Poland paying with card better zloty or dollar

Zloty and let your bank do the conversion

Always pay in the host country currency.

Google or search here for Dynamic Currency Conversion. Dollars will be a rip-off. Use Zlotys.

The merchant has no incentive or requirement to give you a fair exchange rate. I think when they do the conversion, it is already including the taxes, since that transaction is just between you and the merchant. .

Tax will not differ with the currency you pay in.

I found DCC pervasive in Poland--worse than any other country I've visited, but that's partly because it's one of my most recent destinations. DCC is spreading. On one occasion the checker at a small supermarket reached around the terminal to press the button for dollars while I was reading the screen (which is in Polish, so good luck with that). I had to be very insistent about zloty, and it got to the point that I considered not putting the tip on the bill so I could wait to be sure the charge went through in zlotys before deciding how much to tip in cash. The servers would probably have preferred cash tips, anyway.

There's more than one kind of terminal and software in use in Poland, but when I was able to observe what was going on (needed the servers' help since I can't read Polish), the red button below the left corner of the screen got me zloty. I cannot say for sure that will work 100% of the time, but if you're stuck, I suggest playing the odds and going with red.

All good advice above, especially from @acraven - I had the exact same experience (frequently) while in Poland recently.

Summary:

1. Always, always pay in local currency, not dollars. There is absolutely no difference in "taxes."
2. Watch out for DC ripoffs, they are everywhere and you really need to be on your toes to avoid this. I think this is the single most common scam that tourists are victims of. Agree it's very pervasive in Poland (I found the same in Prague).
3. Make sure you have a credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees - they're plentiful and there is no reason to be gouged by any bank for this. Never use a credit card that dings you for foreign transactions.

Encountered DC in Banff and Lake Louise last week. I mistakenly chose dollars and realized my mistake; told the cashier to cancel the charge and start over, selecting Canadian currency the second time around. Remember you are the customer/consumer and have every right to be in control of your own funds.

Just my 2 cents. 😊

Always pay in the currency of the country you are in.

Always pay in the currency of the country you are visiting , even if using a credit cards.

And DCC offers are cropping up more and more often at ATMs, too. At least at the ATM the screens will all be in English, so you just have to read carefully and choose the correct button to have the withdrawal recorded in the local currency.

We were just there this past July and always paid in Zloty. And tell them before they hand you the receipt to sign

Better yet, just pay in cash.

We used our credit card for almost every meal and purchase last month in Poland. Before I even handed over the card I said I wanted to pay in zloty and had no issues. In many cases I was able to use the tap to pay option, again, always in zloty. We only used cash for small purchases, ie ice cream, paczki, a cold drink.