Hello,

I am not passing the buck here (no pun intended) but we do not manage that - FastSpring, our processor, does.  They handle the exchange rate and any local taxes \ VAT you have for your region in real time (meaning, exchange rates vary).

Sean Drohan
Stardock Support Manager

Pun accepted .

Fair enough, you've contracted it out.  But perhaps Stardock should ask their processor on behalf of their customers so that everyone understands the rationale and address a potential disservice that could be being perpetrated by your contractor, for whom you are responsible.

I appreciate that we're a much smaller market than the US or the EU but it's not like there's a shipping charge.  While I understand that there are regional differences and country-specific taxes, there's still a difference even when I account for those.  At least for Canada, there should be no customs duty on items <$20 so I'm struggling with the accounting here.

I reiterate:  It's the principle I would like to understand, not the value of this particular transaction.  After all, it would take 10 of these to amount to a Happy Meal.  

One thing I can add [and I, too am not in the US] posted currency exchange rates are specifically for bank comparative accounting.  You as an individual will always get an inferior rate - quaintly never better.  Banks' processing fees cut into things as well.  This dribble effect oils the wheels of commerce to all of our detriment...

Afraid not.  For items under $20 there is no excise tax so all that's left is VAT and exchange.  Even with a pessimistic exchange rate, I still come up short.  $US 2.99 x 1.3 CAD/US = $CAD 3.89 x 1.12 GST+PST = $CAD 4.35 but I was to be billed $4.71.  That's almost 10% more than it should be.

For a $US 19.99 item that's ~$3.  Don't get me started on why book publishers can add 33% to the cost of a book in Canada.

You could check with your bank to see if they add any sort of transaction fee.  It wouldn't surprise me.

No, you specifically had 10% of 19.99 being almost 3.  Perhaps you needed to correct logic errors in the explanation in the first post I quoted.

My math's quite good...even managed long division in my head...and when calculators first came out I would still mentally double check as I was yet to be convinced they'd be right.  [Did I mention I'm old?]...