Credit Cards For International Travel
WalletHub makes it easy to find the best credit card for international travel.
The best credit card for international travel is the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card because of its $0 foreign transaction fee and bonus of 50,000 miles (worth $500 in travel) for spending $3,000 in the first three months. You also get 10 miles per $1 spent on hotels.com/venture and 2 miles per $1 spent on all other purchases. Plus, Venture lets you redeem your miles for a statement credit to pay for any travel-related purchase from the last 90 days. That includes everything from airfare to Uber rides.
Below, you can compare international credit card offers to find the right mix of features for your needs. You can also check out a breakdown of WalletHub’s favorites in some of the most popular categories.
Best International Credit Cards of 2018:
- Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card - Best Overall
- Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard® - Best for Travel Rewards
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card - Best for Chase
- Capital One® Quicksilver® Card - Best for No Annual Fee
- Capital One® Secured Mastercard® - Best for Bad Credit
- Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card - Best for Limited Credit
- Chase Sapphire Reserve® - Best for Airport Lounges
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- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 20,000 miles once you spend $1,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $200 in travel
- Earn 1.25X miles on every purchase, every day and pay no annual fee. Plus earn 10X miles on thousands of hotels; learn more at hotels.com/venture
- Fly any airline, stay at any hotel, anytime
- Travel when you want with no blackout dates
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Enjoy a low intro APR on purchases for 12 months; 13.74%-23.74% variable APR after that
- No foreign transaction fees
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card
- Pay no annual fee
- Get access to a higher credit line after making your first 5 monthly payments on time
- Fraud coverage if your card is lost or stolen
- Use online banking to access your account, even from your smartphone, with our mobile app
- Pay by check, online or at a local branch, all with no fee - and pick the monthly due date that works best for you
- Get access to your account 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One® Platinum Credit Card
- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 50,000 miles once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $500 in travel
- Earn 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Plus earn 10X miles on thousands of hotels; learn more at hotels.com/venture
- Named ‘The Best Travel Card' by CNBC, 2018
- Receive up to $100 application fee credit for Global Entry or TSA Pre✓®
- Fly any airline, stay at any hotel, anytime; no blackout dates
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- No foreign transaction fees
- $0 intro annual fee for the first year; $95 after that
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- Earn cash rewards without signing up for rotating categories
- No limit to how much cash back you can earn, and cash back doesn't expire for the life of the account
- Get access to a higher credit line after making your first 5 monthly payments on time
- Monitor your credit profile with the CreditWise® app, free for everyone
- $0 fraud liability if your card is ever lost or stolen
- Help strengthen your credit for the future with responsible card use
- Get customized alerts and manage your account with the Capital One mobile app
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card
- Earn 50,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $625 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Ultimate Rewards®
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® named a 'Best Travel Credit Card' by MONEY® Magazine, 2016-2017
- 2X points on travel and dining at restaurants worldwide & 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
- 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
- Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Ultimate Rewards. For example, 50,000 points are worth $625 toward travel
- No blackout dates or travel restrictions - as long as there's a seat on the flight, you can book it through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- No foreign transaction fees
- See More Details & Reviews About TheChase Sapphire Preferred® Card
- One-time $150 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening
- Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, every day
- No rotating categories or sign-ups needed to earn cash rewards; plus, cash back won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how much you can earn
- 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 months; 14.74%-24.74% variable APR after that
- 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 15 months; 14.74%-24.74% variable APR after that; 3% fee on the amounts transferred within the first 15 months
- Pay no annual fee or foreign transaction fees
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One® Quicksilver® Card
- No annual fee, and all the credit building benefits with responsible card use
- Unlike a prepaid card, it builds credit when used responsibly, with regular reporting to the 3 major credit bureaus
- You will get an initial $200 credit line after making a security deposit of $49, $99, or $200, determined based on your creditworthiness
- Get access to a higher credit line after making your first 5 monthly payments on time with no additional deposit needed
- Easily manage your account 24/7 with online access, by phone or using our mobile app
- It's a credit card accepted at millions of locations worldwide
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCapital One® Secured Mastercard®
- Enjoy our lowest rate card
- No annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, no penalty APR
- USAA membership is available to active and former military and their eligible family members
- Special Benefits for Military: Reduced Rate: Get 4% APR on all balances for up to 12 months during deployment or PCS. After 12 months, the regular APR of between 8.65% to 25.65% will apply. This rate will vary with the market based on the prime rate.Special 4% SCRA Rate: When you have a balance on your account at the time you enter active military duty, get 4% APR on that existing balance until one year after you complete active duty.
- Security Benefits: Chip card technology has added security when used at a chip-enabled terminal and greater acceptance worldwide. Zero liability coverage for unauthorized transactions if your card is lost or stolen. Collision damage waiver coverage pays for physical damage and theft to most rental vehicles. Get account balances and transaction history by sending a text message.Access your account on usaa.com or from a mobile device.
