Best Credit Cards With No Foreign Transaction Fees

Foreign transaction fees (typically 3% on every purchase made abroad) are one of the easiest avoidable costs in international travel. Cards with no foreign transaction fees have proliferated in recent years, with options at every fee tier and credit profile.

Why this matters

A 3% fee on USD 5,000 of trip spending is USD 150 you simply do not need to pay. For frequent international travelers, the total over a year can easily exceed USD 500. Switching to no-foreign-transaction-fee cards costs nothing.

Best premium options (USD 95+ annual fee)

Chase Sapphire Preferred: USD 95 annual fee. 3x points on travel and dining, 2x on other Chase Travel purchases. Strong sign-up bonus, no foreign transaction fees.

Capital One Venture X: USD 395 annual fee. 2x miles on all purchases, 10x on hotels through Capital One Travel. USD 300 annual travel credit effectively reduces the fee.

American Express Gold: USD 250 annual fee. 4x points on dining and groceries, no foreign transaction fees. Best for big-spending dining travelers.

Chase Sapphire Reserve: USD 550 annual fee. 3x on travel and dining, lounge access, USD 300 travel credit. Premium pick.

American Express Platinum: USD 695 annual fee. Massive lounge network access, robust travel insurance, no foreign transaction fees. Premium pick.

Best mid-tier options (under USD 100 fee)

Capital One Venture: USD 95 annual fee. 2x miles on all purchases, simple structure, no foreign transaction fees.

Chase Sapphire Preferred: USD 95 (mentioned above).

Bank of America Travel Rewards: no annual fee, 1.5x points on all purchases, no foreign transaction fees. Best for travelers who do not want any annual fee.

Best no-fee options

Capital One Quicksilver: 1.5% cash back on all purchases, no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees.

Discover It: 1% cash back (5% in rotating categories), no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees. Limited international acceptance compared to Visa/Mastercard.

Wells Fargo Active Cash: 2% cash back on all purchases, no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees.

Debit card considerations

For ATM withdrawals abroad, look for a debit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees and reimburses ATM fees:

Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking: reimburses all ATM fees worldwide, no foreign transaction fees. The travel hacker default.

Fidelity Cash Management: similar benefits, with some additional perks for Fidelity customers.

Wise (formerly TransferWise): debit card with low conversion fees, multi-currency account.

Cards to avoid abroad

Most basic cards from major banks (Chase Freedom, Bank of America Cash Rewards, Citi Double Cash) charge 3% foreign transaction fees. Use them domestically; leave them at home for international trips.

Most store-branded credit cards charge foreign transaction fees and have limited international acceptance.

Network considerations

Visa and Mastercard are accepted nearly universally worldwide. American Express and Discover have more limited acceptance, especially outside major cities and tourist areas.

Carry at least one Visa or Mastercard as your primary international card, even if your main domestic card is Amex or Discover.

Practical tips

Notify your bank of travel dates (most do this through the app now).

Always pay in local currency when offered the choice. “Pay in USD” or your home currency means accepting an unfavorable conversion rate.

Keep at least two cards from different networks (one Visa, one Mastercard) for redundancy.