Which is better - choosing With or Without Conversion at ATM in Kyrgyzstan?
I grabbed cash from an Optima Bank ATM right by Bishkek Park Mall. The screen popped up With or Without Conversion. I hit Without, and my Capital One card billed me straight in som without a problem. Later at Apple Hostel, a French guy told me he hit With at DemirBank near the bus station - he lost enough for a couple of beers. Everyone I met on the Osh-Bishkek marshrutka said the same thing: Without Conversion every time.
Kyrgyzstan’s ATMs really push DCC on tourists, but don’t fall for it. GTBank and DemirBank in Bishkek’s city center both gave me the choice. I’ve learned always to choose Without Conversion. That way my Wise card billed me directly in KGS and the exchange rate was excellent. Even if your bank back home adds a small foreign fee, it’s still cheaper than the hidden cut the ATM takes when you select With Conversion. So ignore the “guaranteed rate” wording and always decline conversion.
I was staying at a cheap guesthouse near Dordoi Bazaar and tried an Optima Bank ATM. Pressed With Conversion because it showed GBP, and my Barclays account statement later was shocking - £12 gone on just 20,000 KGS. Next day I tried DemirBank close to Victory Park, tapped Without, and suddenly the numbers matched XE’s mid-market. The staff at my hostel in Bishkek laughed, saying everyone new gets burned once by that “friendly” option. Always Without Conversion here.
In Bishkek, ATMs from DemirBank, Optima Bank, and Kyrgyz Investment and Credit Bank all flash that “With / Without Conversion” option for foreign cards. That’s dynamic currency conversion. If you choose With, the ATM locks your withdrawal in USD or EUR at a very inflated rate. Without keeps it in som (KGS) and lets Visa or Mastercard do the math. I used DemirBank on Chuy Avenue near Ala-Too Square - pressed Without and Revolut billed me fairly. Pressing With once at Optima near Osh Bazaar cost me almost 8% more.