- See More Details & Reviews About TheUSAA® Rate Advantage Visa Platinum® Card
- Enjoy 60,000 bonus miles after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first 90 days
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase
- Book travel your way—no airline, seat or hotel restrictions—and redeem your miles for travel statement credits
- Get 5% miles back to use toward your next redemption, every time you redeem
- Miles don’t expire as long as your account is open, active and in good standing
- No foreign transaction fees
- International Chip and PIN for use at self-service chip terminals around the world
- See More Details & Reviews About TheBarclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard®
- Earn up to 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles: 40,000 AAdvantage® miles after making $2,000 in purchases in first 3 months and 10,000 after making a total of $6,000 in purchases in first 12 months of account opening*
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at gas stations*
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent at restaurants*
- Earn 2 AAdvantage® miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases*
- Earn a $100 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your cardmembership year and renew your card*
- First checked bag is free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to four companions traveling with you on the same reservation*
- Enjoy preferred boarding on American Airlines flights*
- Receive 25% savings on inflight food and beverage purchases when you use your card on American Airlines flights*
- No Foreign Transaction Fees*
- See More Details & Reviews About TheCiti® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite™ Mastercard®
2018's Best Credit Cards for International Travel
The best credit cards for international travel work in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide, have $0 foreign transaction fees (unlike more than 90% of cards), and offer really good rewards. Plus, they can save you as much as 9% on currency conversion. Many also have a feature called chip and PIN for easier use and added security abroad.Fortunately, there are lots of great international credit cards available right now. Below, you can see which cards best meet the needs of international travelers and shoppers of all types, as selected by our editors from 1,000+ offers.
2018's Best Credit Cards for International Travel:
| Card Name | Annual Fee | Best For: | International Fee |
| Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card | $0 for 1st yr, $95 after | Free First Year | None |
| Barclaycard Arrival® Plus World Elite Mastercard® | None 1st yr, $89 after | Travel Rewards | 0% |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | $0 Intro for the First Year, $95 after | Chase | $0 |
| Capital One® Quicksilver® Card | $0 | No Annual Fee | None |
| Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card | $95 | International Travel Benefits | None |
| Bank of America® Travel Rewards Credit Card for Students | $0 | Students | None |
| Capital One® Secured Mastercard® | $0 | Bad Credit | None |
| Capital One® QuicksilverOne® Cash Rewards Credit Card | $39 | Limited Credit | None |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve® | $450 | Airport Lounges | None |
It’s important to note that getting one of the best international credit cards won’t do you much good if you fall for a merchant trick known as dynamic currency conversion. They offer to convert the amount of your purchase to U.S. dollars from the native currency as an excuse to apply an unfavorable exchange rate and pocket extra profit. So always pay in the currency in which prices are listed.
Questions & Answers
Comparing international credit cards can be tough. But you’ve got the knowledgeable WalletHub community on your side. We encourage everyone to share their knowledge while respecting our content guidelines. Please keep in mind that editorial and user-generated content on this page is not reviewed or otherwise endorsed by any financial institution. In addition, it is not the financial institution’s responsibility to ensure all posts and questions are answered....show moreshow less
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How do I get the best Visa exchange rate abroad? Reply
There is one Visa exchange rate for every type of currency, which can change once every 24 hours. And that rate is automatically applied to any international transaction made with a Visa credit card or debit card. You can easily check the latest Visa exchange rates online to get an idea of what to expect when traveling.
Here’s how to see your Visa exchange rate:
1. Go to Visa’s online Exchange Rate Calculator.
2. Select United States Dollar for your card’s currency.
3. Select the currency used by the merchant.
4. Enter your bank fee (foreign transaction fee), if applicable. Ideally, you should use a no foreign transaction fee credit card.
5. Put in today’s date (the tool can’t predict the future).
6. Click “Calculate Exchange Rates.”
Using a no foreign transaction fee Visa credit card when traveling abroad will save you up to 9% compared to converting hard currency, according to WalletHub’s Currency Exchange Study. But a Mastercard will do the trick, too. There’s actually not much difference between the exchange rates offered by these two worldwide card networks.
Lastly, you should always avoid Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). This is when a foreign vendor converts the price of a purchase to U.S. dollars, supposedly for your convenience. But that gives the merchant a chance to use an unfavorable exchange rate in place of the low rate you’d automatically get from Visa.
How much is the Discover foreign transaction fee? Reply
The Discover Card foreign transaction fee is 0%, or $0, however you want to frame it. In other words, any Discover credit card that you apply for now will have no foreign transaction fee. That’s been the case since 2011, when Discover joined Capital One as the only major credit card issuers to remove foreign fees from all of their offers. So when you make purchases abroad or from foreign merchants online, you can rest assured that you won’t be paying any extra money.
The only Discover cards with foreign transaction fees are discontinued offers issued prior to 2011. You can’t get them anymore, but some people still have them.
