Foreign transaction fees can slowly add up and cost you a lot of money in the long run.
These fees normally cost 3% for every transaction you make, so imagine if you were to go on a shopping spree and spend $5,000 – that’s $150 worth of fees!
The next time you travel abroad, make sure you carry a credit card that doesn’t charge you for fees. If you haven’t got one yet, we made a list of the best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees.
Best for Overall Value: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Best Flat-rate Card: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Best for Small Businesses: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
1. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Best for Overall Value
- Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards Bonus Points for Spending $4,000 in the First 3 Months
- 5x Points on Travel Booked Via Chase
- 3x Points on Dining and Eligible Delivery Services
- 3x Points on Select Streaming and Online Grocery (excluding Walmart, Target, and Wholesale Clubs)
- 2x Points on All Other Travel Purchases
- 10% Anniversary Points Boost
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $95 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is one of the best rewards cards for travelers who want solid earning rates for travel and dining expenses.
For only $95 per year, this card earns 5x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on travel booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal and 3x points on dining, online groceries, and streaming services.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a 10% anniversary points bonus, 12-month DoorDash DashPass subscription, and a $50 anniversary hotel statement credit.
Plus, it provides extensive travel protections, including trip delay, primary rental car, baggage, and purchase protection plans.
2. Chase Sapphire Reserve®
Best for Earning Chase Points
- Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards Points for Spending $4,000 in the First 3 Months
- $300 Annual Travel Credit
- 10x Points on Hotels and Rental Cars and 5x Points on Flights Booked Through Chase Ultimate Rewards
- 3x Points on Dining, Takeout, & Eligible Food Delivery
- 50% More Redemption Value
- Priority Pass Airport Lounge Access
- Trip Delay and Trip Cancellation Insurance
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- $550 Annual Fee
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a great option for travelers who want premium perks such as airport lounge access and top-tier travel protections.
The Sapphire Reserve has a $550 annual fee, but you receive an annual easy-to use $300 travel credit and access to 1,300 Priority Pass airport lounges.
Plus, great benefits such as trip delay insurance, primary rental car insurance, trip cancellation insurance, lost luggage reimbursement, purchase and return protection, extended warranty, and no foreign transaction fees.
Cardmembers also earn extra points with 5x points on flights and 10x points on hotels and car rentals through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3x points on travel, dining, and food delivery purchases, and 1x points everywhere else.
You can also cash out points at a 50% bonus (1.5 cents per point) when redeeming points towards travel or transfer the points to Chase’s airline and hotel partners.
3. Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Best for Earning Flat-rate Rewards
- Earn 75,000 Bonus Miles After Spending $4,000 Within the First Three Months
- 5x Miles on Hotels and Rental Cars via Capital One
- 2x Miles Everywhere Else
- 2 Free Visits to Capital One Lounges Each Year
- Global Entry or TSA Pre-Check Credit
- Hertz 5-Star Elite Status
- Rental Car Insurance and Extended Warranty
- $95 Annual Fee
The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is a travel rewards credit card that earns an unlimited 2 miles per dollar on all purchases and 5 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.
The card also offers up to a $100 Global Entry TSA PreCheck credit, and two free visits each year to the Capital One Lounge.
4. American Express® Gold Card
Best for Dining & Shopping
The American Express® Gold Card is one of my favorite cards because it earns:
- 4x Membership Rewards® points at restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery in the U.S.,
- 4x Membership Rewards® points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1x).
- 3x points on flights booked directly with airlines or on amextravel.com
Plus, card members get nice credits when you enroll your Gold Card to offset the annual fee:
- $120 Uber Cash: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account, and each month automatically get $10 in Uber Cash for Uber Eats orders or Uber rides in the U.S.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings and earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, Milk Bar and select Shake Shack locations.
5. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Best for Premium Travel Perks
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium travel rewards card that’s perfect for travelers who want outstanding travel perks like annual travel credits, worldwide airport lounge access, and travel and purchase protections.
The Venture X earns 2x miles on all purchases helping you maximize every dollar of your spending. Plus, you can earn 10x miles on hotels and rental cars, and 5x miles on flights booked through Capital One.
The card has a $395 annual fee, it is completely offset by an easy-to-use $300 annual travel credit for bookings via Capital One Travel and 10,000 points (worth at least $100) each account anniversary.
