Dynamic currency conversion

Overview

Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC) allows international customers to pay in their home currency at the point of sale. The conversion happens in real-time using exchange rates from trusted foreign exchange partners, giving customers transparency and certainty about their charges before completing the transaction.

We currently partner with leading rate providers Fexco and Elavon, and are looking to expand to others. When a customer presents a foreign card, the system automatically detects the opportunity, retrieves the exchange rate, and presents a clear choice: pay in your currency or their home currency.

Key benefits

• Additional revenue: Generate commission revenue through currency conversion markups with no setup costs.
• Better customer experience: Provide price transparency and certainty at the point of sale.
• Competitive advantage: Differentiate your business, especially in hospitality, tourism, and retail.
• Seamless integration: Works automatically within your existing payment flow.
• Reduced chargebacks: Upfront clarity reduces transaction disputes.
• Flexible configuration: Enable at the site level with terminal-specific control.

How it works

For merchants

Once configured, you process transactions normally:

1. You enter the transaction amount in your local currency.
2. You present the payment to the customer.
3. The customer inserts or taps their card. The device handles everything else automatically.

You don't need to ask about DCC, calculate rates, or select special modes. If a transaction is eligible, the device automatically offers it.

For customers

1. The customer inserts or taps their foreign card.
2. The device displays both currency options with exchange rate and amounts.
3. The customer chooses their preferred currency.
4. The payment processes and a receipt is printed with all details.

The process takes seconds and gives customers confidence about what they're paying.

Eligibility requirements

DCC is offered when:

• The cardholder's currency differs from your currency.
• The card scheme is either Visa or Mastercard.
• The card is captured via EMV (contact or contactless).
• For contactless Mastercard, the amount exceeds the CVM limit.

Exchange rates

Rates are provided in real-time by your configured provider and include:

• The current interbank or wholesale exchange rate.
• The mark-up or margin from the provider and/or acquirer.
• Full disclosure of rates and amounts in both currencies.

All information is displayed clearly to the customer, ensuring transparency per card scheme regulations.

Supported devices

DCC is available on:

• S1F2
• S1F4 Pro

For more information, see the Devices page.

Transaction types

DCC can be used for the following transaction types:

• Purchase
• Refund (linked)

Rate rules by transaction type

Requirements

DCC requires a supported acquirer with rate provider partnership:

• Elavon (UK and EU) with Elavon rates.
• AIB (UK) with Fexco, OpenFX, or Global Blue.

Rate providers must be compatible with your acquirer.

Reporting and analytics

Transaction reporting

All DCC transactions include enhanced data in your standard transaction reporting within the Unity portal and POS application. You can:

• View detailed DCC information for each transaction including both currency amounts, exchange rates, and markup percentages.
• Filter transactions based on DCC parameters to analyse currency choice patterns.
• Track attached refunds with full DCC data lineage.

DCC analytics dashboard

To help you understand and optimise your DCC offering, dedicated analytics provide insights into:

• DCC opportunity tracking: See how many eligible transactions were offered DCC and how many customers accepted versus declined the option.
• Revenue insights: Approximate earnings from DCC markup revenue across your sites and over time.
• Customer behaviour: Understand which currencies are most common, acceptance rates by card type, and geographic patterns of your international customers.
• Performance trends: Identify trends in DCC acceptance to inform business decisions and staff training.

These insights empower you to maximise the value of your DCC service and enhance the international customer experience.