The Best Credit Cards with No Foreign Transaction Fees [2024]

Foreign transaction fees add up quickly and can make your travel expenses unaffordable. Fortunately, there are many credit cards with no foreign transaction fees. The key is knowing which card is best for you. While avoiding foreign transaction fees is ideal, you should pay attention to other benefits, such as cashback rewards, travel protections, and ways to save money or protect your purchases.

We think the Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card is an excellent choice for international travelers. It has a $0 annual fee with 0% foreign transaction fees and provides a simple rewards rate that’s easy to use.

Check out the other cards with no foreign transaction fees we recommend to see which is best for you.

The best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees

• Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card
• Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

Our picks compared

Card	Excellent for	Welcome offer	Annual fee
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card	Simple categories and spending tracking	Earn 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	$0
Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card	Everyday spending	Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months (that’s a $200 cash redemption value)	$0
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card	Casual travel	Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening	$95
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card	Higher travel rewards	Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening	$95
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card	Entertainment and dining spending	Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening	$0

Bank of America^® Travel Rewards credit card

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.

While the overall earnings rate isn’t high at 1.5 points per $1 spent on all purchases, it’s nice not to have to track categories. It also has a 0% intro APR on purchases for 15 billing cycles (then 18.49% - 28.49% Variable) and a 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 18.49% - 28.49% 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.

Apply now | Learn more in our Bank of America Travel Rewards review

Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card

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. 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 19.49%, 24.49%, or 29.49% Variable). You can redeem your points for travel, gift cards, or purchases to offset your spending.

Apply now | Learn more in our Wells Fargo Autograph Card review

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

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 25% bonus you get if you redeem your points through Chase Travel℠, plus there’s a $50 annual hotel credit when you book through Chase.

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.

Apply now | Learn more in our Chase Sapphire Preferred review.

Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

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
• Price drop protection when you book with Capital One Travel
• Up to $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck
• Automatic Hertz Five Star Status
• Access to exclusive ticketed experiences

Other benefits include:

• Two complimentary lounge visits per year to Capital One or Plaza Premium Lounges through Dec. 31, 2024. Starting Jan. 1, 2025, cardholders and their guests can pay $45 per person to access the lounge.

Learn more in our Capital One Venture Card review.

Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card is great for the person who loves to travel and spends a lot on entertainment or dining. To maximize your travel rewards, take advantage of the 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply). Otherwise, you earn 3% on grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, and 1% on all other purchases.

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 15 months on purchases (then 19.49% - 29.49% (Variable))
• 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers (then 19.49% - 29.49% (Variable)); Balance transfer fee applies

Learn more in our Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit 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

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.
• 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 25% more value by using them to purchase travel through Chase Travel. You also get the bonus of transferring points 1:1 to its travel partners.
• 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. However, 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.

Bottom line

If you’re planning on traveling abroad, it’s a good time to compare credit cards and consider the many benefits a card offers.

While some of these cards charge annual fees, these can be offset by the lack of foreign transaction fees and by taking advantage of other card perks. Many of these credit cards can help you get to where you’re going using travel rewards and will reward you for your spending while you’re there.

The best rewards 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 traveling abroad.

Great for Flexible Travel Rewards

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

4.9

FinanceBuzz writers and editors score cards based on a number of objective features as well as our expert editorial assessment. Our partners do not influence how we rate products.

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

Apply Now

Current Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual Fee

$95

Rewards Rate

5X points on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠; 3X points on dining, select streaming services, and online groceries; 2X points on all other travel purchases, and 1X points on all other purchases

Benefits and Drawbacks

Benefits

• Generous welcome offer valued at $750 when redeemed via Chase Travel
• High rewards on dining and bookings via Chase Travel
• 25% more value when redeeming points for travel through Chase Travel
• Up to $50 in annual statement credits for hotel stays booked through Chase Travel
• Receive valuable travel protections like trip delay reimbursement and primary rental car insurance

Drawbacks

• Has a $95 annual fee
• Doesn’t offer airport lounge access or premium travel perks like Global Entry or TSA PreCheck credit
• Doesn't offer bonus points on gas or in-person groceries purchases

Card Details

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 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, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• Member FDIC