ATMs in Vanuatu keep asking Accept or Decline Conversion - what does that mean? Shows high charges for this
Talking to fellow travelers in Vanuatu, I learned to never accept conversion on those ANZ or Westpac ATMs. The fees add up fast-anywhere from $5 to $8 per transaction plus bad exchange rates. Declining conversion pushes the conversion to your card’s bank, which is generally cheaper. Still, Vanuatu doesn’t have many fee-free ATMs, so it pays to plan cash withdrawals carefully.
Honestly, ATMs in Vanuatu can be tricky. I used an ANZ Bank ATM and accepted conversion by mistake-it cost me nearly 10% extra on a $200 withdrawal due to marked-up rates and fees. Now I always decline, which is still not super cheap because of local $5+ ATM fees, but better than paying twice in fees. Many travelers use Revolut or Wise cards to reduce costs.
I remember withdrawing from a Westpac ATM in Port Vila, Vanuatu, and the Accept or Decline Conversion option confused me. Accepting meant paying about $6 extra fees and a bad exchange rate. Declining conversion transferred the conversion back to my home bank, which saved me roughly 7-8%. Vanuatu ATMs charge withdrawal fees around $5-$7. Definitely declined every time after that experience.
ATMs in Vanuatu, especially those run by ANZ and Westpac, ask you to accept or decline conversion to USD or VUV. If you accept, the ATM sets a rate that is usually 8-12% worse than your card’s and adds fees near $5. Declining means your issuer does the conversion, which is cheaper but local fees still apply. I always decline when withdrawing via Visa or Mastercard to dodge extra costs, even if fees are unavoidable.