While in Spain last year, I was twice charged in US$ even after I specifically said no, I preferred to be charged in euros. Unfortunately, the card I was using was NOT a true chip & pin. I protested, was told there was nothing that could be done, followed all the above instructions, and contacted my bank as soon as I returned. The larger credit company with which the card was associated insisted that only the issuing bank could do anything. The issuing entity was a small credit union, and it declined to protest the charges. Bottom line: I was stuck. Thank goodness neither charge was huge. Irksome though!

What do you mean by "not a true chip and pin card?" Either a card is a chip and pin card or it's not. There are cards that are pin preferred and others that are signature preferred.

I have not had this problem as we always travel using a Travel Money card on which we have preloaded a specified amount of foreign currency. We can load up to four different currencies on our Commonwealth Bank TM card. We can therefore pay in the local currency only.

@ xyz -- what I meant is that it defaulted to signature, not PIN -- so chip and signature, not chip and PIN.

Still widespread apparently -

https://www.michaelwest.com.au/trave...cy-conversion/

http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/new...ing-ripped-off

I encountered this at a hotel in Madrid several years ago. I insisted they reverse it and charge me in euros. They were not happy buy complied.

My credit cards have chips but no pin and the credit card companies won't give me one. Wherever I go near home the card is accepted and rarely does someone ask me for a signature--usually only in restaurants. I don't find that very secure.

Speaking of restaurants, a friend called me recently and told me she got a call from her credit card company's fraud department questioning a server's tip. How they caught that I'll never know. She asked me to check my slip as she no longer had her's. Well, I was charged more, too, and didn't notice it when I got my statement. It appears the server padded his tips. I usually don't compare my receipts to my statement. I just look to see if all the charges look appropriate. From now on I will be comparing.

"...the server padded his tips"

This is why I like it when the restaurant brings the CC machine to the table and you input the tip amount yourself. We are seeing this more and more here where I live (Fort Lauderdale) and, of course, it seems to be common in Europe.

As to DCC at a hotel: I've had it happen twice and both times I specifically said I wanted to be charged in Dollars and both times I was initially told that it couldn't be done.

When I threatened to annotate the charge slip with the words "establishment refused to offer local currency payment option" it was amazing how quickly the desk folk suddenly found a way.

<<of course, it seems to be common in Europe.>>

In the two years we've lived here, not once has anyone brought a CC machine to the table of any restaurant or café (in at least 6 countries). Haven't seen that happen in several years. The CC machine is always at the reception, usually next to a computer.


<<As to DCC at a hotel: I've had it happen twice and both times I specifically said I wanted to be charged in Dollars and both times I was initially told that it couldn't be done.>>

Wait, why did you want to be charged in dollars?

I think Dukey meant to say he didn't want to be charged in dollars..unfortunately this forum is years behind the times and doesn't allow one to edit his or her posts after pressing submit.

Payment machines brought to the table are fairly common, certainly in the Netherlands and in the UK, but not necessarily secure. Given the choice we always pay at a wired machine inside the establishment, not one relying on a Wifi connection, especially if using a CC rather than our bankcard.

When I withdrew cash at an ATM in England earlier this month I was offered DCC. I refused it. I hadn't come across that before.

It isn't unique to Europe either, we experienced it in the US too.

It's also common in Italian restaurants to bring the credit card machine to the table.

We have had the DCC pulled on us in several countries int he last year or two, not often, but every now and then. In our trip to the UK this past Spring we were asked if the wanted the charge in pounds or dollars. Often they do not ask and then we always insist the charge be reversed.

Never thought about the security of the machines brought to the table for the credit card. The credit card machine is brought to the table most of the time wherever we have been in Europe, never seen it in the US. Sometimes we will get up and go over to the desk and even there sometimes they use the machine.

"never seen it in the US"

what I have seen a few times lately in the US is an iPad with an attachment (I believe this is the Square system). You are given the option to add a tip and the receipt is sent to your email address. Personally I prefer a paper receipt (I do check them) as I don't want receipts cluttering up my email. May need to get a new junk email address for this....

I have experienced the DCC in the U.S., about ten years ago.
Most places here bring the wireless credit card machine to the table now, the pizza delivery guy has that too. (I am in Canada)

The Square is used a lot too, at farmer's markets and the like, also my R.M.T. uses that system and I get an email receipt. Never had any problems with any of these methods and I do keep a careful eye on all of my accounts and receipts.
Most stores now ask if you want a paper receipt or to have the receipt emailed.

This is why I like it when the restaurant brings the CC machine to the table and you input the tip amount yourself. We are seeing this more and more here where I live (Fort Lauderdale) and, of course, it seems to be common in Europe.>>

we never add a tip to the c/card bill but give it to the waiter/waitress in cash. so if it ever crops up on one of my bills I'll know it's a scam.

St C - the very first place that someone brought the c/card machine to our table was in France, in Saumur. I can't remember if it was on our first visit [15 years ago] or our second [7-8 years ago]. Funny that you've never had it happen to you in France at all!

My problem with the cc terminal being brought to the table in countries where tipping is customary is you are entering the tip in front of the waiter/waitress who if you are not giving them what they think they deserve might get angry. Of course if you're travelling it might not matter as you will probably not be back to that restaurant. In the UK there is a whole procedure for entering the tip on the portable terminals but in the UK it is good as the customary tip is 10%; just drop the last digit (although technically, the bill contains VAT and at home, I don't tip on the amount with sales tax added on but the original amount). I prefer a place like France, service included, no tip necessary.

