement that it is not mandatory for them to offer a conversion! Even though they are forcing one on me!
Their logic goes out the window. I never went ahead with the booking anyhow and gave them the reason why. I am using another platform.
Yes, I know they are converting my booking from EUR to GBP, and then trying to convince me with that Mastercard statement that it is not mandatory for them to offer a conversion! Even though they are forcing one on me!
Their logic goes out the window. I never went ahead with the booking anyhow and gave them the reason why. I am using another platform.
Dec 16, 2016, 4:24 am
#49
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: New England
Programs: American Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Silver
Posts: 5,644
I wonder how their payment processor feels about them violating the merchant agreement....
EDIT: It's owned by Paypal, so I guess they don't care at all.
EDIT: It's owned by Paypal, so I guess they don't care at all.
Dec 20, 2016, 10:43 am
#51
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 522
My post above, #38, isn't that clear.
What happened with me is this:
The Airbnb rental is in Italy. I am American, with a USD credit card, and I want to pay in EUR.
I had selected EUR as my currency, and on the payment page the rental was showing with EUR amounts.
I had no cc information stored in my account.
I started to enter the new credit card information directly on the payment page. I had only typed the first 4 digits of my AMEX when the payment page refreshed and changed the currency to USD.
I hadn't even gotten to the input line where you enter "Country of Issue" which you referred to in your post.
Dec 20, 2016, 10:50 am
#52
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Sussex, England
Posts: 59
Ah -- I tried looking into a way around it before I did my booking. So I'd already registered and "set" my GBP credit card to EUR on Airbnb's system (by the method on #22, #41) before I commenced the specific booking for the place I wanted to book. Paranoia forces me to say I hope they now don't close this final loophole.
Hope you were somehow able to book it without Airbnb's shameless mark-up.
Hope you were somehow able to book it without Airbnb's shameless mark-up.
Dec 20, 2016, 12:51 pm
#53
Join Date: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,746
Is the Charge Run by Airbnb in the US or the Host?
I've never used Airbnb.
But, it seems to me that if you are actually paying Airbnb (rather than the host), they can require payment in the US in US $$. The place of the charge is in the US, and there would be no obligation to allow payment in the US in anything other than US $$>
(Assuming I'm correct that the merchant is Airbnb in the US), then this is the opposite of the dynamic currency conversion situation - where you are in the foreign country, the location of the payment is in the foreign country, and the merchant attempts to have you pay in US $$, rather than the local currency. Here, Airbnb is simply requiring payment in the local currency of the place of the charge - US $$.
It's still a sleazy practice - but it's not analogous to dynamic currency conversion.
But, it seems to me that if you are actually paying Airbnb (rather than the host), they can require payment in the US in US $$. The place of the charge is in the US, and there would be no obligation to allow payment in the US in anything other than US $$>
(Assuming I'm correct that the merchant is Airbnb in the US), then this is the opposite of the dynamic currency conversion situation - where you are in the foreign country, the location of the payment is in the foreign country, and the merchant attempts to have you pay in US $$, rather than the local currency. Here, Airbnb is simply requiring payment in the local currency of the place of the charge - US $$.
It's still a sleazy practice - but it's not analogous to dynamic currency conversion.
Dec 20, 2016, 3:12 pm
#54
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,032
I disputed two airbnb txns online on my Citi Prestige and got the disputed amounts (I did 5%) back, though I think Citi just ate it - I'm not sure if they follow up with the merchant on their end - I wish they would. I just said incorrect amount charged and said no I don't have a receipt. There was no place to say DCC otherwise I would have.
I'm now going to do the same thing on my Barclaycard Arrival but for that one I have to (annoyingly) call it in.
I'm now going to do the same thing on my Barclaycard Arrival but for that one I have to (annoyingly) call it in.
Dec 20, 2016, 3:14 pm
#55
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,032
I've never used Airbnb.
But, it seems to me that if you are actually paying Airbnb (rather than the host), they can require payment in the US in US $$. The place of the charge is in the US, and there would be no obligation to allow payment in the US in anything other than US $$>
(Assuming I'm correct that the merchant is Airbnb in the US), then this is the opposite of the dynamic currency conversion situation - where you are in the foreign country, the location of the payment is in the foreign country, and the merchant attempts to have you pay in US $$, rather than the local currency. Here, Airbnb is simply requiring payment in the local currency of the place of the charge - US $$.
It's still a sleazy practice - but it's not analogous to dynamic currency conversion.
But, it seems to me that if you are actually paying Airbnb (rather than the host), they can require payment in the US in US $$. The place of the charge is in the US, and there would be no obligation to allow payment in the US in anything other than US $$>
(Assuming I'm correct that the merchant is Airbnb in the US), then this is the opposite of the dynamic currency conversion situation - where you are in the foreign country, the location of the payment is in the foreign country, and the merchant attempts to have you pay in US $$, rather than the local currency. Here, Airbnb is simply requiring payment in the local currency of the place of the charge - US $$.
It's still a sleazy practice - but it's not analogous to dynamic currency conversion.
It actually shows local currency all the way through and then doesn't give you the option of purchasing in either local currency or your card currency, which I believe they are required to offer per network rules for FX transactions. It might be a bit of a gray area in terms of what the network rules permit and whether or not this is actually DCC, but I plan to keep disputing the transactions.
Dec 20, 2016, 3:25 pm
#56
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 1,592
I disputed two airbnb txns online on my Citi Prestige and got the disputed amounts (I did 5%) back, though I think Citi just ate it - I'm not sure if they follow up with the merchant on their end - I wish they would. I just said incorrect amount charged and said no I don't have a receipt. There was no place to say DCC otherwise I would have.
I'm now going to do the same thing on my Barclaycard Arrival but for that one I have to (annoyingly) call it in.
I'm now going to do the same thing on my Barclaycard Arrival but for that one I have to (annoyingly) call it in.
Dec 20, 2016, 3:27 pm
#57
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,032
Dec 20, 2016, 3:33 pm
#58
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 1,592
We disputed Priceline three years after they messed up our booking and refused to fix it. BoA gave us a "permanent" credit but charged us again when Priceline disputed it. Also, I doubt Citi would eat the charge. They're the 500lb gorilla versus all parties involved. They'll either tell Airbnb to suck it or re-instate the disputed charge.
Dec 20, 2016, 3:44 pm
#59
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,032
We disputed Priceline three years after they messed up our booking and refused to fix it. BoA gave us a "permanent" credit but charged us again when Priceline disputed it. Also, I doubt Citi would eat the charge. They're the 500lb gorilla versus all parties involved. They'll either tell Airbnb to suck it or re-instate the disputed charge.
Dec 20, 2016, 4:21 pm
#60
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Northern Virginia
Posts: 1,592
Think of it as "Permanent*". Also, I imagine chargebacks are fairly automated, so they don't eat that much of the cost.