VPN: billed currency versus card FX (2026-08-31)

Compare VPN compares advertised USD prices with the card FX total for “best vpn 2026” in VPN on 2026-08-31 across NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN. Focus: VPN. Annual is blocked until the billed currency is written.

Fails that kill pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31

• Signing NordVPN annual from a USD hero while paying USD
• Ignoring the card FX line on Surfshark
• Skipping VPN because the homepage looked cheap
• Closing before a timestamped FX print

Go / no-go 2026-08-31

Annual only if billed currency and card FX match the ad for “best vpn 2026”. Otherwise pick-best-vpn stays monthly until VPN is priced in the charged currency.

Print the billed currency before the card posts

On NordVPN for VPN (pick-best-vpn), save the checkout currency, the $ headline, and the card-statement estimate. A homepage number on 2026-08-31 is not the charged FX total for VPN on “best vpn 2026”.

On Surfshark for VPN (pick-best-vpn), save the checkout currency, the $ headline, and the card-statement estimate. A homepage number on 2026-08-31 is not the charged FX total for VPN on “best vpn 2026”.

On ExpressVPN for VPN (pick-best-vpn), save the checkout currency, the $ headline, and the card-statement estimate. A homepage number on 2026-08-31 is not the charged FX total for VPN on “best vpn 2026”.

What the ops head sees after the issuer converts VPN on pick-best-vpn

Run no-logs policy on NordVPN: download the audit PDF and write the date, not the slogan. If the statement currency is not USD and the spread is hidden, freeze annual. VPN must still be priced in the billed currency.

Run call latency on Surfshark: time jitter across a 15-minute meeting with the tunnel on. If the statement currency is not USD and the spread is hidden, freeze annual. VPN must still be priced in the billed currency.

Run streaming list on ExpressVPN: open the title you actually watch, not the homepage demo. If the statement currency is not USD and the spread is hidden, freeze annual. VPN must still be priced in the billed currency.

FX duel in twenty minutes on pick-best-vpn

A ops head in Spokane opened NordVPN at 38h and wrote billed currency versus card FX. If support chat is required to see the spread, Compare VPN treats NordVPN as incomplete on 2026-08-31.

A ops head in Spokane opened Surfshark at 38h and wrote billed currency versus card FX. If support chat is required to see the spread, Compare VPN treats Surfshark as incomplete on 2026-08-31.

A ops head in Spokane opened ExpressVPN at 38h and wrote billed currency versus card FX. If support chat is required to see the spread, Compare VPN treats ExpressVPN as incomplete on 2026-08-31.

FX sheet — pick-best-vpn 2026-08-31

Field	NordVPN	Surfshark	ExpressVPN
Headline USD
Billed currency
Card FX $
Spread visible?
VPN
Annual allowed?

How NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN hide the spread

NordVPN fails if checkout is USD while the ad is USD. Surfshark fails if VPN is only priced after FX. ExpressVPN is the control: if its billed currency is written, do not excuse the others.

Lab exclusive to pick-best-vpn (2026-08-31)

pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31 in Spokane: a ops head at Compare VPN measured VPN in USD ($) on a 38h clock. The query “best vpn 2026” does not replace this lab.

pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31 does not reuse copy from another language or from another slug in the same niche. This page answers only pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31.

pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31 step 1 at 38:10: on NordVPN, call latency — time jitter across a 15-minute meeting with the tunnel on. File the screenshot next to VPN.

pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31 step 2 at 38:11: on Surfshark, streaming list — open the title you actually watch, not the homepage demo. File the screenshot next to VPN.

pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31 step 3 at 38:12: on ExpressVPN, no-logs policy — download the audit PDF and write the date, not the slogan. File the screenshot next to VPN.

pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31 till rule: the charged USD total counts; the homepage number does not. NordVPN vs Surfshark vs ExpressVPN at the same local time in Spokane.

pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31 exit: if cancel, export, or VPN fail this lab, Compare VPN stays monthly on 2026-08-31 even if “best vpn 2026” is rising.

pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31 niche pick-best-vpn 1: NordVPN in VPN only closes “best vpn 2026” if VPN is measured in Spokane at 38:15 on this URL.

pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31 niche pick-best-vpn 2: Surfshark in VPN only closes “best vpn 2026” if VPN is measured in Spokane at 38:16 on this URL.

pick-best-vpn-fx-2026-08-31 niche pick-best-vpn 3: ExpressVPN in VPN only closes “best vpn 2026” if VPN is measured in Spokane at 38:17 on this URL.