Is American Express good for international travel?

American Express is accepted in more than 160 countries and territories internationally. Amex cards are more widely accepted in some international destinations than others, though. It should be pretty easy to find merchants that take American Express cards in Australia, Canada, Mexico and India, for example. However, it will be much tougher in smaller countries that aren’t known for doing business with the U.S. or attracting American tourists.

Here’s where American Express is accepted internationally:

American Express is often better than Visa and Mastercard for use in the U.S. by people with good or excellent credit who pay their bill in full monthly and redeem rewards for domestic travel or cash. However, Visa and Mastercard are better than American Express when it comes to card acceptance, card variety, and international use.

Credit cards on any of these card networks could deserve a spot in your wallet, though, depending on your...

The American Express foreign transaction fee is 0% to 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars, depending on the specific credit card. A foreign transaction fee is a surcharge that some credit cards add to transactions processed outside of the United States. The fee applies whether you’re physically in a foreign country making a purchase or buying something online through an internationally-based merchant.

American Express Foreign Transaction Fees:

• American Express Platinum Card®: 0%
• Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars
• Blue Cash Everyday® Card from American Express: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars
• American Express® Gold Card:...