For several things on our England vacation, I can either choose to pay in pounds or dollars when booking things like hotels and tours online. When I look online at the conversion rates, it always appears I would be better off to pay in pounds with my CC than in dollars. Has anyone had any experience with this ?
Posted by
Washington DC Region, USA
7054 posts
Always pay in the local currency (it doesn't matter what country) for the best exchange rate.
Posted by
Northamptonshire, England
34010 posts
Never say yes to DCC.
Always pay in the local currency.
Posted by
Atlanta
5237 posts
"...it always appears I would be better off to pay in pounds with my CC ...". Yes, that is absolutely the best way to go with a credit card. Paying with local hard currency is also better than paying with actual dollars.
Posted by
Hampshire, England.
1075 posts
Dynamic Currency Conversion:
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/holidays/article-1699921/Avoid-hidden-card-charges-abroad.html
Posted by
Eastern Iowa, USA
8130 posts
It depends a bit on the site, where they are based, and how they are making the offer.
- If they state a price in Pounds, then offer to do the transaction in Dollars for you without offering a firm amount, then choose Pounds.
- If they offer pricing in both Pounds and Dollars and they are comparable to current rates, then it really does not matter; If there is a difference, then choose the lowest.
- If the site is one of the US based Hotel websites, either Corporate (IHG or Marriot for example) or a general site like Tripadvisor or Hotels.com and they make the offer in US Dollars, if the price is right, then there really is no need to insist in paying in Pounds.