John S Kiernan, Managing Editor
@John
Barclaycard Arrival Plus is the best credit card for international travel. It earned a total score of 88% in WalletHub’s analysis of 69 of the most popular travel rewards cards, easily topping the runners up: USAA Visa Signature cards (85.52%). Why? Arrival Plus offers solid travel insurance, financial assistance for travel emergencies, the ability to get a replacement card while abroad and very attractive travel rewards. Plus, it doesn’t charge a foreign transaction fee.
You can learn more about the best cards from WalletHub’s International Travel Credit Card Cost & Benefit Report. But in general, there are a handful of things that you’ll want in a credit card for international travel:
- Worldwide Acceptance: Visa and Mastercard are the only two card networks with global ubiquity. They’ll also save you up to 9% on currency conversion, if you choose the right card.
- No Foreign Transaction Fee: The average credit card charges a fee equal to 1.64% of any purchase processed outside the U.S. That could add up to a lot, so make sure you have a no foreign transaction fee credit card.
- Rewards: The right rewards card could save you a bundle on international travel. Whether that card offers airline miles, points or cash back depends on your future travel plans. For example, you may want cash back if you don’t plan to fly anywhere in the foreseeable future.
- Insurance: Many travel rewards credit cards offer rental car insurance as well as general travel insurance, which covers lost/delayed baggage and cancelled/interrupted trips.
Finally, you need to make sure your credit score gives you reasonable odds of being approved for a given credit card. You can check your latest credit score for free on WalletHub.
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