zlacker

Apple could purchase FX swaps and charge customers a "FX fluctuation surcharge". That's better than shutting down the store...

>>acchow+(OP)
Or they could charge customers in Euro and let the customers' banks handle the F/X rate.

>>joezyd+6
I would expect that to have legal implications, commerce in foreign currency is usually regulated in different ways.

>>acchow+(OP)
That presumes they have some idea of the short-term forward volatility of the rubble, which no one does right now. Otherwise they have no idea what the surcharge ought to be.

Furthermore, setting up such things is not cost-free, and if the high-volatility situation is temporary (which is very likely) it could well be that it isn't worth the cost, complexity and risk.

>>toyg+E
Possibly? I buy quite a bit of services from SaaS companies in foreign countries as a US citizen with my American Express, am charged in CAD and EUR without issue (converted to USD on my bill).

>>toyg+E
I saw comments that pricing in foreign currencies in retail is not allowed in Russia.

>>toomuc+R
In Russia specifically it is illegal to advertise a price in any currency other than the Ruble.

>>justin+b1
I think that's the case. From the UK's gov.uk site[0]:

"It is illegal to pay directly for general transactions with dollars or Euros."

[0] https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/russia/money

>>tjradc+I
>Otherwise they have no idea what the surcharge ought to be.

Nonsense. The surcharge is the difference between the spot rate and the futures rate with which they hedge. They can easily predict (to a reasonable degree) the volume they need to hedge by estimating their market.

>>tjradc+I
> That presumes they have some idea of the short-term forward volatility of the rubble, which no one does right now

The derivatives market still exists and you can null out future FX risk by paying whatever the derivatives market is charging for it now and passing that cost onto consumers.

>>shapov+b2
Good point. Thanks for clarifying that.

>>toyg+E
Depends on the country - when I buy stuff in Dubai with a credit card, the clerk will frequently ask me if I wish to pay the bill in AED or USD.

>>tjradc+I
You base the surcharge on what the swap costs. The cost of the swap takes into account the market's idea of what the ruble is going to do vs. the dollar.

Basically, you make the customer buy insurance against the ruble losing value against the dollar. It's like charging a subprime borrower PMI.

>>tjradc+I
That presumes they have some idea of the short-term forward volatility of the rubble

My guess is that your typo isn't too far from the truth. Everything we've seen lately with regard to falling oil prices is geared towards attacking the Putin regime. Eventually the Russian people will find themselves living in a North Korean-style pariah state... or else they'll wake up and take drastic action to keep that from happening. Either way the medium-term outlook for the ruble is pretty much toast.

>>ghshep+q6
I thought the option to pay in your credit card's native currency abroad was basically just a scam where the shop makes up a ridiculous exchange rate on the spot to overcharge you.

>>0x0+67
It's a complete scam. It's called "Direct Currency Conversion" and it's a essentially the payment processor and merchant hoping the consumer doesn't know what's going on.

Amex disallows on their network but Visa and Mastercard do not. Unfortunately, Amex also has forex fees on most of their cards.

>>joezyd+6
This would cover the currency rate the day of transaction but would not protect them against losses during the time that it would take the transaction to clear.

>>Camper+Y6
Or maybe Putin is popular enough to survive changing course in Ukraine before the economy is completely trashed. Also do you have a source that oil prices are being manipulated to punish Putin? Seems likely but I haven't seen anything.

>>saryan+t7
It may be a scam for most cards, but I work for a company that does multi-currency cards that settle in the currency of your choice and our exchange rates are better than anything offered by anyone else in the card space. Just a bit more than interbank ForEX rates.

>>happys+T9
I've also seen it suggested that the oil price drop is a "stealth" sanction against Russia, but I don't follow the logic. Why do the Saudis want to sanction Russia? Unless one presumes some unspecified quid-pro-quo conspiracy between the US and the Saudis, I don't see it. I thrink driving the volatility up like this slows the investment rate in US shale oil significantly, and that's what the Saudis are doing.

>>wavefu+fe
I wondered why this didn't exist but I guess it turns out it does. Where can I get one?

>>wavefu+fe
What does that have to do with DCC though? Maybe I'm missing something but that doesn't sound like it has anything to do with DCC. Any card with no forex fee is offering you a rate at just above the interbank rate if you avoid DCC.

>>Kadin+u6
But you still need to find someone willing to sell you (enough of) the swaps in question. And that may not be easy.

>>semi-e+ne
Russia supports Bachar's regime. Bachar blocks Qatar's & Saudi oil/gas pipe from passing through Syria towards European market. Europe remains dependent on Russian gas(30%) and oil for another round. Saudis get angry and want to topple Bachar. Russia says no way. Saudis kick Russia in the groin economically by raising the oil production. Now it makes sense ? (lower oil price combined with other EU & US sanctions bring Russia on the brink of collapse: EU, US & Saudis high five furiously)

>>wavefu+fe
I'm Australian. Can I get one?

>>leavey+Ej
Nothing you said makes sense because the Saudis didn't increase production and at 12% of global supply do not have the capacity to change the price on the scale we're seeing without it being glad you obvious. The price is dropping because the Chinese and European economies are soft and becuase of increased supply from Libya in the short term along with the long term increases from the US, Russia, Canada, etc.

>>Steko+ts
these sources indicate otherwise. Saudi Arabia started the current trend: businessweek.com/articles/2014-10-23/oil-saudi-arabias-risky-price-play

bloomberg.com/news/2014-10-16/saudi-arabia-oil-stance-seen-targeting-opec-output-discipline.html

wsj.com/articles/saudi-oil-price-cut-upends-market-1415063053

>>leavey+Tt
Your citations directly contradict your fantasy that this revolves around Bashar or punishing Russia. Bloomberg says the Saudis raised production only half a percent to defend their market share from the U.S., Russia and Canada's continued increases, basically what I said above. The price doesn't drop 20% because one supplier who has 12% market share increased their supply 0.5%.

>>Steko+ts
you are just trolling. the articles talk about cutting prices and increasing production by Saudi Arabia. you said there wasn't an increase of production and that SA is not able to move the price. false. move along. thanks.

>>leavey+Pv
You had an entire fantasy about punishing Russia and it all revolving around Syria which isn't even supported by your own citations. Good day.

>>Steko+2z
you didn't ask for citations and I'm not your researcher here (youtube syria yourself). I gave you the sources that I wanted for the points you questioned initially. I should have ignored your entire comment when you called everything I said as fantasy without giving any citations or proof for your opinions. now go and argue to the next table.