Creditcard Mc.Cormick Hospital

[kanGBK]

Yesterday tried to pay with EU creditcard (Mastercard) in Mc.Cormick. First no problem (over 1.000,==THB. no extra perc.). Handed over the card to cassiere who put the card in the machine, next she gave me ticket from the machine, the amount in Euro.

My reply: No, in THB. please. She put in the card again and said: No, cannot, not accept. I asked why, but all I got was fingerpointing at the machine and a blank face.

Now I know the trick about THB./Euro. But first time complete refusal/acceptance. Other companies( BigC. etc.) no problems.

Are we supposed to just accept this kind of refusing a creditcard. Is it allowed ? Can they (in this case Mc.C.) maybe "edit" the system.

Many thanks in advance for your reaction.

[eyecatcher]

Not sure what difference it makes as your credit card will be eventually charged at your home currency rate

It happened to me at lanna hospital once, I got a receipt out of the machine advising the rate in £

...which is helpful if you are a tourist having to claim insurance back.

It really isn't even worth worrying about.

Sounds like you still have the attitude that everyone is out to rip you off.

[chiang mai]

The cashier has the option to select THB or the home currency of the card, perhaps she doesn't know how to do so, McCormick is a great hospital but it's a little bit back woodsie like at times.

[briley]

If the shop or wherever does the currency exchange you get a much poorer exchange rate than letting visa or mastercard do the exchange.

2-3% worse.

Always pay in local currency for the best rates.

But if you forget or the shop fails to ask you can often get it corrected by your card holder if you complain quickly.

[Red Snake]

Cancel the transaction and pay cash.

[LivinLOS]

Not sure what difference it makes as your credit card will be eventually charged at your home currency rate

It happened to me at lanna hospital once, I got a receipt out of the machine advising the rate in £

...which is helpful if you are a tourist having to claim insurance back.

It really isn't even worth worrying about.

Sounds like you still have the attitude that everyone is out to rip you off.

Because visa offers very tight rates on FX conversion and the local conversion is a secondary profit center.

Have you never looked at the rates ??

[northernjohn]

Not sure what difference it makes as your credit card will be eventually charged at your home currency rate

It happened to me at lanna hospital once, I got a receipt out of the machine advising the rate in £

...which is helpful if you are a tourist having to claim insurance back.

It really isn't even worth worrying about.

Sounds like you still have the attitude that everyone is out to rip you off.

Because visa offers very tight rates on FX conversion and the local conversion is a secondary profit center.

Have you never looked at the rates ??

I have two different visa cards from two different Canadian banks. They charge different rates. I use the one as it is the cheapest of the two.

On a side note I took it into the AEON machine at the airport and got 10,000 baht. No 150 baht charge. I immediately went to the K bank and had to pay 150 baht. My withdrawal on the Aeon ATM showed a $5 on my visa card statement. It worked out to I saved .29 cents with the Aeon. If it had been American it would have cost me more to use the AEON as their dollar is worth much more than the Canadian.

[beau thai]

At the point the OP just got the 'blank look' etc - presumably he had already had the 'service' and still had the money which they wanted.

Maybe his 'blank look' and a refusal to pay would have worked.

Like you, OP, I object to being ripped off on the exchange and I use the only mastercard I have been able to find that gives wholesale rates (yes really) and takes no interchange fee, so will only pay in baht. (I used to work in the credit card indusrty and we did very well on foreign exchange earnings!)

[taotoo]

"Can they (in this case Mc.C.) maybe "edit" the system."

I think they possibly can - I had this issue once with Cat Telecom - they looked in the user guide, managed to enable multiple currencies, then I had to show them the right button to press when processing the purchase. Amazingly they thanked me for helping them...

[Thighlander]

If your cc charges a foreign transaction fee, it will make little difference. If it does not; then they are gaining about 2.5% on you by charging you in your currency. There must be five different ATMs within 100m of Mccormick.

[mesquite]

I've always been able to get shops and hospitals like RAM and Bumrungrad to charge in THB.

This is just one more reason to avoid McCormick.

[Frank James]

I have used my Capital One Visa card many times at McCormick and was always charged automatically in baht. If it charged in dollars I wouldn't care, because I know McC is one place that will never try to rip me (or anyone else) off.

[taotoo]

If your cc charges a foreign transaction fee, it will make little difference. If it does not; then they are gaining about 2.5% on you by charging you in your currency. There must be five different ATMs within 100m of Mccormick.

I've always assumed that if A. your cc charges a foreign transaction fee, and B. you choose your home currency, then you might get charged twice. My thinking is that they will charge you for using your card abroad, regardless of the currency. Does anybody know for sure?

[beau thai]

If your cc charges a foreign transaction fee, it will make little difference. If it does not; then they are gaining about 2.5% on you by charging you in your currency. There must be five different ATMs within 100m of Mccormick.

I've always assumed that if A. your cc charges a foreign transaction fee, and B. you choose your home currency, then you might get charged twice. My thinking is that they will charge you for using your card abroad, regardless of the currency. Does anybody know for sure?

Yes-with the vast majority of cards, you will be hit with a foreign transaction fee and they will make a big turn on the exchange. (The card issuer bears an interchange fee (was 1%) from Visa or Mastercard on a transaction outside the territory of card issuance.)

[mikey88]

Pretty sure they will charge you at home every time you use your card abroad....regardless of the currency it is charged in at the point of transaction.

The question is always: "What rate am I getting on that conversion?"

They should be made to disclose the rate...at the point of transaction.

I work on proposition that they are all thieves.

Is this negative....

I really don't think so....I think it's only sensible.