I withdrew cash at an ATM in Guam and selected Accept Conversion because it sounded safer. Later I saw the rate was terrible. Is this normal?
Yup, learned this the hard way in Guam too. Withdrew cash at a BankPacific ATM in Hagåtña and hit “Accept.” My N26 account later showed I paid much more than I expected. DCC is everywhere now, even in places like Guam. When the ATM offers to convert to your home currency, decline it your bank or card will give you a fairer exchange rate. Now I treat DCC as a red flag every time I see it.
I had this happen at the airport in Guam used a First Hawaiian Bank ATM, chose “Accept,” and later regretted it. My Monzo card showed a poor rate and no transparency. When you “Accept,” you’re letting the ATM convert your withdrawal into your home currency using their rate and they always bake in a markup. I’ve been traveling through the Pacific and now I always Decline whenever DCC shows up. Saves a good amount over time.
Same thing happened to me last month at an ANZ Guam ATM near Micronesia Mall. I accepted the conversion thinking it meant fewer fees but my Revolut app showed I lost around 5% on the rate. The ATM basically converted it to GBP with their own inflated rate. I tried again the next day, chose “Decline,” and the difference was clear. Always Decline Conversion when the ATM offers it especially if you’re using a travel card.
Yes, totally normal though not in a good way. I withdrew from a Bank of Guam ATM in Tumon and hit “Accept” too, thinking it would avoid surprises. But my Wise card showed a really poor exchange rate later. That’s Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) the ATM does the conversion instead of your bank and adds a hidden markup. Best practice? Always Decline Conversion and let your card provider handle it. It’s almost always cheaper.