Which is better - choosing With or Without Conversion at ATM in Mali?
ATMs in Mali’s capital like Banque Malienne de Solidarité show currency conversion options, but it's best avoided. Selecting ‘Without Conversion’ keeps you from unknown ATM fees and lets your bank do the currency conversion reasonably. I always declined DCC on my Visa card and saved a lot.
For Mali, the travel advice is clear: never choose ‘With Conversion’ at the ATM. It looks nice but costs more with hidden fees. I always opt for ‘Without Conversion’ using my Mastercard at BCEAO ATMs, and the exchange rates are way better with fewer surprises on my billing.
I used ATMs around Mali and learned that ‘With Conversion’ is a trap. The ATM offers a rate that’s marked up heavily compared to your card issuer’s rate. Always pick ‘Without Conversion’ and let your bank take care of it. Banco de Africa in Bamako also allows this way, and I recommend it.
In Mali, especially in places like Bamako, always choose ‘Without Conversion’ at the ATM. The ‘With Conversion’ option is a sneaky way for the ATM to charge you bad rates and extra fees, often around 8%. Using ‘Without Conversion’ lets your Mastercard or Visa handle the rate, which is much fairer and usually cheaper.