ATMs in Ethiopia keep asking Accept or Decline Conversion - what does that mean? Shows high charges for this
I’ve withdrawn money from multiple Ethiopian banks like Dashen and Awash, and the Accept or Decline Conversion screen is basically a choice between paying high ATM conversion fees or letting your card issuer handle the rates. Accepting conversion can push your total withdrawal cost up by nearly 10%, mainly due to poor exchange rates and extra surcharges from the ATM operator. I recommend declining and checking fees upfront, especially as Ethiopian banks also add a flat ETB 200-400 fee per withdrawal.
One time, I accepted conversion at an Awash Bank ATM in Ethiopia and regretted it-the exchange rate was terrible, with a surprising markup. The next day I declined, paid only my home bank’s Forex fee, and saved about 8%. Always decline, and watch for local ATM screening errors. Cash works everywhere, so don’t rely just on cards.
I withdrew cash from Zemen Bank’s ATM, got the conversion pop-up, and almost went with it until a local told me to always decline. My friend accepted conversion and got a worse rate and a flat surcharge. All major banks’ ATMs (Dashen, NIB, Awash) work with Visa and Mastercard, but none are fee-free for tourists.
In Addis Ababa, Dashen Bank and Commercial Bank of Ethiopia ATMs both display accept or decline conversion for foreign cards. If you accept, the fee can be really high-sometimes around 10% of the withdrawn amount. Declining means your card provider, like Mastercard, sets the rate-almost always cheaper. Ethiopia still charges ATM access fees (around ETB 200-400), so budget for it.