Here are the Discover card foreign transaction fees:
- Discover it: $0
- Discover it Miles: $0
- Discover it Chrome: $0
- Discover it Secured
- Discover it for Students: $0
- All other available Discover cards: $0
- Discover More Card (Discontinued): 2%
- Discover More Card – $150 Cashback Bonus (Discontinued): 2%
So if you’re in the market for a new credit card, any Discover card you get will have no foreign transaction fees. But keep in mind that Discover has far less international acceptance than Visa or Mastercard. So you could run into places abroad where you can’t use your Discover card anyway – France, for example.
Assuming Discover is accepted where you’re going, the only thing that might actually cost you more is Dynamic Currency Conversion. That’s when a merchant asks if you want to pay in the local currency rather than U.S. dollars. You should always say no to that. Most of the time, you’ll get ripped off with high exchange rates.
What is the Mastercard exchange rate? Reply
There’s a different Mastercard exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and approximately 150 other currencies, and they all fluctuate from day to day. You can easily see what exchange rate your transaction will have by going to Mastercard’s exchange rate calculator.
It’s very simple to use. All you have to do is put in the date, currency of the merchant, transaction amount, foreign transaction fee (if applicable) and United States Dollar (USD) as your card’s currency. Then click “calculate,” and you’ll see the amount you’re paying in USD at the bottom right. The exchange rate will be to the left of that.
Let’s take a look at some of today’s exchange rates for popular travel spots. These rates are current as of 06/06/18 but are subject to change as time goes on.
Popular Mastercard exchange rates:
- Euro: 1 EUR = 1.17 USD
- Bahamian Dollar: 1 BHD = 1 USD
- Canadian Dollar: 1 CAD = 0.77 USD
- Great British Pound: 1 GBP = 1.34 USD
- Mexican Peso: 1 MXN = 0.05 USD
- Chinese Yuan Renminbi: 1CNY = 0.16 USD
- Japanese Yen: 1 JPY = 0.01 USD
- Russian Ruble: 1 RUB = 0.02 USD
Credit cards are actually the cheapest way to convert currency. But you may still be subject to a foreign transaction fee, which is an extra charge when you buy from a foreign merchant. While all Mastercards offer the same exchange rates, only some of them charge foreign transaction fees.
You can compare no foreign fee Mastercard credit cards on WalletHub. And if you’re still unsure about which to apply for, you can join WalletHub for free to get personalized credit card recommendations with high approval odds.
Can I use card in Spain without a PIN? Reply
Yes and No. You should be able to use your card basically everywhere that takes plastic, with the exception of automated payment machines, such as the kiosks in train stations and self-serve gas pumps, which only accept chip-and-pin cards. The fact that this card uses chip and signature security is not the main reason why you should question bringing it abroad, however. It charges a 3% foreign transaction fee on any purchase that is processed outside of the United States, which could significantly inflate the cost of your trip. You should still make sure to have a credit card when traveling, though, both for security and because credit cards charge far lower exchange rates than you'd get when exchanging actual U.S. dollars for Euros at a bank or airport kiosk. None of Capital One's credit cards have foreign transaction fees, for example, which means the Capital One Secured MasterCard ( https://wallethub.com/d/capital-one-secured-credit-card-383c/ ) and the Capital One Platinum Card ( https://wallethub.com/d/capital-one-platinum-83c/ ) could be options. Let us know if you have any other questions, and have a great time!
Does this card have a foreign transaction fee? Reply
Yes, Amex Blue Cash has a foreign-transaction fee of 2.7%. It applies to all purchases processed abroad, whether you’re traveling out of the country or buying something from an international retailer. Plus, an American Express card might not be the best option if you’re planning to make international purchases, as it won’t be accepted in nearly as many countries as a MasterCard or Visa. If you’re interested in getting a no-foreign-fee credit card, you can compare the best offers here: https://wallethub.com/credit-cards/no-foreign-transaction-fee/.
Featured Credit Cards
Ask the Experts
To help travelers choose and use international credit cards as wisely as possible, WalletHub posed the following questions to a panel of experts and invited them to share their insights. You can find their bios and responses below.
- What’s the most important thing to look for in a credit card for international travel?
- What’s the biggest credit card mistake that international travelers make?
- Would you ever recommend getting an American Express or Discover credit card for international travel?
- Do you know of any international destinations where a U.S. credit card will not work?
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Ramon Degennaro
Professor of Banking and Finance in the Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee
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Jose M. Aldrich
Clinical Professor of Accounting in the College of Business at Florida International University
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Wes Roehl
Professor of Tourism Management, School of Sport, Tourism & Hospitality Management, Temple University
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Xiaoxiao Fu
Assistant Professor, Rosen College of Hospitality Management, University of Central Florida
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Stan McGahey
Ph.D., International Tourism, Fulbright Scholar, Kosovo, Adjunct Professor of International Tourism, Saint Leo University
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Sheryl Marie Elliott
Associate Professor of Marketing, Department of Marketing, School of Business, George Washington University
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