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Foreign transaction fees can make routine travel expenses significantly more, well, expensive. Sometimes, you even pay these international fees on your everyday spending when you make purchases with foreign merchants.
Fortunately, there are many credit cards without foreign transaction fees, including travel cards with rewards and benefits geared toward travel, and cash back cards designed for much of your spending.
We've analyzed several of the most popular credit cards with no foreign transaction fees available today to find the ones that offer the best benefits, and the most potential value, on your spending.
How we rate products
Finding great cards with no foreign transaction fees requires analyzing many factors, not just the ability to use the card abroad with no fees.
To choose the best cards, we consider the following factors:
- Great welcome offers: We look for cards that offer excellent sign-up bonuses while also ensuring you can minimize your transaction fees while traveling abroad.
- High rewards rate: Skipping foreign transaction fees is great, but earning rewards on everyday spending can provide even more perks, including travel benefits so we focus on cards with high reward options.
- Includes other protections: Rewards and avoiding fees are important, but the cards we chose also offer additional perks, like travel insurance, cell phone protection, and travel assistance services.
It’s important to note that we’ve recently pared our list down from a much larger number of credit cards with no foreign transaction fees because we only want to provide you with the best offers that provide the greatest rewards, while helping you avoid foreign transaction fees.
Compare no-foreign-transaction-fee credit cards
| Credit Card | Welcome Bonus | Rewards Rate | Foreign Transaction Fee | Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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Apply Now
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card 4.4
|
25,000
Points
|
1.5X - 3X
Points
|
0% |
$0
|
2025 award winner
Best No-Annual-Fee Travel Credit Card
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Apply Now
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card 4.4
|
20,000
Bonus Points
|
1X - 3X
Points
|
None |
$0
|
|
2025 award winner
Best Overall Travel Credit Card
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Apply Now
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card 4.8
|
75,000
Points
|
1X - 5X
Points
|
None |
$95
|
|
2025 award winner
Best for Simple Travel Rewards
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Apply Now
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card 4.7
|
75,000 Miles
|
2X - 5X
Miles
|
None |
$95
|
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Apply Now
Discover it® Miles 4.0
|
Discover Match™
|
1.5X
Miles
|
0% |
$0
|
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
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- 25,000 online bonus points after you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening - that can be a $250 statement credit toward travel purchases.
- Earn unlimited 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees and your points don't expire as long as your account remains open.
- Earn 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center.
- Use your card to book your trip how and where you want - you're not limited to specific websites with blackout dates or restrictions.
- Redeem points for a statement credit to pay for travel or dining purchases, such as flights, hotel stays, car and vacation rentals, baggage fees, and also at restaurants including takeout.
- 0% Intro APR for 15 billing cycles for purchases, and for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days. After the Intro APR offer ends, a Variable APR that’s currently 17.74% - 27.74% will apply. A 3% Intro balance transfer fee will apply for the first 60 days your account is open. After the Intro balance transfer fee offer ends, the fee for future balance transfers is 4%. Balance transfers may not be used to pay any account provided by Bank of America.
- If you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards® member, you can earn 25%-75% more points on every purchase. That means instead of earning an unlimited 1.5 points for every $1, you could earn 1.87-2.62 points for every $1 you spend on purchases. You could earn 3.75-5.25 points for every $1 you spend on travel purchases made through the Bank of America Travel Center.
- Contactless Cards - The security of a chip card, with the convenience of a tap.
- This online only offer may not be available if you leave this page or if you visit a Bank of America financial center. You can take advantage of this offer when you apply now.
The Bank of America Travel Rewards card makes sense if you want a simple travel credit card with 0% foreign transaction fees. The Bank of America Travel Rewards card has a $0 annual fee and a simple rewards rate that works for all your eligible purchases.
The reward rate is 3 points per $1 spent on travel purchases booked through the Bank of America Travel Center and 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases. It also has a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 billing cycles (then 17.74% - 27.74% Variable) and a 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 17.74% - 27.74% Variable).
