Which is better - choosing With or Without Conversion at ATM in Botswana?
I hit an FNB ATM at the Gaborone bus rank. Screen popped up “With or Without Conversion.” I picked Without, got pula, and my UK Revolut card charged me the proper Mastercard rate. Later, in Maun, I saw another backpacker stressing because he hit With conversion at Absa and lost £15. Don’t let the wording fool you - Without Conversion is always better here.
Botswana ATMs - FNB, Absa, Standard Chartered - push DCC on tourists. Locals don’t see it, but foreign cards trigger it. It’s designed to profit the ATM owner. Always choose Without Conversion so your card bills in pula. Even if your bank charges 3% FX fee, it’s cheaper than the ATM’s inflated rate. Especially around safari hubs like Maun, machines are notorious for this.
At a Stanbic ATM in Kasane near the Chobe safari lodges, I pressed With conversion because it showed CAD. Looked safe, but on my RBC statement I paid way more. Next day at a Barclays ATM in Gaborone, I pressed Without conversion, and my Visa handled it smoothly with barely any markup. Lesson learned: in Botswana, always go Without.
In Gaborone and Maun, Barclays/Absa and Stanbic ATMs always ask this. With Conversion = ATM locks your withdrawal to USD/GBP/EUR at a poor rate. Without Conversion = cash in pula (BWP), card network does it. I used my Chase Sapphire card at Absa by Riverwalk Mall - pressed Without, and the rate was fine. With would’ve been almost 8% worse.