Which is better - choosing With or Without Conversion at ATM in Qatar?
I pulled cash at a QNB ATM right outside Souq Waqif. It asked the usual With or Without. I hit Without, and my Monzo card billed me perfectly in QAR. Back at my hostel near Al Sadd, another traveler said he pressed With at Doha Bank in City Center Mall - he was furious after seeing the extra fees. Pretty much everyone agreed over dinner: in Qatar, never press With Conversion unless you enjoy paying extra for nothing.
Qatar’s ATMs are modern but they use the same DCC tactic. Ignore the flashy screen that makes With Conversion look like a safe guarantee. Always choose Without, so you’re billed in QAR. I tested at Doha Bank in The Pearl, used my Wise card, pressed Without, and got a clean conversion. Travelers who picked With lost around 6-7%. Even if your card has a small foreign transaction fee, it’s still cheaper than the inflated “guaranteed” rate offered by the ATM.
I was staying near West Bay and used a Commercial Bank ATM. Pressed With Conversion because it displayed USD, assuming it was easier for my Bank of America card. Huge mistake - my statement showed almost $18 lost on a single 2,000 QAR withdrawal. Later at a QNB machine in Villaggio Mall, I pressed Without Conversion, and it matched XE perfectly. Friends at my hotel told me they had the same experience - in Qatar, always select Without.
In Doha, ATMs from Qatar National Bank (QNB), Doha Bank, and Commercial Bank frequently ask With or Without Conversion on foreign cards. That’s DCC - dynamic currency conversion. With = billed in USD, EUR, or GBP at a poor rate. Without = billed in Qatari riyals (QAR) and converted fairly by Visa or Mastercard. I tried QNB ATM at Hamad International Airport, pressed Without, and my Revolut statement was spot on. Pressed With once at Doha Bank near Souq Waqif - ended up with a 6% markup.