Fees using UK cards in Denmark

passau91

This is a slight whinge, but also a request for sound advice.

Over recent trips to Denmark, the increasing frequency with which the “non EU issued” card fee of 3% is added by the merchants to any transaction has really got my goat. The only transactions not having this fee added are those for DOT/DSB. [This fee was also charged by merchants even if I used a DKK account on my Revolut card.]

Even if I revert to using cash, I assume ATMs would also charge withdrawal fees as a percentage (although I haven’t used a Danish ATM in over ten years, so I may be completely wrong on that score).

Does anyone have any experience/suggestions on this? If not, I really don’t want to “just suck it up” as Denmark is pricey enough as it is 🤣. A day trip to Sweden from Helsingør was an eye opener, as Sweden felt “cheaper” (and I don’t think I got charged a 3% fee there).

flaneurs_lobster

From some posts I've seen elsewhere it does seem that this "processing" fee has only been seen generally in the last year or so.

It is/was always the choice of the seller whether this charge would be absorbed or passed on and it seems that once a few larger retailers decided to give the Brits (and other non-EU card holders) a bashing the thing snowballed.

3010

I’m a regular visitor to Denmark and use the Halifax Clarity Credit card. I’ve never been charged for withdrawing money from the ATMs over there that are attached to the main banks. Like you say some stores do charge the fee while most larger places just absorb it.

passau91

Thank you both

Revolut indicates that the only fee free ATMs in Copenhagen would be the Nordea branches - the most convenient being the one over the road from København H (central rail station). I will give it a try next time I visit.