Plus you get airport lounge access at Priority Pass, Capital One, and Plaza Premium Lounges, Hertz President’s Circle elite status, Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit, rental car insurance, trip and luggage insurance, cell phone insurance, and purchase protection.
6. Chase United℠ Explorer Card
Best for United Frequent Flyers
- Earn 50,000 United Miles After Spending $3,000 in the First 3 Months
- 2X Miles on United Purchases, Dining, and Hotel Stays
- 2 United Club One-Time Passes Per Year
- Free First Checked Bags for Two People
- $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, or Nexus Credit
- 25% Savings on United In-Flight Food and Drinks
- Priority Boarding
- Primary Rental Car and Trip Delay Insurance
- $0 Intro Annual Fee, Then $95 Per Year
The Chase United℠ Explorer Card is one of my favorite cards to keep long-term because of the great benefits when flying United, including:
- Free first checked bag when you pay using the Explorer card;
- Two free United Club passes each account anniversary;
- Priority boarding for you and companions on the same reservation;
- Extra award space when redeeming your United miles;
- 25% back as a statement credit on purchases of food, beverages, and Wi-Fi on United; and
- Premier upgrades on award tickets.
The Explorer card also allows you to save money by booking a basic economy ticket, while still getting the ability to bring a free carry-on or checked bag.
7. Citi Premier® Card
Best for Everyday Spending
- Earn 60,000 Points After Spending $4,000 in the First 3 Months
- 3x Points at Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas Stations, Flights, and Hotels
- $100 Off a Single $500 Hotel Stay Per Year
- Extended Warranty and Purchase Protections
- $95 Annual Fee
The Citi Premier® Card is the best card for earning points because it offers 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airlines, and hotels.
The Premier card also comes with no foreign transaction fees, purchase protection, and an extended warranty for items purchased, adding an additional 24 months to the manufacturer’s warranty.
8. Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
Best for Small Businesses
- Earn 100,000 Ultimate Rewards Points After Spending $15,000 in Purchases in the First 3 Months
- 3X Points on Travel, Shipping, Advertising (Social Media and Search Engines), Internet, Cable, and Phone on the First $150,000 Each Account Year
- 25% Additional Points Value in Travel Redemption
- Primary Rental Car Insurance
- Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance
- Cell Phone Protection
- Purchase Protection and Extended Warranty
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $95 Annual Fee
The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a versatile business rewards card earning 3x Chase Ultimate Rewards points on up to $150,000 in combined purchases per year in business categories, including shipping, online advertising, internet, phone, and travel.
This business card offers a lucrative bonus of 100,000 points worth $1,000 cash back or $1,250 when redeemed toward travel via Chase.
For $95 per year, the Chase Ink Business Preferred offers comprehensive protection, including trip cancellation insurance, trip delay insurance, primary rental car insurance, purchase protection, cell phone insurance, and extended warranty.
9. Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Best for Delta Frequent Flyers
- Earn 40,000 Bonus SkyMiles for $2,000 in Eligible Purchases in the First 6 Months.
- 2X SkyMiles on Delta Air Lines, Restaurants Worldwide, and U.S. Supermarkets
- Free First Checked Bag
- 20% Statement Credit on Delta In-Flight Purchases
- No Foreign Transaction Fees
- $0 Intro Annual Fee for the First Year, Then $99 Per Year (Rates and Fees)
The Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card is a cost-effective card with solid perks for Delta flyers, offering a free first checked bag, a $100 Delta flight credit, and a 20% statement credit on Delta in-flight food and drink purchases.
For a $0 introductory annual fee followed by $99 per year, this card earns 2x SkyMiles at restaurants globally and U.S. supermarkets and 2x SkyMiles on Delta purchases.
10. Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card
Best for Students
- Earn a $200 Bonus After Spending $500 in Purchases in the First 3 Months
- 1.5% Cash Back on Every Purchase
- 5% Cash Back on Hotels and Rental Cars Booked via Capital One Travel
- No Annual Fee
The Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card is a no-annual-fee credit card offering 1.5% cash back on all purchases.
It also comes with nice benefits such as no foreign transaction fees, extended warranty, and travel accident insurance.
For rates and fees of the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, please click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, please click here.