Plus, if you're a Bank of America Preferred Rewards member, you can earn 25% to 75% more points on each purchase, giving you even more money for travel rewards. No matter how you earn your points, you can use them for statement credits for dining and travel.
- $0 annual fee
- Simple rewards rate
- Points do not expire if your card is active
- Balance transfer fee of 3% for 60 days from account opening, then 4%
Apply now | Learn more in our Bank of America Travel Rewards review
Wells Fargo Autograph® Card
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- Apply Now to take advantage of this offer and learn more about product features, terms and conditions.
- Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months - that's a $200 cash redemption value.
- Earn unlimited 3X points on the things that really add up - like restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases.
- $0 annual fee.
- 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases. 18.74%, 24.74%, or 28.74% variable APR thereafter.
- Up to $600 of cell phone protection against damage or theft. Subject to a $25 deductible.
- Redeem your rewards points for travel, gift cards, or statement credits. Or shop at millions of online stores and redeem your rewards when you check out with PayPal.
- Find tickets to top sports and entertainment events, book travel, make dinner reservations and more with your complimentary 24/7 Visa Signature® Concierge.
The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card makes sense if your everyday expenses align with its 3X bonus categories, which are restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans. Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases. You don't have to worry about rotating categories or limits, as the earnings are unlimited.
The card also offers a 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases (then 18.74%, 24.74%, or 28.74% Variable). You can redeem your points for travel, gift cards, or purchases to offset your spending.
- $0 annual fee
- Includes auto rental collision damage waiver and travel emergency assistance services
- Includes cell phone protection against damage or theft up to $600 (subject to a $25 deductible)
- No intro APR offer on qualifying balance transfers
- No travel protection, such as delayed/canceled flights
Apply now | Learn more in our Wells Fargo Autograph Card review
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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- Earn 75,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
- Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases
- Earn up to $50 in statement credits each account anniversary year for hotel stays through Chase Travel℠
- 10% anniversary points boost - each account anniversary you'll earn bonus points equal to 10% of your total purchases made the previous year.
- Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
- Complimentary DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees & lower service fees for a min. of one year when you activate by 12/31/27. Plus, a $10 promo each month on non-restaurant orders.
- Member FDIC
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great travel card for frequent travelers who don't mind booking through Chase Travel℠. There are great rewards for dining out, which often goes hand-in-hand with traveling, making this a great travel companion.
Another great feature of this card is the up to 1.5x more value you could get if you redeem your points through Chase Travel℠, plus there's up to $50 in annual hotel statement credits when you book hotel stays through Chase Travel.
Other travel benefits this card includes are as follows:
- Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
- Trip delay reimbursement
- Auto rental collision damage waiver
- Baggage delay insurance
- Travel and emergency assistance services
Plus, you can transfer points to its transfer partners, such as United, Virgin Atlantic, and World of Hyatt.
- Great welcome offer
- Offers up to $150 in partner benefits with Lyft, Peloton, and DoorDash
- Earns flexible points that can be transferred to over a dozen Chase travel partners
- Only travel booked through Chase earns the highest rewards rate
- No intro APR offer
Apply now | Learn more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
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- Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
- Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
- Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®
- Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
- Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
- Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
If you occasionally travel, but want the option to earn high rewards when you do, the Capital One Venture Rewards Travel card is a great option. You can earn 2 miles per dollar on every purchase, every day, 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25. While it's a hassle to have to book through Capital One, it's well worth the higher rewards rate, plus the rewards are unlimited.
What makes this card stand out is its exceptional benefits, including:
- $50 experience credit on every Lifestyle Collection stay
- Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
- Automatic Hertz Five Star Status1 <p class="">Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at that status level through the duration of the offer. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply<br></p>
- Access to exclusive ticketed experiences
- Simple earning rate
- Flexible redemption options with rewards that don't expire
- Can transfer miles to over 15 transfer partners
- No bonus categories
- Has an annual fee
Learn more in our Capital One Venture Card review.
