Jetstar currency converstion beware

[wendlle]

Most may already know but thought I'd mention it.
I booked a one way flight originating in Tokyo and ending in Cairns.

When it came to the payment page it asked if I wanted to use local currency or Yen.
The local currency - AUD was $2756
Seemed like a lot to me as I was using a currency converter and it was a lot cheaper.
So I chose Yen and was charged on my CC $2244 AUD

So if I chose to pay their AUD charge it was around $500 AUD more than choosing the flight origin currency.

I read further and it said they charge a 5.5% fee as well as some other garbage.

Just beware when booking a one way flight in another currency, Jetstar will try to screw you over by saying you are better off choosing the AUD option - which it does actually say something to the effect of, if you don't choose this option we can't guarantee what you'll be charged.
Seems off to me.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I just replicated your booking, using the jetstar website for NRT-CNS. The default currency on the payment page was Japanese Yen. I had to open a drop down list to select another currency.

The price difference was quite steep… $497 in Yen at today’s bank rate vs $539 if Jetstar did the conversion.

But it wasn’t like they offered AUD as the default, and you had to select yen. It was the other way around.

 

[wendlle]

They didn’t offer it as the conversion but they do say they recommend it

 

[MEL_Traveller]

They didn’t offer it as the conversion but they do say they recommend it

My screen didn’t. It only said ‘we actively encourage you to select a payment option that doesn’t incur a booking fee’, immediately above the options for debit or credit card.

 

[wendlle]

It’s after that
When you select pay now it asks you what currency you want to do it with etc

After you put in your credit card details etc

It actively encourages you to select the AUD option which was several hundred dollars more in my case

 

[MEL_Traveller]

It’s after that
When you select pay now it asks you what currency you want to do it with etc

After you put in your credit card details etc

It actively encourages you to select the AUD option which was several hundred dollars more in my case

Oh! That's no good!

 

[moa999]

That's the case with any DCC offers (generally a ripoff).. but 20+% is extortionate

 

[dajop]

Without actually looking into it, so could be wrong, but it’s possibky not DCC but when changing currency to AUD it might also switches point of sale to Australia which changes fares.

 

[justinbrett]

Most may already know but thought I'd mention it.
I booked a one way flight originating in Tokyo and ending in Cairns.

When it came to the payment page it asked if I wanted to use local currency or Yen.
The local currency - AUD was $2756
Seemed like a lot to me as I was using a currency converter and it was a lot cheaper.
So I chose Yen and was charged on my CC $2244 AUD

So if I chose to pay their AUD charge it was around $500 AUD more than choosing the flight origin currency.

I read further and it said they charge a 5.5% fee as well as some other garbage.

Just beware when booking a one way flight in another currency, Jetstar will try to screw you over by saying you are better off choosing the AUD option - which it does actually say something to the effect of, if you don't choose this option we can't guarantee what you'll be charged.
Seems off to me.

That's true of almost any merchant. Never pay foreign merchants in AUD if you can help it, it's almost always cheaper to use the local currency.

Fares outside Australia will use the currency of the departure port and the same applies to them.

 

[shonac]

Same thing just happened to me but I paid in IRP for a 1 way flight from Bali. It cost 17,232,248 which converts to 1634.80 but was charged 1771.48. Jetstar said it was Mastercard that I paid with that did the exchange but when I went on the Mastercard exchange rate website, their exchange was 1657.74. No one can figure out where the 136.68 has gone- such a rip

 

[TheInsider]

Same thing just happened to me but I paid in IRP for a 1 way flight from Bali. It cost 17,232,248 which converts to 1634.80 but was charged 1771.48. Jetstar said it was Mastercard that I paid with that did the exchange but when I went on the Mastercard exchange rate website, their exchange was 1657.74. No one can figure out where the 136.68 has gone- such a rip

Bank fees.
Your statement will show you the charge you got charged from the merchant and then the conversion fees/commission.

 

[shonac]

Bank fees.
Your statement will show you the charge you go charged from the merchant and then the conversion fees/commission.

Thanks for that, I'll have a look

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Same thing just happened to me but I paid in IRP for a 1 way flight from Bali. It cost 17,232,248 which converts to 1634.80 but was charged 1771.48. Jetstar said it was Mastercard that I paid with that did the exchange but when I went on the Mastercard exchange rate website, their exchange was 1657.74. No one can figure out where the 136.68 has gone- such a rip

The JQ website indicates a charge for using debit/credit of IDR70,000.

You bank *may* have charge up to 3% foreign transaction fee, if your card charges such a fee.

That’s about $7 + $49 = $56. Still a long way short of getting to the $136!

You can ask for a breakdown.

 

[Cynicor]

Always the case. If you aren’t paying in the currency of the merchant, then you’ll get screwed.

 

[shonac]

The JQ website indicates a charge for using debit/credit of IDR70,000.

You bank *may* have charge up to 3% foreign transaction fee, if your card charges such a fee.

That’s about $7 + $49 = $56. Still a long way short of getting to the $136!

You can ask for a breakdown.

A long way short! Something is not right regardless..

 

[Brissy1]

Same thing just happened to me but I paid in IRP for a 1 way flight from Bali. It cost 17,232,248 which converts to 1634.80 but was charged 1771.48. Jetstar said it was Mastercard that I paid with that did the exchange but when I went on the Mastercard exchange rate website, their exchange was 1657.74. No one can figure out where the 136.68 has gone- such a rip

$1634 is about the current mid-market rate not the buy rate. Also AUD has been fluctuating an lot in the last few days. But yes even so.
Your bank transaction should confirm whether exactly 17232248ird was the converted amount. That would be interesting.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

$1634 is about the current mid-market rate not the buy rate. Also AUD has been fluctuating an lot in the last few days. But yes even so.
Your bank transaction should confirm whether exactly 17232248ird was the converted amount. That would be interesting.

Sure, but the MC and Visa rates are usually around the mid-market level, give or take a fraction. The banks then add their foreign transaction fees, if any. Shouldn’t be anywhere near the difference mentioned by the OP.

Unless they unwittingly chose dynamic conversion

 

[Brissy1]

dynamic conversion

What that?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What that?

That’s where the merchant offers you to pay in AUD instead of local currency. This usually comes at a very hefty mark-up over standard MC or Visa rates. Why do people take it? Dunno, but obviously some do. Perhaps easier for them to reconcile their credit card balance?

 

[Brissy1]

That’s where the merchant offers you to pay in AUD instead of local currency. This usually comes at a very hefty mark-up over standard MC or Visa rates. Why do people take it? Dunno, but obviously some do. Perhaps easier for them to reconcile their credit card balance?

I see so, like the OP was "offered"