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As a full-time digital nomad, I spend about 11 months out of the year abroad — I like to follow the warm weather, hopping from summer in South America to summer in Europe. As such, it's crucial to have a solid travel rewards card that gives me a suite of benefits tailor-made for globetrotting.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card(Rates and fees) is one of my favorite credit cards and is arguably one of the most popular travel cards on the market right now. It's also a card that I always make certain to have on me while 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
Can you use the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card internationally?
Yes — you can use the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card internationally with no issue. In fact, it's one of the better cards to carry with you on trips outside the country for reasons I'll cover in greater detail below.
But even beyond using the Sapphire Preferred specifically, it's wise to use a credit card rather than a debit card when traveling internationally. Using international ATMs to withdraw cash can come with high fees. Credit cards are accepted most places these days and using one gives you the option of disputing charges if anything fishy happens.
Why I use my Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card when I travel internationally
1. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has no foreign transaction fees
The singular most important factor in determining whether a card is suitable for international travel is whether it has foreign transaction fees. Cards with these fees will often charge 3% of each transaction in U.S. currency, so you're effectively spending 3% more on each purchase throughout your trip. It might not sound like much, but this can quickly add up, especially in a country where the dollar is weaker than the local currency.
Luckily, cardholders of the Chase Sapphire Preferred don't have to worry about foreign transaction fees when making purchases outside of the U.S. In addition, the Sapphire Preferred is a Visa Signature card, which means it's accepted almost anywhere in the world.
2. You don't need to set up travel notifications
There's nothing worse when traveling than when you take out your card to buy dinner, and it gets declined for apparently no reason. Some credit cards come with fraud protections that automatically decline an "unusual" purchase, like if you try using it outside your hometown.
Cards with this feature require you to set up travel alerts and notifications in your portal to let the issuer know that you will be traveling. If you forget, you run the risk of your card getting deactivated. Even if you set up an alert, the system will sometimes automatically decline your purchase anyway, which can be extremely frustrating.
Speaking from personal experience, I'm glad I had several different cards in my wallet to choose from when this happened to me.
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is a travel rewards card, and the system is sophisticated enough that you no longer need to file a travel notice like you might have in the past. This makes travel even easier than ever before.
3. The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card has travel insurance benefits
With the Chase Sapphire Preferred, you can access many different kinds of travel insurance coverage that protect you wherever you travel. If you wish to claim any of the below coverage, make sure you use your Chase Sapphire Preferred on the purchase you want covered.
For instance, if you want to utilize baggage delay insurance, you need to have paid for your plane ticket or checked bag with your Sapphire Preferred. Also, be sure to report your losses as soon as possible and provide proof of the damages you incurred.
Trip cancellation or interruption insurance
If you book some or all of your trip with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and need to cancel it, trip cancellation insurance might cover the cost if you cancel for a covered reason. The same goes for trip interruption insurance — if something happens either on the way to departure or after leaving and you can't continue your vacation, you may be able to recoup all or part of your travel costs.
The insurance provides up to $10,000 per person in reimbursement when problems happen, with a maximum limit of $20,000 per occurrence and a $40,000 total maximum payout over a 12-month period. Note that there are always exclusions, so read the policy before making a claim.
Baggage delay or lost luggage coverage
If your baggage is delayed by more than six hours, Chase will reimburse you for essential purchases necessitated by the delay, up to $100 per day for five days. This could include the purchase of clothing, toiletries, and a single cable to charge a cell phone. However, the coverage excludes items such as contact lenses or hearing aids.
If your luggage is lost entirely, damaged by the carrier, or stolen, Chase also covers you and your immediate family members for up to $3,000 in losses per covered person per trip. This includes up to $500 in coverage for jewelry and watches and up to $500 for cameras and other electronics. Keep in mind that items you leave behind accidentally on a plane, cruise ship, or other common carrier are not considered lost or stolen.
Travel accident insurance
Travel accident insurance offers coverage in case of an accident with a common carrier or in case of accidental death or dismemberment on a covered trip. This insurance provides up to $500,000 of common carrier accident insurance.