Discover it® Miles
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- UNLIMITED BONUS: Unlimited Mile-for-Mile match for all new cardmembers—only from Discover. Discover gives you an unlimited match of all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year. There’s no signing up, no minimum spending or maximum rewards. Just a Miles-for-Miles match. You could turn 35,000 Miles into 70,000 Miles.
- Automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase
- No annual fee.
- Turn Miles into cash. Or redeem as a statement credit for your travel purchases like airfare, hotels, rideshares, gas stations, restaurants, and more.
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases. Then 17.74% to 26.74% Standard Variable Purchase APR will apply.
- Terms and conditions apply.
If you're not yet a full-blown travel rewards junkie, but you're ready to dip your toe into the world of avoiding international fees and earning miles on your spending, the Discover it® Miles could be your perfect starter travel card. It lets you automatically earn unlimited 1.5x Miles on every dollar of every purchase, which is the simplest rate on this list and about as easy as it gets. For a travel card, it's rare to see only a flat rewards rate without bonus miles on specific categories. But if you're new to earning miles instead of cash or points, that's probably more of a good thing than bad.
Like some of the other cards on this list, including the Bank of America Travel Rewards card, the Discover it Miles offers intro APRs on both balance transfers and new purchases. It has a 0% intro APR for 15 months on purchases (then 17.74% - 26.74% Variable), and a 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers {(then 17.74% - 26.74% Variable); 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*).
Just be aware that although this card is a great choice for beginners, we recommend having at least good credit if you're going to apply. This card also falls short when it comes to redemption options, as it doesn't let you transfer rewards to travel partner airlines or hotel programs.
- No bonus categories to keep track of
- Simple earning rate
- Discover will match all the Miles you’ve earned at the end of your first year.
- Minimal travel benefits
- Balance transfer fee: 3% intro balance transfer fee, up to 5% fee on future balance transfers (see terms)*
- Can't transfer miles to partners
Apply now | Check out our Discover it® Miles review.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
We all like to dine out when we travel. Depending on where you go, this spending category could eat up a large helping of your budget. The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is ideal for foodies and other people who eat, earning 3% on grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services. Plus, it offers 5% cash back on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, which sets it apart from other cash back cards for daily spending.
However, if you travel often, you may find that this card lacks certain travel benefits or coverages. The only benefits offered include:
- Travel accident insurance
- 24-hour travel assistance services
- Trip cost protection when booked through Capital One
Other benefits include:
- 0% intro APR for 12 months on purchases (then 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable))
- 0% intro APR for 12 months on balance transfers (then 18.99% - 28.99% (Variable)); Balance transfer fee applies
- Includes an extended warranty on purchases
- Can use points to pay on Amazon
- Rewards don't expire
- Minimal travel benefits
- Charges a balance transfer fee
Learn more in our Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card review.
Cards that almost made our list
Not all credit cards with no transaction fees made our list, but they deserve an honorable mention:
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
If you fly Delta frequently, this card provides benefits like your first checked bag free on Delta flights, saving 15% when booking reward flights on Delta, and a $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 annually. If you don't fly Delta, though, the $0 intro annual fee for the first year, $150 per year thereafter annual fee isn't worth it.
Read our full Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card review.
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
If you own a business, you can earn 3X points on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases on travel, shipping purchases, Internet, cable and phone services, advertising purchases made with social media sites and search engines each account anniversary year. You can also redeem your points for more value by using them to purchase travel through Chase Travel, with the added bonus of transferring points 1:1 to its travel partners.
The only reason we didn't include this card in our main list of no-foreign-transaction-fee cards is that it'll only appeal to business owners. That, and it has a $95 annual fee.
Read our full Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review.
Citi Strata Premier® Card
This card benefits frequent travelers because all of its benefits relate to traveling, including travel protection and a $100 annual hotel benefit on a $500 hotel stay (excluding taxes and fees) when you book through CitiTravel.com. On top of that, you can earn 10X Points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com; 3X Points on air travel and other hotel purchases, at restaurants, supermarkets, gas and EV charging stations; and 1X Points on all other purchases.
