TJ Porter has over seven years of experience as a personal finance writer covering investing, stocks, ETFs, banking, credit, and more. He has written for a wide variety of personal finance websites during his career.
Steve Rogers has been a professional writer and editor for over 30 years, specializing in personal finance, investment, and the impact of political trends on financial markets and personal finances.
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A credit card can make travel much easier. There are times when you really don’t want to carry cash, and even if you are using cash or traveler’s checks, having a card in reserve can be a lifesaver.
It can be expensive to take the card you use for gas and groceries on a trip outside the country. Many cards carry foreign transaction fees, which means every time you see the card outside your own country, you’ll pay a fee.
Best Credit Cards With No Foreign Transaction Fee
If you plan to use your card in another country, you need a card with no foreign transaction fee. Here are some of the best ones.
⭐️ Sign-up bonus: Unlimited dollar-for-dollar match of your first year’s rewards.
🎁 Rewards: 2% cash back on gas stations and restaurants up to $1000 combined purchases per quarter, 1% on everything else.
🥂 Perks: Free FICO score, privacy protection, and card loss protection.
Details
People with bad credit and even no credit score also travel! If you want a card with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fee that you can get with a weak credit score or even no score at all, the Discover It Secured card fits the bill.
As with any secured card, you’ll need to put down a deposit, which will become your credit limit. The minimum deposit is $200. If you want to use this card to build credit, you’ll want to keep your credit utilization rate low, which means using only a small portion of that balance. If you make all your payments on time for six months and have no negative entries on your credit report, Discover may refund your deposit and move you to unsecured status.
This card has modest rewards, and the variable 28.24% APR is on the high side, but those are standard features on secured cards. If you pay every balance in full by the due date, you won’t pay interest anyway!
If you want a card with no foreign transaction fee and your credit score won’t let you qualify for the more advanced options, this is one to consider.
🥂 Perks: Free credit score, credit monitoring, and credit simulator with CreditWise. You’ll be considered for a higher limit after six months.
Details
This card has two main features: low fees (there’s no annual fee or foreign transaction fee) and a low minimum credit score. Capitol One says the card is available to people with fair credit, which typically means a score as low as 580. That doesn’t guarantee approval with that score, but you can get pre-approved with only a soft credit check that won’t affect your credit.
Beyond that, there’s not much that’s special about this card. There are no rewards or bonuses, but if you’re looking for an unsecured card with only fair credit, you shouldn’t expect rewards or bonuses!
Your initial credit limit will be low, which means you’ll need to keep your balance down to help you build credit. Capitol One will consider a limit increase after six months of on-time payments.
⭐️ Sign-up bonus: $200 when you spend $500 in the first 3 months.
🎁 Rewards: 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, streaming, and groceries, plus 1% on everything else.
🥂 Perks: Complimentary Uber One through November 2024 and access to Capital One’s travel, entertainment, and dining portals.
Details
The Capital One Savor Rewards card is one of the best options for people who want a card with no foreign transaction fee and no annual fee. If you want a card with no foreign transaction fee and you’re not looking for a range of travel-related rewards, it’s a good bet.
The Savor Rewards card has no annual fee but offers a solid sign-up bonus and rewards rate, especially for travelers who are likely to spend a fair bit on dining and entertainment while they’re overseas. Cardholders also get access to exclusive dining reservations and events.
A good thing to note is that almost all Capital One credit cards have no foreign transaction fee, so if the SavorOne isn’t a good fit for you, consider the issuer’s other cards.
⭐️ Sign-up bonus: 60,000 points when you spend $4,000 in 3 months
🎁 Rewards:
5x points on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards
3x points on dining, delivery, takeout, online groceries, and streaming
2x points on other travel
1x points on everything else
🥂 Perks:
Get 25% more value (1.25 cents per point) when redeeming points for travel through Chase.
$50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays booked through Chase.
6 months of complimentary Instacart+Complimentary DashPass subscription.
Details
The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card is a premium travel card with plenty of perks to cover its moderate fee. You earn a bonus of 60,000 points, worth $750 in travel redemptions, when you sign up for the card, which easily covers the cost of the card.
Even after the first year, the card has solid benefits for travelers, including credit toward hotel bookings and access to Chase’s travel portal.
If you’re in the market for a premium travel card but don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars annually, this card fits the bill. If you travel often you’re willing to pay for more premium travel experiences, consider the Sapphire Reserve. If you don’t travel regularly, you probably won’t earn enough rewards to justify the annual fee.
⭐️ Sign-up bonus: 125,000 points when you spend $8,000 in 6 months
🎁 Rewards: 5x points on flights and hotels booked through American Express Travel and 1x points on everything else
🥂 Perks:
$200 in annual credits for select hotel bookings
$20 in monthly credits for select digital entertainment, including Disney+, Peacock, and the New York Times
A complimentary Walmart+ subscription
$200 in annual Uber credits
$200 in annual airline fee credits
$300 in annual credits for Equinox digital fitness
$100 in annual credits at Saks
Credit to sign up for CLEAR and Precheck, Global dining, access through Resy, Airport lounge access, Hotel rewards status
Details
The American Express Platinum Card is well-known for a reason. It’s one of the most premium travel credit cards out there, giving cardholders more than $1,000 in annual benefits to compensate for its significant $695 annual fee.
Where it shines is in making travel a luxury experience. You’ll get access to top-end lounges at airports around the world. You can also use the airline fee credit to purchase in-flight food and drinks or entertainment.
When you get where you’re going, you’ll benefit from automatic Marriott Gold Elite and Hilton Gold status, giving you perks at your hotel. You can also contact American Express’s concierge to help secure event tickets or reservations.
Though the price tag is high, if you travel constantly and are willing to pay for luxury, it’s hard to beat this card.
How to Choose a Credit Card With No Foreign Transaction Fee
If you’re looking for a card with no foreign transaction fee there are several factors you’ll need to consider.
Your credit score will determine which cards you’re eligible to get. You will have options even with a low score or no score, but you won’t get the best deals.
Your travel habits. If you travel often, travel-focused rewards might make it worth paying an annual fee. If you don’t travel much, look for a card with no annual fee.
Rewards. Look for a rewards package that matches your spending style.
Costs. If you pay every balance in full and on time, you’ll never pay interest, but a low APR is still a good thing. Check for fees as well.
Many major airlines and hotel chains have their own branded travel-focused cards, and most have no foreign transaction fees. We haven’t covered those here, as they are specialized products, but if you have a favorite hotel chain or there’s an airline you use often, look into their card offerings.
Editorial Note
The editorial content on this page is not provided or commissioned by any financial institution or other entity. Any opinions, analyses, reviews, statements, or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the author alone, and may not have been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities prior to publication.
We adhere to strict editorial guidelines to make sure that our content is accurate and unbiased.
TJ Porter has over seven years of experience as a personal finance writer covering investing, stocks, ETFs, banking, credit, and more. He has written for a wide variety of personal finance websites during his career.
TJ's brush with personal finance began in college as he looked for ways to stretch his own dollars, through deals or reward points. In all of his writing, TJ aims to provide easy to understand and actionable content that can help readers make financial choices that work for them. TJ also works as a Collaboration Support Analyst at Harvard University.
When he's not writing about finance, TJ enjoys cooking and reading.
The content on finmasters.com is for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional financial advice. Finmasters is not a financial institution and does not provide any financial products or services. We strive to provide up-to-date information but make no warranties regarding the accuracy of our information.
