International travel can ignite our senses, yet planning it takes careful thought, including consideration of its benefits and costs.
Credit cards offer travelers with various travel benefits and features. From airline loyalty programs to hotel amenities, there are plenty of choices available to them.
No foreign transaction fees
The best credit cards for international travel come equipped with features that make travel simpler and more economical, such as chip-and-pin technology (which is more secure than magnetic stripe cards) or built-in protections that help you dispute fraudulent charges.
Credit cards without foreign transaction fees are another way for travelers to save money when making purchases outside the U.S. This additional charge, typically around 3 percent of your purchase amount, can quickly add up while travelling.
Some cards with no foreign transaction fees offer high-end rewards programs and other perks, including lounge access and elite benefits. American Express’s Platinum Card comes with a $695 annual fee but provides travel credits, hotel perks and wider acceptance than Mastercard or Visa cards; furthermore, they waived it during its first year!
Perks
An ideal credit card for international travel should offer a generous sign-up bonus and ample rewards in popular spending categories that may be restricted abroad. Furthermore, many cards include travel protections such as secondary rental car coverage, cell phone insurance or airport lounge access.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card ticks many of the boxes with no annual fee and worldwide acceptance, offering 5X miles on hotel and rental car bookings made through Capital One Travel; an automatic $100 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck every four years; two free visits each year to the Capital One Lounge; as well as generous travel statement credit for any unearned baggage fees.
The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card is an excellent travel-oriented credit card option with robust rewards, no foreign transaction fees and several other perks – although its annual fee of $550 means it may not be suitable for every traveler.
Rewards
When planning international travel, select a credit card that offers generous rewards and travel protections. Some cards waive foreign transaction fees that could save up to 3% on every purchase abroad. Chase Sapphire Reserve stands out among many travel cards with its lounge access and elite status benefits at a reasonable $695 annual fee (see rates and fees for details). American Express’ Platinum Card comes equipped with luxurious travel perks; however it charges an annual fee of $695 as well.
Look for a credit card that offers bonus points on common expenses like dining and groceries, which you can redeem for free flights and hotel stays. Some cards also include valuable travel perks like $100 Global Entry/TSA PreCheck application fee credit that’s typically worth more than the annual fee itself; others feature 0% APR offers for 12 months on new purchases.
Security
There are credit cards that offer valuable rewards, protections and perks when traveling abroad, such as no foreign transaction fees and trip cancellation and interruption insurance as well as luggage loss/delay reimbursement and travel accident coverage. These cardholder benefits may help make life easier when abroad.
Some credit cards feature smart chip technology that adds another layer of protection, by preventing fraudsters from copying or scanning your card information. Although a credit card may help provide some peace of mind when traveling, it’s still important to take measures against theft or fraud while on vacation.
Select a credit card widely accepted at your destination city or country. Visa and Mastercard are two popular card networks while American Express and Discover have much smaller global networks.
