Cross Border Payments Regulation (CBPR)

• Why you should compare the currency conversion charges
  
• What this means for you
  
• How to find the best way to pay
  
• About our rates
• Currency conversion post-transaction notifications
• Indicative % mark-ups for using your card in the EEA

When you use your card at ATM or Point of Sale (PoS) while travelling in a non-euro country in the European Economic Area (EEA), you may be able to choose to pay in the local currency of the country you are in or in euro. If you choose to pay in the local currency, HSBC Bank Malta p.l.c. (“HSBC”) will convert the amount of the transaction using the daily card exchange rate(s) provided by the card schemes. If you choose to pay in euro, currency conversion will be done on the spot by the merchant in exchange for a fee.

As from 19 April 2020, when you are offered currency conversion services at either POS / ATM, the provider should disclose total charges for dynamic currency conversion, including any fixed fees they will apply, as a percentage markup over the latest available Foreign Exchange Rate(s) issued by the European Central Bank. This means that you will be able to compare the cost of paying in euro to what HSBC would charge if you choose to pay in the local currency and we perform the currency conversion (using the exchange rates provided by the card schemes). The table below shows the % difference between the daily European Central Bank Rate, and the total cost you would be charged by HSBC for paying in the local currency of the country you are in when using your card abroad, providing you with full information about the costs of using your debit or credit card outside the euro zone. Under European Union (EU) law, all parties providing currency conversion services in the EU must publish their currency conversion charges as a percentage mark-up over the "reference rate" last issued by the European Central Bank (ECB). You can see our current mark-ups for each EEA currency below. You can use these to compare our rates with the published rates of other providers.

Find the local currency of the country you are in and choose either debit or credit card, and if it's issued by Visa or Mastercard. You can find this on the front of your card. The lower the percentage, the lower the mark-up. A minus mark-up means the rate we refer to is lower than the recently published ECB reference rate.

The table below is updated regularly using recently published ECB reference exchange rates.

However, please be aware that the mark-ups displayed below may differ from the actual currency conversion charge applied to your payment, because:

• ECB, Visa and Mastercard rates may change between updates to the tables
• Visa and Mastercard convert transactions into euro using the exchange rate applicable on the day the transaction is processed. This processing date may be different to the day on which you ask us to make the payment. This means that the actual percentage mark-up applied could be higher or lower than the rate indicated in the tables below

Subsequent to you carrying out card transactions: 

(i) at ATM or Point of Sale,

(ii) that are denominated in any national currency of the EEA that is different from the currency of your card account, 

we will also send you a free of charge SMS notification informing you about the total currency conversion charges applied to such transactions. These charges will be expressed as a percentage (%) mark-up over the latest available euro foreign exchange reference rates issued by the European Central Bank (ECB). You can opt-out (and in again) of these notifications by calling our contact centre on 2380 2380 or visiting any one of our branches.

Last updated on: 30/12/2024, 15:02