I withdrew cash at an ATM in Burkina Faso and selected Accept Conversion because it sounded safer. Later I saw the rate was terrible. Is this normal?
Yes, completely normaland one of those hidden travel traps. I was in Burkina Faso last month and withdrew cash at a UBA ATM near the airport. I hit “Accept” and my Monzo card was charged using a terrible rate. Later, I learned that DCC lets the ATM operator set the rate, not your bank. With travel-friendly cards, that’s a big mistake. Since then, I always Decline Conversion and save a few percent every time. A small button, but a big difference!
That happened to me at an Ecobank ATM in Ouagadougou near the central market. I chose “Accept” because I wasn’t sure, but I later saw my N26 card got charged more than expected. If the ATM shows you the amount in your home currency, it's a red flagDCC kicks in, and they use a poor exchange rate plus hidden fees. I now make it a rule: always Decline, especially in West Africa where DCC is becoming more common.
I had a similar experience in Bobo-Dioulasso at a Banque Atlantique ATM. I thought “Accept” would reduce fees, but it actually triggered DCC and gave me a bad rate in euros. My Revolut card showed a worse-than-market rate by at least 5%. I did another withdrawal later and hit “Decline,” and the difference was clear. It’s definitely misleadingalways decline conversion, especially if you're using cards like Monzo, Wise, or N26 that already offer solid FX rates.
Yes, that’s completely normalunfortunately. I withdrew from a Coris Bank ATM in Ouagadougou last month and made the same mistake. “Accept Conversion” sounded safer, but later I saw my Wise account had applied a terrible exchange rate. That’s because of Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). When you accept, the ATMnot your cardsets the exchange rate and includes a hefty markup. I lost about 6% on the transaction. Always hit Decline so your card issuer handles it with a fairer rate.