Best card for making PayPal payments in local currencies

Milarky

When you buy something in foreign currency and use your credit card with PayPal there is a conversion rate and/or a fee.

Barclaycard does a currency conversion and charges an additional fee (3%)
PayPal say they request '$25' and that it is sent (as dollars) to them

Capital One charges no additional fee
PayPal say they apply their own conversion and charge your credit card a sterling amount to cover.

Any thoughts on which is best?

grumbler

Milarky wrote: »

....
PayPal say they request '$25' and that it is sent (as dollars) to them

PayPal say they apply their own conversion and charge your credit card a sterling amount to cover.

So, what do they actually say?
Two above statements are contradictory. Paypal don't know the difference between Barclaycard and C1 and have no reasons to charge the cards differently.

IIRC, reportedly there has to be some tick box that allows you to select who does the conversion.

DesG

Yeah, there is a tickbox somewhere you need to select if PP does the currency conversion and bills your card in STG, or just bills your card in the foreign currency directly.

Obviously if you have one of the zero load cards, you want to get that tick box ticked.

InsideInsurance

To the best of my knowledge you can only ever be billed in your local currency with PayPal when the source of money is cards or DD. In the USA there is an option to change this but dont believe the same option exists here

nobbysn*ts

Have you checked the paypal conversion? Last few items I bought, (dollars, and rupees), were quite a good rate.

grumbler

Some old thread: Paypal - Debit card charged in USD?

grumbler

nobbysn*ts wrote: »

Have you checked the paypal conversion? Last few items I bought, (dollars, and rupees), were quite a good rate.

You must be joking. Paypal charge 3-4% for the conversion depending on the currency.

DesG

InsideInsurance wrote: »

To the best of my knowledge you can only ever be billed in your local currency with PayPal when the source of money is cards or DD. In the USA there is an option to change this but dont believe the same option exists here

It does exist, they just make it hard for you to find, so that they get their 3 or 4%

I only know it exists for CC, no idea about DD, as I would never use that form of payment.

SuperHan

DesG wrote: »

I only know it exists for CC, no idea about DD, as I would never use that form of payment.

Never? Why?

reclusive46

InsideInsurance wrote: »

To the best of my knowledge you can only ever be billed in your local currency with PayPal when the source of money is cards or DD. In the USA there is an option to change this but dont believe the same option exists here

The only exception to this is with American Express cards. You can usually pay in the local currency then. The only forex free Amex is the Lloyds Bank Avios Amex.

InsideInsurance

DesG wrote: »

It does exist, they just make it hard for you to find, so that they get their 3 or 4%

I only know it exists for CC, no idea about DD, as I would never use that form of payment.

Care to share where to find it?