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Foreign transaction fees can make routine travel expenses significantly more, well, expensive. Fortunately, there are many credit cards with no foreign transaction fees. The key is knowing which card is best for you.
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.
How we evaluate 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 the best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees
| Card | Excellent for | Welcome offer | Annual fee |
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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 |
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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 |
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Casual travel | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening | $95 |
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Higher travel rewards | Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening | $95 |
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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
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: 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.
Rewards rate: Earn 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.
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 18.24% - 28.24% Variable) and a 0% intro APR for 15 billing cycles for any balance transfers made in the first 60 days (then 18.24% - 28.24% 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
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: Earn 20,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 in purchases in the first 3 months (that’s a $200 cash redemption value).
Rewards rate: Earn unlimited 3X points on restaurants, travel, gas stations, transit, popular streaming services, and phone plans; plus earn 1X points on other purchases.
The Wells Fargo Autograph® Card(Rates and fees) 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 19.24%, 24.24%, or 29.24% Variable). You can redeem your points for travel, gift cards, or purchases to offset your spending.
- $0 annual fee
- Includes rental car protection and travel emergency assistance services
- Includes cell phone protection 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
Annual fee: $95
Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 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.
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 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.
Good to know
If you want even more luxury travel benefits from a Chase credit card, then make sure to check out the Chase Sapphire Reserve®. You can enjoy even higher rewards rates and perks like Priority Pass lounge access and up to a $300 annual travel credit.Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $95
Welcome offer: Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate: 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.
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 Status
- Access to exclusive ticketed experiences
- Simple earning rate
- Flexible redemption options with rewards that don't expire
- Can transfer points to over 15 transfer partners
- No bonus categories
- Has an annual fee
Learn more in our Capital One Venture Card review.
Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $0
Welcome offer: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus after you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Rewards rate: Earn 3% cash back at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), on dining, entertainment and popular streaming services; 5% back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel (terms apply); 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases; and 1% cash back on all other purchases.
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 19.24% - 29.24% (Variable))
- 0% intro APR for 15 months on balance transfers (then 19.24% - 29.24% (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.
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.
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've got upcoming travel abroad, it might be a good time to review your wallet's roster of credit cards to make sure you've got at least one that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees.
If you don't, consider applying for one of the travel credit cards covered above. 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 foreign transaction 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.
Great for Flexible Travel Rewards
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Current Offer
Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $5,000 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
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