As far as being worried about credit card info being intercepted at a wireless terminal, one of the advantages of the chip technology is the actual card number is not transmitted but rather a virtual one time only number. I don't like to criticize others but in my humble opinion it is silly to worry about credit card fraud. At least in the USA, we have zero liability for fraud. Inconvenient, yes to a degree but easy to deal with. Credit card fraud is not identity theft and one should always have more than one credit card with them just in case a card gets compromised. But certainly everybody is entitled to their opinion.

There have been cases of that one time only code being intercepted and misused when using a portable terminal.
I don't normally worry about credit card fraud either but criminals are always ahead of the game.
Fraud costs us all, someone has to foot the bill and it ain't Mastercard or Visa. Maybe that is why they like DCC so much?

This happened to us in Iceland! I usually opt to pay in the local currency but I stepped away to the restroom and gave my husband our no foreign transaction fee Visa card to pay for our dinner. He opted to pay in USD without realizing the mark-up. Ended up paying 3.5% more. It only came out to a few dollars but it pissed me off. Never again!

Yes, the iPads are used a lot here esp at markets. I wasn't thinking about them.

There was an article on the BBC today about DCC impacting Britons on holidays. It stated that the Netherlands was one of the worst countries for it and unsuspecting holiday makers were choosing ££ instead of €€ at great cost. Several other countries were listed as well.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40702496

Aargh! Even Amazon is using DCC. I just ordered something from.co.uk and had to actively choose pounds over euro for the payment.

It is everywhere throughout the world, I experienced it in the UK last trip as I said.

One of my US cards I know is chip but signature. No pin needed.

I live in Spain so now warn them that I want euros BEFORE it comes up on screen. I have mentally remembered the $$ amount that was offered, then checked my transactions once home on my CC account.. and it is usually about 5% worse using DCC.

I couldn't believe it when I was recently in the UK and used an Aussie $ ATM card to get cash out, it asked me if I wanted the amount converted to $US (WTF), if I said yes then I would have had 2 conversions done on the transaction plus the Aussie bank adds a 4% international transaction fee, it's a rort

Geordie, as Aussies, we also found that bank fees cost us hundreds of dollars on a family holiday to Europe. I now have a 28degrees credit card and a Citibank Plus debit card. At the time I looked (and things may have changed), they were the best on the market in terms of international transaction fees. I recommend you change bank.

dreamon, I'll definitely look at the other options in Australia.

I do also have access to UK & HK atm / cc cards where I don't have the same problem, unfortunately I didn't have them with me at the time

Indygirl, it's ironic isn't it that you stepped away to use the restroom and ended up being pissed off?!?

The first time I saw the choice offered was on a credit card machine in Asia and I think one of the choices was "local currency" which I interpreted as being Asian currency. I pressed the button before I realized I was actually selecting my own, US local currency.

Can someone explain what DCC is? I thinkI understand, but want to be sure. It's where the merchant coverts your purchase amount to your home currency rather than the credit card company, and it's likely a less advantageous exchange rate than your credit card rate would be?

You have it correct Cindywho. Merchants are supposed to ask you if you wish to be scammed with this but some don't and then claim they have no control over it. The terminal clearly asks the merchant if the client wishes to be scammed and some just press the yes button and then claim either the amount listed as your currency is just there to assist you in determining what you are spending as a courtesy and many fall for this or they say you lock in the rate if your currency is dropping or they say once it's done, it's done or even the good old no speak English. Don't take no for an answer but if they insist, under no circumstances pay cash. Rather circle the amount in local currency, write on the charge slip local currency not offered and when you get home dispute the charge. Contrary to what somebody said above, you have a right to formally the conversion is prohibited by mc/visa rules unless the customer consents (btw Amex doesn't permit dcc)to be scammed. Some banks, like JP Morgan Chase if the amount is small, simply credit the difference rather than going through with a chargeback to the merchant.

If I recall correctly, to add to the insult, if one chooses the DCC figure offered by the merchant, since a foreign bank (the merchant's bank) cannot make the charge in any but the currency of that country, our credit card bank still receives the charge in that currency and if they have a foreign currency conversion charge, still charges that along with the additional amount the merchant has charged us for the illusion of using our home currency, which is in fact just an amount equal to the original charge but using a less favorable exchange rate.

<<DCC is not a scam when there is full disclosure.>>

It's true that many merchants misrepresent the details, such as telling you they can only process it that way,that you receive a better exchaange rate, etc.

The best defense is to refuse to sign the slip which gives you better leverage for a dipute. You can use “Incorrect Currency or Transaction Code”, but the merchant can dispute that, whereas an unauthorized charge. Stand your ground. Get out your camera and take a photo of the slip and the clerk or server.

It's up to you to know what you're doing.

DCC was developed to assist small merchants recoup their processor's discounts and other fees, which can have a significant impact on those with high expenses, small profit margins.

Credit cards are a convenience. The processors, too, have costs of doing business and there's nothing wrong with a business wanting to maximize their profits for their services.

Does everyone really expect free services everywhere they go? Or not to share in the costs of services?

"Does everyone really expect free services everywhere they go? Or not to share in the costs of services?"

The issue is one of disclosure and fairness to one's customers, not "free" which no one expects. There is no upside to DCC for the customer and it is, in that regard, a scam. If, instead of asking if we'd like the transaction shown in our own currency, they asked if we'd like to pay more for the goods and services or less, what would the answer be? Presumably a sufficient profit is already built into the price to make being in business worthwhile. If not, they should find another way to make a living that is worthwhile, rather than tricking people into paying more.