Book and save here:
➡️Find Bali Accommodation Here⬅️
➡️Click here for more Bali deals⬅️
Bottom line: When paying by card in Bali, if the cashier asks which currency to use, always choose Indonesian Rupiah — never choose New Taiwan Dollars. Selecting TWD means falling into the “DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion)” trap, which adds a hidden exchange rate service fee of about 5%, far higher than the standard overseas transaction fee of 1.5%.
Bali has long been a top travel destination for Taiwanese, and more visitors are finding that paying by card is a convenient option there. However, some travelers have discovered that their final bill is 5% higher than expected. Why does this happen? It’s likely because they’ve fallen into the “DCC (Dynamic Currency Conversion)” trap!
When you swipe your card in Bali and are asked which currency to use for payment, always choose to pay in Indonesian Rupiah — never choose New Taiwan Dollars. DCC offers cardholders the option to pay in either the local currency or their home currency. Many mistakenly think paying in TWD is a better deal, but back in Taiwan they realize the exchange rate was terrible, especially for large purchases or at department stores.
Choosing to pay in your home currency may seem convenient with an instant exchange rate, but that rate already includes an extra service fee (not the standard 1.5% overseas transaction fee). So when visiting Bali, always choose to pay in the local currency when using your card.
Experienced travelers also share their stories, including when booking hotels online — they all agree that for any overseas purchase, you should always choose to pay in the local currency to avoid unnecessary losses.
