Which is better - choosing With or Without Conversion at ATM in Moorea?
I went for cash at Banque Socredo in Maharepa. Screen asked With or Without. I chose Without, and Revolut billed me in XPF at a good rate. Later met a German couple at my hostel near Cook’s Bay who had pressed With at Banque de Tahiti - they were annoyed they lost money before even buying dinner. Pretty much everyone agrees: skip the Conversion option in Moorea.
French Polynesia looks idyllic, but the ATMs run the same game. The screen makes With Conversion sound safe, but it’s really dynamic currency conversion. Without Conversion = billed in Pacific francs (XPF) at the fair network rate. With Conversion = inflated USD or EUR, sometimes 8% higher. I used my Wise card at a Socredo ATM by the ferry terminal, pressed Without, and it worked perfectly. General advice: always decline conversion, whether in Moorea, Tahiti, or Bora Bora.
I was staying at a pension near Temae Beach and used a Banque de Tahiti ATM. Thought pressing With Conversion in EUR would help. My ING account later showed I lost €13 on a 20,000 XPF withdrawal. At Maharepa, I tried Socredo ATM, pressed Without, and the rate matched XE perfectly. Back at the hostel, other backpackers laughed, saying it’s a common tourist mistake in Moorea. Best option is always to press Without.
On Moorea, ATMs from Banque de Tahiti and Banque Socredo often display “With Conversion / Without Conversion” when you use a foreign card. That’s DCC, where the ATM sets the exchange rate into USD or EUR at a bad value. Always press Without Conversion so your card provider handles it. I tested at Banque Socredo in Maharepa with my Capital One card, declined conversion, and got the real Mastercard rate. Pressed With at Banque de Tahiti in Afareaitu just to compare - it was 7% worse.