ATMs in Puerto Rico keep asking Charge in EUR or Charge in USD - what does that mean? Shows high charges for this
I ran into this at a Banco Santander ATM outside Plaza Las Américas mall. My card is GBP-based, and the machine asked “Charge in USD or in GBP?” Same exact trick. Always select USD. When I compared, the GBP option would have cost me £9 extra on a £200 withdrawal. That’s a lot for just pressing the wrong button. Puerto Rico is modern, but ATMs here use the same DCC scam as Europe and Asia. Stick to USD every time.
Happened in Ponce too-at a FirstBank ATM close to my hotel. It felt so odd, being asked whether I want to pay in euros in a US territory. Basically, if you say yes, they convert at their inflated rate and you get burned. If you say no and stick with USD, your bank handles it at proper exchange rates. My Revolut app confirmed it straight away. Don’t be tricked by the “safe guaranteed rate” wording-it’s never safe, just expensive.
I had this at an Oriental Bank ATM near Isla Verde Beach. The screen literally asked “Do you prefer EUR?” with a big bold button. I pressed it once out of curiosity, and my Spanish bank charged me way more than expected. Lesson learned: decline conversion, take USD, and let your own card provider do the math. Puerto Rico is full of tourists from Europe, so I think they add this option to catch people out. Always go for USD, never EUR.
At a Banco Popular ATM in San Juan Old Town, the screen asked if I wanted to be billed in euros or in dollars. That’s Dynamic Currency Conversion. Since Puerto Rico uses USD, the ATM offers to convert to your home currency, but at a bad rate. If you’re from Europe and you hit EUR, you’ll pay much more. Best move is always stick with local currency, which in Puerto Rico is the US dollar. Your own bank will then handle the conversion properly.