ATMs in Cameroon keep asking Accept or Decline Conversion - what does that mean? Shows high charges for this
At an Afriland First Bank machine in Douala, it highlighted “accept conversion” in green. I almost pressed it. But I declined, and the withdrawal went through in XAF. My Monzo app confirmed I got the real Mastercard rate. When I compared with a friend who accepted, he lost about €10 on the same withdrawal. Always decline.
Used a UBA ATM in Limbe. After PIN entry, it asked to accept conversion. I thought declining would cancel the withdrawal, but it doesn’t-it just charges you in local francs. My Revolut card converted at the interbank rate. The “accept” option was nearly 12% more expensive. Always decline in Cameroon.
Yaoundé, at a Société Générale ATM, same story. Screen asked if I wanted to be charged in USD. I pressed accept once and got hammered on the rate. Wise showed me I lost about $15 on a $200 equivalent. Next time I pressed decline, and it was perfect. Always choose local (XAF).
In Douala, I used an Ecobank ATM. It asked if I wanted to “accept conversion” into USD. That’s the DCC trick. If you accept, the ATM rips you off with a poor rate. If you decline, you pay in CFA francs (XAF), and your card provider converts properly. I tested both and saw a 10% difference. Always decline in Cameroon.