Accepting payments from foreign cards (DCC)

If a customer pays with a foreign card, your card machine might look a little different from a usual transaction. This is normal - it's called Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), and it's there to give your customer a better payment experience.

This article explains what DCC is, what you'll see on your screen, and what to do at each step.

What is DCC?

DCC stands for Dynamic Currency Conversion. When a customer pays with a card issued in foreign currency, DCC gives them the option to pay in their own currency instead of South African rand.

For example, if a customer from the United States pays with their US card, they'll be able to choose between paying in USD or ZAR. The exchange rate and a margin are calculated at the time the card is presented and shown on screen - so your customer knows exactly what they'll pay in their own currency before they confirm the payment.

You don't need to do anything to enable or disable DCC. It's automatically triggered by your iKhokha card machine when a foreign card is detected.

What you'll see on screen

Step 1: Card received

Once your customer taps or inserts their card, you'll see the total displayed in South African Rand (for example, R235.10) before the transaction is processed.

Step 2: Currency selection

Your customer will be prompted to choose how they'd like to pay. They'll see:

• The amount in their home currency (for example, USD 12.40)
• The equivalent amount in South African rand (for example, ZAR 235.10)
• The exchange rate and margin applied to the conversion

Hand the card machine to your customer so they can decide which currency they’d like to pay in.

Step 3: PIN entry

When your customer is prompted to insert their PIN, allow them to proceed as normal. They might be required to select a currency after PIN entry, if so hand back the device to the customer to make the selection.

Step 4: Transaction result

When the payment goes through, you'll see the result screen showing the rand amount. You'll also see a note that says "Processed in USD" (or whichever foreign currency was used). This is just for your records - it will also appear on the receipt.

Is there a time limit on the currency selection?

Your customer has 90 seconds to select a currency. If they don'tmake a selection in time, you'll see a "Transaction timed out" message.

From here, you can choose to Try again and hand the card machine back to your customer to select their currency of choice, or Cancel the transaction and start again from the beginning.

Good to know: If you cancel and start a new transaction, the foreign currency amount may be slightly different. Exchange rates are live and recalculated each time a card is presented, so the converted amount can change from one attempt to the next. This is normal.

A note for your team

It's worth letting your team know that DCC transactions look a little different from the usual flow - so no one is caught off guard.

Need help?

If you have questions about a DCC transaction, contact iKhokha Supporton 087 222 7000 or support@ikhokha.com.