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.

To avoid this, simply select the local currency at checkout. Mastercard® will convert the transaction at their standard exchange rate, and our 1.99% FX fee is all that applies.