Abroad, a card terminal or ATM may offer to charge you in your home currency. That's dynamic currency conversion (DCC), and the exchange rate it uses is usually worse than your card network's rate, often by several percent.
What to do
- Always choose to pay in the local currency.
- At ATMs, decline the "guaranteed conversion" offer.
- If a shop processes DCC without asking, you can ask for the transaction to be redone in local currency.
Online too
Booking sites and airlines sometimes offer to charge in your currency at their own rate. If your card has no foreign transaction fees, paying in the seller's currency is often cheaper.
Bonus tips
- Use a card with no foreign transaction fees.
- Use bank ATMs inside banks; avoid stand-alone "travel" ATMs in tourist areas with high fees.