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Experienced travelers will already know this, but it bears repeating: Don’t trust your hotel to perform currency conversions for credit card transactions. They will rip you off. Leave it to the credit card company.
A few months ago I stayed at a Sheraton hotel in Australia. They swiped my credit card when I checked in, and on check out they asked if I wished to pay with that same card. I did, so I didn’t need to swipe my card again. They sent me an invoice for approximately $265 AUD.
A few weeks later I was processing my expenses, and I realised I’d been charged over $300 NZD. With the exchange rate at the time, it should have been about $275. Looking closer, I realised that they had charged me in New Zealand dollars. They should have charged me in Australian dollars, and let my credit card company sort out the exchange rate.
What’s going on?
Some hotels offer you a choice of currency when paying your bill. This should be an option when you enter your PIN. Do not take this option. It is almost never a good idea. Your credit card company will charge you a fee for Continue reading