When you pay abroad, some card terminals and websites ask whether you want to be charged in USD or the merchant's local currency. This is called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC).
Our recommendation: choose the local currency
When a foreign merchant offers to charge you in USD, the conversion is done at the merchant's own exchange rate, which usually includes a hidden markup. Choosing the local currency instead means the conversion happens through the Visa network rate, which is typically much better.
What fees apply?
USD-priced purchases (most online merchants): no currency conversion needed.
Non-USD purchases: converted at the network rate, plus our standard FX fee. See fees and pricing.
Quick rule of thumb: if a terminal or ATM abroad asks "USD or local currency?", pick local.