Overseas transaction fee buying from Google Play Store?

Demon · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:27

Might be being stupid here, but the kids decided they wanted Cut the Rope for their tablets. (I have a shared account they both use for apps)..

I logged in to their account on my laptop, and bought the game (had to add my debit card details), once it was purchased, I removed the card details just in case..

Looking on my bank statement (halifax), I have two transactions listed for this, the Google one for the app (£0.66) but then a £1.50 additional transaction for "Overseas Transaction"..

What did I do wrong, and how do I not suffer from this again?

[edit] Looking at the Halifax's 'rates' it's definitely them adding this fee for the transaction

Buying goods and services in a foreign currency

If you use your debit card to withdraw cash or pay for goods and services in a currency other than sterling, the exchange rate we use will be the Visa Reference Exchange Rate. We will charge a foreign exchange fee of 2.75% of the amount of the transaction and a £1.50 fee for each payment or withdrawal.

CSA · 9 Jul 2012 at 14:41

yup i had this when buying a cheap app , cost me 69p for the app and £1.50 for the privilege of buying it,im with halifax too

robbing *****

Mr Paul · 9 Jul 2012 at 21:33

MBNA credit card just for this purpose......I don't get charged

The Halk · 9 Jul 2012 at 21:36

That Halifax charge is profiteering. Most decent banks don't charge it.

dan394 · 9 Jul 2012 at 21:39

I used to get that with Santander when the Google store used to list everything in $, but it changed to £ a while back and it's never charged me since. In theory, if it displays the price in £ on Google Checkout, then that's what they should be taking from your bank and you shouldn't be getting charged as it's domestic not overseas.

Demon · 10 Jul 2012 at 10:11

dan394 said:
I used to get that with Santander when the Google store used to list everything in $, but it changed to £ a while back and it's never charged me since. In theory, if it displays the price in £ on Google Checkout, then that's what they should be taking from your bank and you shouldn't be getting charged as it's domestic not overseas.

Yeah, that's the odd thing,
prices in the Play store on the phone show in £, but if you go to buy them, the price appears in $..

And looking on the transactions list, all transactions where in £ until this one where it's in $..

Somethings suddenly changed, no idea what..

[edit]

Ahh.. might have sussed it.. I signed up a new account for the kids at work , which proxies out via the US, so google probably think I'm in the US when using that account, and sure enough, I'm checking from home, if I log into my account (UK signed up), the google wallet checkout price is in £, if I switch to the kids account, when it gets to the google wallet bit, it's in $..

Just need to figure out how to change 'region'..