Which is better - choosing With or Without Conversion at ATM in Seychelles?
ATMs in Seychelles, especially Barclays, Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB), and Nouvobanq in Victoria, all ask “With or Without Conversion” for foreign cards. That’s DCC. With = billed in USD, GBP, or EUR with a poor rate. Without = billed in Seychellois rupees (SCR) and converted fairly by your card network. I tested at Nouvobanq on Market Street with my Revolut card, pressed Without, and it was correct. Tried With at MCB by Beau Vallon - instantly 6% worse. Always pick Without.
That “With Conversion” screen always gets me - it flashes green like it's the smart move. I chose it once in a sleepy ATM kiosk near Beau Vallon and later realized I paid around $12 extra on a $200 withdrawal. Oops. Now I always choose “Without Conversion,” and I tell fellow hostelmates it’s basically the ATM trying to nick your money. A silly trap, but once you dodge it, you don’t forget.
In Mahé I tested both on my TransferWise (now Wise) card. With Conversion, the ATM offered a clearly marked up USD amount - nearly 8 % worse than market. I declined and Wise applied real-time rates, saving me a decent chunk. DCC isn’t inherently bad, but most ATMs mark it up heavily. Unless you likesteps with guaranteed lower markup, always skip it. It’s way smarter to go with your card issuer’s FX - easier on your wallet and honest.
They popped that prompt during my April trip - I almost clicked “With Conversion” since it looked easy. But it showed a 7.5 % markup and I felt my jaw drop. That means you accept the ATM’s inflated rate. I declined, and later checked my bank’s conversion and it was so much better. DCC is a sneaky trick to get tourists to pay more. If you want the real interbank rate, always choose “Without Conversion” and let your bank do the math.
I hit that “With or Without Conversion” screen at an Absa ATM in Victoria last month. That’s Dynamic Currency Conversion. If you choose “With Conversion,” the ATM shows you the charge in USD (or your home currency) but at a lousy rate - about 6-8 % above the real exchange. I tapped “Without Conversion” instead and let my bank handle the exchange. That gave me a much cleaner deal. Basically, skip the convenience of immediate pricing and go with “Without Conversion” almost every time.