Rental car insurance
If you rent a car and charge it to your card, you can decline collision coverage from the rental car company and take advantage of Chase's auto rental collision damage waiver.
This insurance kicks in if your rental car is stolen or you get into an accident while driving your rental car — and it reimburses up to $60,000 for most rental vehicles. The coverage is primary rental car insurance coverage, which means you don't have to file claims with other insurers, such as your auto insurer, before Chase pays out.
4. Emergency services are available
Chase offers a variety of emergency assistance services to Sapphire Preferred cardholders, including:
- Referrals to medical and legal help in countries abroad: This includes providing you with the contact information of English-speaking professionals who can assist you with your needs.
- Emergency transportation assistance: Chase will help you arrange emergency transport to the closest medical facility or back home to the U.S.
- Emergency message service: You can record emergency messages or Chase will relay emergency messages to family or business associates.
- Emergency ticket replacement: Chase will help you get a replacement ticket delivered.
- Emergency translation services: Chase offers telephone support and help finding a local interpreter where you're traveling.
- Prescription assistance: Chase will help you get prescriptions filled locally and arrange pickup and delivery of your medications.
- Valuable document delivery: If you've left important papers at home, Chase will help get them to you.
Tip
Although Chase helps you gain access to these services, you'd have to pay for the services you need. The emergency service provided simply facilitates access to help; it doesn't pay for it.Comparing Chase cards with no foreign transaction fees
| Annual fee | Foreign transaction fee | Rewards rate | |
| Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card | $95 | None | 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 |
| Chase Sapphire Reserve®(Rates and fees) | $550 | None | 5X points on flights and 10X points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually; 3X points on other travel and dining & 1X points per dollar on all other purchases |
| Southwest Rapid Rewards® Premier Credit Card | $99 | None | 3X points on Southwest purchases; 2X points on Rapid Rewards hotel and car rental partners; local transit and commuting, including rideshare; and on internet, cable, phone services, and select streaming; plus 1X points on all other purchases |
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card | $0 | None | Earn up to 14X total points at hotels participating in Marriott Bonvoy; 2X points at grocery stores, rideshare, select food delivery, select streaming, and internet, cable, and phone services; and 1X points on all other purchases |
| The World of Hyatt Credit Card | $95 | None | Earn up to 9X points at Hyatt (4 bonus points per $1 on qualified purchases at Hyatt hotels plus up to 5 base points per $1 from Hyatt as a World of Hyatt member); 2X points on restaurants, airline tickets purchased directly from the airlines, local transit and commuting and on fitness club and gym memberships; and 1X points on all other purchases |
| The New United Gateway℠ Card | $0 | None | 2x miles on United® purchases, at gas stations, and on local transit and commuting; plus 1x mile on all other purchases |
FAQs
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred have foreign transaction fees?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card doesn't charge foreign transaction fees when you use your card abroad.
Do I need to notify Chase of international travel?
No, you do not need to notify Chase about international travel.
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred have trip cancellation insurance?
The Chase Sapphire Preferred card provides trip cancellation insurance, covering you for up to $10,000 per person and $20,000 per occurrence if a trip is canceled for a covered reason. The maximum reimbursement is $40,000 over a 12-month period.
Does the Chase Sapphire Preferred get you into airport lounges?
Cardholders with the Chase Sapphire Preferred don't get airport lounge access, but other Chase cards do provide this benefit, including the Chase Sapphire Reserve®.
How do exchange rates work with the Chase Sapphire Preferred?
When you make a purchase that isn't in U.S. dollars, Visa converts the transaction into U.S. currency using its own conversion formulas before transmitting it to Chase. The exchange rate is determined using one of several methods, including the government-mandated rate in effect when you make a purchase or the rate available in the wholesale currency market on the processing date.
Bottom line
The Chase Sapphire Preferred is an excellent choice for international travel. Between the comprehensive travel protections and the lack of foreign transaction fees, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more versatile card to use while abroad. That's why it made our list of the best travel credit cards.
Great for Flexible Travel Rewards
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
