Originally Posted by WarChild

Give me a fucking break, seriously.

1) Epassporte is a non US/Canada/EU entity. They aren't goverened by our laws in the first place.

2) Of course they, and anyone else, can make up whatever exchange rate they want. Almost all companies make a few points on the exchange. You're free to not shop there, or pay in a different currency, usually.

Here's a few examples of businesses that make their own exchange rates:

Your bank. The rate they're giving you for your exchange is not the same rate they're getting. In other words, they're making money exchanging your money. The rate usually changes depending on type of account, service plans and amount of currency being exchanged. Cash and checks sometimes have different rates too.

Visa. The exchange rate on Visa, or any major credit card, will always be worse than cash at your bank. Visa makes money on you from every angle they possibly can.

Any Money Changer Anywhere. You know, those little shops, the kiosks in the airport, those types of places. In the airport they give you worse rates than you'd get at a bank because they have you at their mercy. The scummy little pawn like shops that do it generally offer SLIGHTLY better rates than the bank. That's your incentive to go change money there, unless you're a crook. They make money off you still, but a little less than your bank would have.

Restaurants and retail. Frequently the exchange rates will be terrible. They just make up whatever they want and it's always better to pay in the native currency.

Now you know.