Glossary
Dynamic currency conversion (DCC)
Dynamic currency conversion, DCC, is the offer to a cardholder paying abroad to be charged in their card's currency instead of the merchant's, at an exchange rate set by the acquirer or a DCC provider at the moment of payment. The cardholder sees the final amount in their currency; the acquirer and the merchant share the conversion margin that the issuer would otherwise take. The schemes require that the choice be the cardholder's and the rate and markup be disclosed, and the EU requires the markup to be shown against the central bank's rate.
DCC and multi-currency pricing
With multi-currency pricing the merchant prices and settles in several currencies, each through a terminal in that currency, and the cardholder pays a domestic-looking amount with no conversion at all. With DCC the merchant prices in one currency and converts at the checkout. Multi-currency pricing usually approves better and costs the cardholder less; DCC earns the merchant a margin and is often perceived as a worse deal.
Rules
Visa and Mastercard require an explicit opt-in, the rate, the markup and the amounts in both currencies on the receipt; misleading DCC leads to fines and chargebacks for the full amount. The EU’s cross-border payments regulation adds the comparison with the European Central Bank rate.
On the platform
Tranzify supports pricing and settling in several currencies through terminals in those currencies, which removes the need for conversion at the checkout; where an acquirer offers DCC on its terminal, the offer, the rate and the cardholder’s choice are the acquirer’s and are recorded with the payment.
Updated: 2026-11-08