Should I pay in the card currency (HKD) or the local currency when making a payment abroad?

It is generally cheaper to pay in the merchant's local currency. If you choose to pay in HKD, the merchant’s payment terminal applies Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC), which often comes with a higher exchange rate and additional markup set by the merchant or payment processor.

This typically results in a higher overall cost compared to letting Mastercard® handle the conversion. By selecting the local currency when using the Statrys card, the transaction will be converted at the Mastercard® exchange rate, with only the 1.5% FX fee, making it the more cost-effective option.