Epassporte exchange rates
 

Epassporte charges $2 for cash witdrawal (at ATM), but if you're not withdrawing USD, they cut 2.5% more because they have a weird exchange rate... I lost $8 when withdrawing $200.

I believe its the bank wher eyou withdraw the cash that sets the rate.
I get the same rate as I do at the bank when I withdraw money using the electron card.

I just go in the bank and withdraw money straight into my checking account, but mostly I just buy things with it!

This is like a hidden charge they have...it;s negociated with their issuing bank to post lower exchange rates, so they can get some pretty good $$$ on that.
Imagine 2-3% of millions of $$$/month.
They claim that "it's not us, it depends on the bank that you are using", however i make a test :
i have several cards issued by forign banks : 1 from US, 1 from St. Vincent, 1 from Canada and one from Netherland Antiles (Epassporte). All are drawn on USD.
I made onde widtrawal in local curency from each card, in the same ammount, same bank, same time (1 min differece). 3 Days latter, i checked the online statement for all the cards. Epassporte was the worst exchange rate i got, with a difference of arround 2-3% from the other cards.
So, it's not necesarely the aquiring bank fault, it's mainly epassporte that is ranking tens of thousents of $$$ from the bad exchange rate.
After all, they have to make a living :)

ermmm.. without epassporte my life would be much more complicated...! :thumbsup

Epassporte is a very great system. It's not the only one out there, but it's a good one. I was just explaining the exchange rate difference.

you are right they have a weird exchange rate only withdraw usd from now on, that is what i have been doing; and use your card only for atm withdraw don't buy anything except if they charge you in usd

I compared the rates aswell.
I get the exact same rate as if I had went into the bank with cash and exchanged it.
I think this issue have been up before and ePassporte said its the bank where you withdraw that sets the rate.