How do foreign transaction fees show up on credit card statements?
Are they usually itemized out? Is the purchase price on your statement just 3% higher if you have a 3% foreign transaction fee?
Is it typically done only one way on the statement or does it vary wildly based on credit card company?
I am in the US and my credit card is in US dollars.
You are right about the 3%. It is itemized out. They charge you a foreign currency conversion fee which is about 3%.So for example, you are in Europe and purchase something for 100 Euros which is $128.32 in today's rate, your statement should show:-
1.) Whatever you purchased - $128.32
2.) Foreign Currency conversion fee - $3.85 ( 3% of $128.32)
Please note:- I have credit cards with 4 different banks in the United States, and they all do the same thing( I am not sure if each and every bank does it this way).
Cheers
There was an uproar about this several years ago in the US--that banks were not adequately disclosing foreign transaction fees. They are now listed separately on the credit card statements. I have personally seen it on 4 different credit cards resulting from foreign travel and purchases from foreign merchants (ABEbooks, AmazonUK, etc.). I was also included in the class action suits that were filed against some of the banks about these fees.
Brief mention in article here.
Also see footnote number 3 on this Bank of America page which says in part, "Bank of America will assess an international transaction fee of 3% of the converted U.S. dollar amount.3
3 This fee is assessed as a separate transaction fee on the posting date of the withdrawal...."
