Purchases done using credit cards abroad is costing travellers from the UK more than the normal cost, it has been reported.

This, according to reports, is happening because transactions are done in pound sterling rather than the local currency.

However, customers have the right to ask to change currencies to the local one in order to have a fair bargain.

But a report explained that sometimes buyers are left with no choice as foreign vendors switch payments themselves without asking the buyer first.

The retailer’s bank can set its own exchange rate on the transactions, which usually makes the customers to pay more than they would ordinarily pay, added the BBC report.

In deals like car hire, which sometimes requires customers to pay a deposit in pounds and be paid back in Euros, the loss is often higher.

One customer claimed losing out on £17 following a similar transaction and only discovered the conversion difference by reading the small print on her receipt.