HSBC credit card, fees for foreign exchange? Recent change?

[Mr Whippy]

I'm sure I must have bought loads of random software in USD before, and the exchange was transparent and/or converted by the vendor to GBP and they took the exchange hit.

But just last month I bought a Quixel subscription (Unreal/Epic Games) and it's come through in USD and I've paid a fee to get it into GBP.

And then I bought a suite of software from Topaz (like Photoshop), again it's USD but another fairly large fee to get it into GBP.


Has something suddenly changed on HSBC CC for me to be seeing these? Or have I somehow been buying stuff online like this for almost 20 years and just now have stumbled upon the two businesses who are not taking the exchange hit on the chin and passing it on?


It's still small fry but it all adds up, especially when it's a potential business cost which alters my costings.


Thanks