Dynamic Currency Conversion

LesD

Anyone know where to complain when merchant does not offer payment in local currency?

Mastercard just reroute the call to Halifax and Halifax don't want to know - say it's down to the merchant what they offer!

[Deleted User]

It's a merchant issue and any poor performance would be between them and Mastercard. Nothing to do with Halifax.

LesD

Evidence please.

PeacefulWaters

LesD wrote: »

Evidence please.

It's blindingly obvious from the first line of your question where the problem lies.

Vortigern

When the merchant doesn't accept card payments in local currency:
- Walk away, use a different merchant.
- or pay cash
- for smaller amounts, just grin and bear it.

How much did this DCC cost you?

StopIt

LesD wrote: »

Anyone know where to complain when merchant does not offer payment in local currency?

Mastercard just reroute the call to Halifax and Halifax don't want to know - say it's down to the merchant what they offer!

Why would MasterCard or Halifax have any power over what payments methods a retailer takes?


Think about it for just one second. There's no laws in international trade saying a company has to offer local currency payments to customers outside of the country of origin of the company.

dj1471

StopIt wrote: »

Why would MasterCard or Halifax have any power over what payments methods a retailer takes?

The MasterCard rules require that the merchant gives the customer the option of paying in the local currency.

Falling to do so is grounds for a chargeback under reason code 4846:

The cardholder states that he or she was not given the opportunity to choose the desired currency in which the transaction was completed or did not agree to the currency of the transaction,

Obviously if you go this route you'll need to make other arrangements to pay.

LesD

dj1471 wrote: »

The MasterCard rules require that the merchant gives the customer the option of paying in the local currency.

Falling to do so is grounds for a chargeback under reason code 4846:

Obviously if you go this route you'll need to make other arrangements to pay.

Many thanks for a serious reply. So the sanction is a chargeback rather than a refund of the difference? That's a bummer. The magic number is 4846! Google is a mine of information on that chargeback code.

(This site is getting worse than HUKD for so-called "expert" advice that isn't.)

eDicky

dj1471 wrote: »

The MasterCard rules require that the merchant gives the customer the option of paying in the local currency.

Falling to do so is grounds for a chargeback under reason code 4846:

Obviously if you go this route you'll need to make other arrangements to pay.

This is correct, regulations require that DCC is offered by merchants as an option (If at all). If it has been imposed, the customer can apply for redress to the card issuer, who often simply refunds the difference rather than go through a chargeback dispute with the merchant, who then gets away with it and continues the practice.

LesD

Oh dear.....chargeback or refund?

Anyway it does seem as if the point of contact should be the card issuer. Looks like I'm back to Halifax to find someone who knows what they are doing. That may not be easy.

But, as the 3% loading could be £100+ in this case, the effort may be worthwhile.

The other interesting point is that the 'merchant' is actually a bank!!!

Nebulous2

I'm interested in the requirement to offer payment in local currency. Air BnB charged me in Euros but insisted on payment in £s. We complain at that behaviour from a low wage person working in retail, but shrug and bear it from a big company.