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Q. Are there fees for charging foreign currency transactions to my VISA Desjardins card?
A. There is a 1.8% fee for any foreign currency amount charged to your account and converted into Canadian dollars. The amount of a purchase is converted into Canadian dollars at the exchange rate in effect on the date we receive the invoice from the merchant. A 1.8% fee is then added to this amount. The exchange rate that is applied is the rate used by VISA Inc.
Consult the VISA currency converter.
- In the My Card Is In field, select Canadian Dollars (CAD).
- In the My Transaction Was In field, select the currency of your purchase.
- In the Enter Bank Fee field, enter 1.8.
The resulting exchange rate will include the conversion fee. Do the opposite calculation to find out how many Canadian dollars you paid for a purchase in a foreign currency.
To get the exchange rate without the conversion fees, enter 0 in the Enter Bank Fee field.
The 1.8% conversion fee also applies to cash advances. Interest charges are calculated from the transaction date until the cash advance is fully repaid.
Use the VISA ATM Locator.
Q. I made a transaction in foreign currency for which I received a refund. However, the credit on my account is lower than my original purchase. Why?
A. The amount of your refund may be different from the amount of your purchase when the transaction is made in a foreign currency.
First, the exchange rate varies throughout a day which can cause a difference between the purchase amount and the credit amount.
Moreover, there are 2 types of exchange rates: the selling rate and the buying rate. The selling rate is used when a purchase is made in a foreign currency whereas a buying rate is used for refunds. So, when you buy an item and return it, a different exchange rate is used, which results in a difference in the purchase amount and refunded amount.
To find out the difference between the selling and buying rate, go to Exchange rates for cheque drafts/wire transfers.
Please note that Desjardins Card Services is not required to refund clients for this difference.
Q. I am currently outside Canada and I’d like to contact you by telephone. What number should I call?
A. We suggest that you call an operator in the country you are visiting to call us collect at 1-514-397-4610.
A Desjardins Card Services agent will accept the call.
If there are no operators available from where you are calling, you can use the Canada Direct service to make a collect call. To find our more, go to the
Canada Direct site and follow the instructions:
- In the Canada Direct access numbers list, find the number for the country you are in.
- Dial the access number.
- Follow the instructions to select a language.
- Dial 0 to make a collect call.
- A bilingual Canadian telephone operator will be available to help you during the entire process.
Q. I tried to pay at the pump at a gas station in the United States and I was asked to enter a ZIP Code. Why?
A. Some U.S. gas pumps ask you to enter a 5-digit zip code when paying for gas directly at the pump. The zip code corresponds to the cardholder’s postal code.
Since your credit card is Canadian, you won’t be able to pay at the pump and will have to pay for your gas at the cash.
Please note that not all U.S. gas pumps require a zip code.
If you have a VISA Desjardins chip card, the requested zip code is not your PIN.
Q. Are there fees for charging foreign currency transactions to my VISA Desjardins card?
A. There is a 1.8% fee for any foreign currency amount charged to your account and converted into Canadian dollars. The amount of a purchase is converted into Canadian dollars at the exchange rate in effect on the date we receive the invoice from the merchant. A 1.8% fee is then added to this amount. The exchange rate that is applied is the rate used by VISA Inc.
Consult the VISA currency converter.
- In the My Card Is In field, select Canadian Dollars (CAD).
- In the My Transaction Was In field, select the currency of your purchase.
- In the Enter Bank Fee field, enter 1.8.
The resulting exchange rate will include the conversion fee. Do the opposite calculation to find out how many Canadian dollars you paid for a purchase in a foreign currency.
To get the exchange rate without the conversion fees, enter 0 in the Enter Bank Fee field.
The 1.8% conversion fee also applies to cash advances. Interest charges are calculated from the transaction date until the cash advance is fully repaid.
Use the VISA ATM Locator.
Q. I made a transaction in foreign currency for which I received a refund. However, the credit on my account is lower than my original purchase. Why?
A. The amount of your refund may be different from the amount of your purchase when the transaction is made in a foreign currency.
First, the exchange rate varies throughout a day which can cause a difference between the purchase amount and the credit amount.
Moreover, there are 2 types of exchange rates: the selling rate and the buying rate. The selling rate is used when a purchase is made in a foreign currency whereas a buying rate is used for refunds. So, when you buy an item and return it, a different exchange rate is used, which results in a difference in the purchase amount and refunded amount.
To find out the difference between the selling and buying rate, go to Exchange rates for cheque drafts/wire transfers.
Please note that Desjardins Card Services is not required to refund clients for this difference.
Q. I am currently outside Canada and I’d like to contact you by telephone. What number should I call?
A. We suggest that you call an operator in the country you are visiting to call us collect at 1-514-397-4610.
A Desjardins Card Services agent will accept the call.
If there are no operators available from where you are calling, you can use the Canada Direct service to make a collect call. To find our more, go to the
Canada Direct site and follow the instructions:
- In the Canada Direct access numbers list, find the number for the country you are in.
- Dial the access number.
- Follow the instructions to select a language.
- Dial 0 to make a collect call.
- A bilingual Canadian telephone operator will be available to help you during the entire process.
Q. I tried to pay at the pump at a gas station in the United States and I was asked to enter a ZIP Code. Why?
A. Some U.S. gas pumps ask you to enter a 5-digit zip code when paying for gas directly at the pump. The zip code corresponds to the cardholder’s postal code.
Since your credit card is Canadian, you won’t be able to pay at the pump and will have to pay for your gas at the cash.
Please note that not all U.S. gas pumps require a zip code.
If you have a VISA Desjardins chip card, the requested zip code is not your PIN.
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