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US bank that shows you foreign currency transactions?
 

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone knew of any US banks or even prepaid debit/credit cards that are able to show you the exact amount that is charged when the store/merchant/etc uses another currency besides USD? For example if the charge was in Japanese Yen they'd show you how many Yens the charge was for.

I ask because I have a very frustrating problem that is holding back my business in a big way. Like many here I order from an overseas supplier and resell on ebay but my main supplier recently switched over from only accepting wire payments to only accepting credit card payments. Normally this would be great but there is 1 problem, in order to use a credit card with their 3rd party payment system they require you to pass a verification charge where they charge the card something like $0.10, you get the exact amount that was charged from your bank, then enter that amount on their website and then you're verified and able to spend/buy whatever you like. Nothing new or complicated about that.

The part that is complicated is that they do it in their local currency (rubles) and so far the 3 banks that I have tried (bank of america, chase, wells fargo) only show the transaction in USD. I've called the customer service department of all 3 and asked if they could tell me the exact amount charged in the foreign currency but they all tell me they aren't able to view that information and suggest that I use an online currency converter. The problem with that is that exchange rates vary from bank to bank and something like $0.14 can be anything from 4.08 rubles to 4.29 rubles and you only get 3 tries to verify before having to start over with a new charge.

I'm surprised that it's this complicated, all I want to know is how much I was charged in a foreign currency and it seems like no major US bank is able to tell me this basic information.

I understand exactly what you mean and I was trying to find out for a different reason before.

The way it works is that on your STATEMENT, it has to show the currency of the card that was debited or credited.

Very rarely do banks allow for you to call in and speak to an agent who will tell you exactly how much the charge was in the different currency.

You could call up the company doing the test charge and ask for their advice.