One option is priced in USD online and the other in AED in a local shop: why does the comparison look wrong?
Because the tool compares numbers as you type them and does not convert currencies. Put 12 dollars next to 40 dirhams and it treats both as the same currency, so the dollar option looks far cheaper than it is. Convert the foreign price into dirhams at what you will really pay, including card fees and shipping, then enter that. After that the comparison is fair.
The wrong comparison in numbers
Specialty coffee in a 500 g bag at 12 dollars from a US store, and a 500 g bag at 40 dirhams in a Dubai shop. Entering the numbers as they are:
- Online option: 24 per kg, the Best value.
- Local shop: 80 per kg, 233.33% more expensive.
A gap like 233% between two similar products is a clear sign something in the input does not make sense. The tool did not get it wrong; it compared 12 with 40 as asked. The problem is that 12 and 40 are not in the same currency.
After converting properly
Suppose your card statement, or the checkout page, shows the order cost you 44.5 dirhams including conversion fees and delivery; that is an example figure only. Entering it instead of 12:
- Online option: 89 per kg, 11.25% more expensive.
- Local shop: 80 per kg, the Best value.
The result has flipped: the local shop is cheaper, and the option that looked three times cheaper is the dearer one.
Steps
- Find what you will actually pay in dirhams for the foreign option: from the checkout page if it shows AED, or from a past order on your card statement.
- Add shipping and any fees you would not pay in the local shop.
- In the Unit-price comparison tool, enter both options in dirhams and pick AED from the Currency list.
- Read the comparison, and if the percentage is still huge, check the input again.
The tool's currency list is for display only
The tool has a list for choosing a currency, but it is one setting for all options, and its only job is to show the currency code next to the figures. It converts nothing and knows no exchange rates. So you cannot correctly enter one option in dollars and another in dirhams: every price must be in one currency before it goes in. If one option has a coupon, apply it with the Discount calculator after converting.
Common questions
Why does the tool not convert currencies?
Exchange rates move and card fees differ, so any rate the tool assumed would be off for you. What you actually pay is the most accurate figure.
Should I use the exchange rate quoted in the news?
Better to use the amount your card actually charges, because it includes the fees.
My receipt shows prices in Eastern Arabic digits. Does the tool accept them?
Yes, the fields accept them. If you want to copy them into a file, convert them with the Arabic/Persian/Western digit converter.