The Citi Strata Premier has a $95 annual fee, which puts it on par with the ever-popular Chase Sapphire Preferred and Capital One Venture Rewards. If you like booking directly with airlines and hotels, consider the Strata Premier over these comparable cards.
Read our full Citi Strata Premier® Card review.
What are foreign transaction fees?
A foreign transaction fee is what your credit card issuer charges for foreign currency purchases made through their network.
To process these foreign transactions, your credit card company might charge you a percentage of the purchase, usually between 1 to 3%. While this may not seem like much, it can quickly add up, considering it applies every time you use your card internationally.
This fee isn't only reserved for physical purchases abroad either. Any card purchases you make online from a retailer in a foreign country could be subject to a foreign transaction fee.
How to avoid credit card fees when traveling abroad
Consider these tips for avoiding credit card fees when traveling abroad:
- Avoid ATMs that charge fees: Most ATMs will let you know whether a transaction will incur a fee. Avoid ATMs that charge fees for simple transactions or use a debit card such as the Charles Schwab Investor Checking account card that reimburses international ATM fees.
- Understand dynamic currency conversion: Dynamic currency conversion is an option available on ATMs and from certain retailers that allows you to pay in your home currency rather than the local currency. The exchange rate is typically not in your favor.
- Exchange currency: Having local currency on hand could help you avoid using certain ATM or conversion fees. It's not recommended to carry large amounts of cash, but it could be helpful if a certain merchant (common with many food vendors) doesn't accept credit cards. You could check with your bank before ever leaving on your trip to see if it offers good rates on currency exchanges.
- Get VAT refunds: VAT, or value-added tax, is a common tax on goods sold in Europe. Visitors to Europe can often receive a VAT refund if they follow certain steps. This could include getting a refund from a store right when you purchase an item or filling out forms at stores where you purchased items. Then you would bring the forms and new items to customs to receive approval for a refund. You can then visit a third-party service such as Global Blue at the airport to receive your refund minus a fee. Note that not all stores provide VAT refund forms and not all items are eligible for VAT refunds.
FAQs
What cards do not charge foreign transaction fees?
Most of the best travel credit cards don't charge foreign transaction fees. In fact, most travel-related credit cards don't charge foreign transaction fees. This could include co-branded cards from major hotel and airline companies, such as Hilton and Southwest or it could be cards from popular companies like Chase, American Express, and Citi.
How do I know if my credit card charges a foreign transaction fee?
You can check the terms and conditions of your card issuer's website to determine if it charges this type of fee. If the card does and it makes sense for your situation, you may want to consider having a backup travel credit card that doesn't have any foreign transaction fees.
Is it better to use a credit card or to exchange my money overseas?
If you want to have cash on hand, you could exchange your money once you reach your destination. However, you'll likely be subject to unfavorable exchange rates and will pay fees for the service of changing your money as well. If you use a credit card to get cash from an ATM, you'll pay a high rate of interest on your cash advance and you may be limited in how much money you can get as well.
Credit cards are the simplest way to pay for items while you travel internationally as you'll get a better exchange rate and never have to hunt down an ATM. If you're looking for the best way to exchange money so you have cash on hand, then you'll need to plan ahead and exchange some of your U.S. dollars for the local currency of your destination before you head out on your trip.
What is the difference between a foreign transaction fee and a currency conversion fee?
A foreign transaction fee is a charge for making a purchase from a foreign retailer. A currency conversion fee is a charge that could be added on if you want to pay in your home currency rather than the local currency. You could be charged for both fees on the same transaction.
Bottom line
If you've got upcoming travel abroad, make sure you pack at least one credit card without foreign transaction fees. It's wise to put your travel spending on a travel card for a number of reasons, not the least of which include the travel benefits and lack of international fees that many such cards feature.
The best travel credit card for you depends entirely on your goals and spending habits, but using a credit card with no foreign transaction fees is a simple way to save money while you're abroad.
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Annual Fee
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