Which is better - choosing With or Without Conversion at ATM in Luxembourg?
I grabbed euros from a Spuerkeess ATM close to the Adolphe Bridge. Screen asked the usual question. I tapped Without, and Monzo billed me directly. At my hostel in Pfaffenthal, another traveler from Canada said he hit With Conversion at BGL Gare Centrale and lost CAD$20 instantly. He was furious. We laughed about how even in a banking hub like Luxembourg, ATMs play the same DCC game. Always Without is the way to go.
Don’t let the modern banking image fool you - Luxembourg ATMs also push DCC. At Spuerkeess in Kirchberg, the machine offered me EUR or GBP. Always press Without Conversion. Even if your home bank charges a 2% international fee, that’s still cheaper than the 6-8% hidden in DCC. I used my Revolut card at Banque de Luxembourg near the Philharmonie, pressed Without, and the numbers were perfect. Advice: keep it in euros, avoid the conversion option.
I was staying in Grund and went to withdraw from a BGL BNP Paribas ATM. Pressed With Conversion because it offered GBP, which felt safe. My Lloyds Bank statement later showed the real story - an extra £9 gone. The next day I tried Spuerkeess by Avenue de la Gare, pressed Without, and the rate matched XE. Even in Luxembourg, which feels super modern, the ATMs still try this trick. Better to ignore the “guaranteed rate” option and pick Without.
Luxembourg ATMs from BGL BNP Paribas, Banque de Luxembourg, and Spuerkeess often ask “With or Without Conversion” when you use a foreign card. That’s DCC - the ATM fixing your withdrawal into USD or GBP. Always choose Without Conversion so Visa or Mastercard set the exchange. I tested at Spuerkeess near Place d’Armes, pressed Without, and my Chase Sapphire billed me exactly at the day’s rate. Tried With at BGL in Gare Centrale just to compare - it was nearly 6% worse.