Why Is My Payment Amount Different?

When you pay for your tour, the advertised payment amount can sometimes be different to the one shown by your bank or to a rate advertised elsewhere online.

Our payment partner, Flywire, have provided the following answers:

Why Is The Exchange Rate Higher Than What I See Online?

When you check exchange rates online, you see the mid-market rate. This is the average rate between buyers and sellers. It is usually not available to consumers but can be found on sites like XE, Google and Yahoo Finance.

With Flywire, you have flexible payment options:

• Pay in your local currency. The amount you see when paying is the total amount that will appear on your credit card bill, including all charges and exchange rates.
• Pay in Euros: The amount shown is the total charged by Vagabond and Flywire. However, your bank might add two fees:
  • A cross-border fee (up to 3%), which some credit cards waive.
  • A foreign exchange margin fee, which varies and shows up as a higher amount in your local currency on your credit card statement.

Why Is The Exchange Rate Higher Than The Exchange Rate From My Bank?

When you look up exchange rates, you'll see the mid-market rate. This is the average rate between what buyers are willing to pay and what sellers want. It's also called the interbank rate and can be found on sites like XE, Google and Yahoo Finance.

However, this rate is usually not available to consumers. Banks typically add extra fees on top of the mid-market rate; this fee amount varies from bank to bank.

My Bank/Credit Card Doesn't Charge For Foreign Currency Transactions - So Why Is The Rate Higher Than What I See When I Pay For My Tour?

When you pay for your Vagabond or Driftwood tour with a credit or debit card, the card will be charged in the currency you select. Flywire handles this for Vagabond Tours. The amount shown includes fees and foreign exchange rates and will be the amount that appears on your statement.

Flywire offers competitive exchange rates to banks. For an accurate comparison, it is best to compare the amount displayed at the time of payment to the retail rate charged by your bank. As exchange rates are in constant flux, the rates should be compared around the same time, ideally.