✈️ Payments & Currency Watch the Exchange Rate

Avoid DCC and Choose Local Currency for Overseas Card Payments

When paying by card abroad, choosing the local currency means your card issuer's exchange rate will be used, even if you are offered payment in Korean won. Set up DCC blocking and check the currency shown on the receipt before paying to reduce unexpected currency-conversion fees.

As of 2026-09-20

This is the Payments & Currency item that applies wherever you are going. The 3 checkpoints below can only be settled properly before you leave — put them off and you queue at an airport desk or spend the first day on them instead. Work through them once and nothing has to be reopened.

Key checkpoints

Before departure, enable the overseas Korean-won payment (DCC) blocking feature in your card issuer's app or through customer service, then confirm the cards covered and the setting status.
If the payment terminal shows an option for KRW, Korean won, or Korean currency, press cancel or decline and ask to pay in the local currency of the country you are visiting.
Before completing payment, check the currency code and amount on the terminal and receipt; if it was approved in Korean won, immediately ask the staff to cancel it and process the payment again in local currency.

What to do before departure, in order

Two rules decide the order. First, anything with a deadline — pre-registration, bookings, documents to be issued: miss the cut-off and there is no substitute. Then whatever also works locally, which costs little to postpone.

Most of the items above can only be done before you leave. After arrival, patchy connectivity and opening hours make them harder, so finish what you can while you are still at home.

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