ATMs in Guernsey high currency conversion charges

Happened to me too in St. Peter Port at a HSBC ATM outside the bus station. I was half-asleep and nearly pressed USD, but the tiny text showed some “exchange rate” way off from what I saw on Google. I hit GBP instead, and my Wells Fargo account converted it at the proper rate. Next day my hostel roommate told me she chose USD at the same machine and lost like $10 extra on a £150 withdrawal. So yeah, don’t go with the shiny USD button-it’s basically a trap.

This is a common trick all over Europe, and Guernsey is no exception. If you see “Charge in USD or GBP” at a Santander or NatWest machine, ignore the instinct to hit USD. It feels safe because it’s your home currency, but you’re actually agreeing to a terrible exchange rate that benefits the local bank. The right option is always to be charged in GBP, the local currency. Your home bank converts automatically, and even if your US bank charges a foreign transaction fee, you’ll still come out ahead compared to DCC.

I almost got burned by this in St. Sampson, using a Lloyds ATM by the Co-op store. I pressed USD thinking it would be simpler since my account is in dollars, but the conversion was awful. My withdrawal of £200 ended up costing me way more than if I had declined and just let my US bank handle it. Later at a Barclays ATM in town, I tried GBP instead and compared. The GBP choice saved me about $15 on that single transaction. Lesson learned-never choose USD in Guernsey ATMs.

When I used my Chase debit card at the NatWest ATM near St. Peter Port harbor, it asked if I wanted to be charged in USD or GBP. The trick here is that USD means dynamic currency conversion with a markup of around 8%, which you saw on screen. Always pick GBP in Guernsey. Your bank back home will do the exchange at the Visa/Mastercard rate, which is much closer to the market. If you pick USD, you’re basically handing the ATM operator extra money for no reason. Stick to GBP.