I withdrew cash at an ATM in North Macedonia and selected Accept Conversion because it sounded safer. Later I saw the rate was terrible. Is this normal?
Just came back from North Macedonia withdrew at a Halkbank ATM in Bitola, and made the same mistake. “Accept” sounded like the right option, but my N26 card was billed in euros at an inflated rate. That’s DCC in action the ATM chooses the rate, not your card provider, and it’s never in your favor. From now on, I always Decline Conversion and let my travel card handle it. It’s more transparent and way cheaper.
Same thing in Ohrid used a NLB Bank ATM by the lake, pressed “Accept,” and later my Monzo statement showed a bad exchange rate. I realised it was Dynamic Currency Conversion the ATM converted to pounds at a rate they control, not my bank. It’s sneaky because it sounds secure, but actually costs you more. I withdrew again later and declined conversion, and the rate was much better. Definitely decline every time.
Happened to me too withdrew cash from a Stopanska Banka ATM near the Old Bazaar in Skopje. I accepted the conversion and thought it was just confirming the amount. But my Revolut card was charged at a terrible rate in GBP. It’s DCC looks like a helpful option, but it’s really letting the ATM do the conversion and pocket a hidden fee. Next time I chose “Decline,” and the difference was obvious. Always decline if you see your home currency.
Yes, that’s unfortunately very common. I used a Komercijalna Banka ATM in Skopje and also hit “Accept” thinking it would avoid surprise charges. Later, my Wise account showed a really poor exchange rate, about 6% worse than market. That’s due to Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) the ATM converts the amount using its own inflated rate. Always Decline Conversion so your card provider (Wise, Revolut, etc.) handles the currency. You’ll get a much better deal.