I withdrew cash at an ATM in Kosovo and selected Accept Conversion because it sounded safer. Later I saw the rate was terrible. Is this normal?
I ran into this at the TEB Bank ATM in Prizren. “Accept” looked like the recommended choice, but my N26 card showed a terrible rate and no transparency. That’s Dynamic Currency Conversion they make it sound secure but it just means the ATM gets to apply its own inflated exchange rate. Since then, I always Decline, and with travel cards like N26 or Wise, the rate is way better when your card handles the conversion.
Just visited Kosovo a few weeks ago. I used an NLB Bank ATM near Mother Teresa Square in Pristina and also hit “Accept.” My Monzo account showed I was charged in GBP with a lousy rate. That’s the DCC trap the ATM converts instead of your bank and adds a quiet fee inside the rate. Next time I hit “Decline” and the difference was obvious. Always go with Decline Conversion when you see that option.
Same thing happened to me in Peja at a ProCredit Bank ATM. I thought “Accept” sounded official or safe, but my Revolut app showed I paid way more than I should’ve. What happened is DCC the ATM converted the euros to GBP using its own rate, not my card provider’s. When I chose “Decline” on the next try, I got a way better exchange. So yes, this is common, and the right option is always to Decline.
Yes, that’s totally normal and unfortunately not in a good way. I withdrew cash at a Raiffeisen Bank ATM in Pristina and selected “Accept” too, thinking it would avoid surprise fees. But my Wise card later showed I got a much worse exchange rate, nearly 6% off the mid-market rate. That’s Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) the ATM sets the rate and adds a hidden markup. Always Decline Conversion so your card handles it at a better rate.