kja

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!

xyz123

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.

Rasputin1

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.

kja

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

farrermog

Still widespread apparently -

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

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

luvtotravel

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.

Dukey1

"...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.

StCirq

<<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?

xyz123

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.

hetismij2

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.

bvlenci

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

yestravel

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.

thursdaysd

"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....

raincitygirl

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.

annhig

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!

xyz123

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.

hetismij2

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?

lindygirl

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!

yestravel

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

jamikins

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