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Whether you've caught the travel bug or you go abroad often for work, the best credit cards for international travel will help you save money on fees all while earning valuable rewards and providing travel perks and protections. From big sign-up bonuses and luxury perks to trip insurance and where the card will be worldwide acceptance, here's what you need to know to pick the best credit card for your next international trip.
Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Great for: Travel and dining
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
With a big sign-up bonus, the sky’s the limit for this top-rated travel rewards card. Plus, the premium points program for travel and dining make it a no brainer for travel enthusiasts everywhere. Read Full Review
Great for: Travel and dining
On Chase's Secure Website.
On Chase's Secure Website.
The sign-up bonus, premium rewards for travel & dining, and wide array of valuable travel credits make this a compelling offer that will offset the cost of the annual fee for many. The array of limited time offers make it even more compelling. Read Full Review
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
Great for: Premium travel rewards
On Capital One's Secure Website.
On Capital One's Secure Website.
This is a strong premium level travel card with a big sign-up bonus, robust rewards program, and rich travel credits. Read Full Review
Great for: Restaurants and travel
On Citi's Secure Website.
On Citi's Secure Website.
A solid pick with a big bonus and nice list of airlines transfer partners, plus it includes a robust rewards program beyond just travel Read Full Review
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Great for: American Airlines frequent flyers
The rewards program makes this a compelling card to carry with OK earning opportunities beyond just American Airlines purchases.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Great for: One-card wallet
On Capital One's Secure Website.
On Capital One's Secure Website.
Unlimited 2X miles, TSA Pre✓® credits, and a big sign-up bonus make this credit card one of the best travel companions. Read Full Review
Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card
Great for: No annual fee
On Bank of America's Secure Website.
On Bank of America's Secure Website.
No-annual-fee travel cards typically skimp on the sign-up bonus, but this card delivers with its intro bonus offer, unlimited rewards on purchases, and other wallet-friendly perks. Read Full Review
United℠ Explorer Card
Great for: United frequent flyers
With a big sign up bonus and rewards for United and dining purchases, the miles will accumulate quickly if you're a frequent traveler.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card
Great for: No annual fee
On Capital One's Secure Website.
On Capital One's Secure Website.
Travel cards with no annual fee generally pull back on cardholder favorites, but this offer keeps those perks intact, making it a solid offer for cardholders not spending enough on credit to justify paying an annual fee. Read Full Review
Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Great for: Delta flyers
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
On American Express' Secure Website.
Terms apply
May be the best card for most Delta travelers, given the balance of a nice welcome bonus, premium rewards program, and a low annual fee. Read Full Review
This depends on the credit card network rather than the bank that issued the credit card. American Express cards and Discover cards fall behind the two biggest networks, Visa and Mastercard, in terms of acceptance -- especially outside of the United States. Visa and Mastercard are comparable in terms of acceptance, but Visa is still the most widely issued credit card.
While credit cards are an increasingly popular form of payment around the globe, some credit cards still are more widely accepted than others. It's important to take into consideration where you'll be traveling most frequently -- even the best credit cards for international travel are useless if they aren't accepted in the areas you plan to travel to.
The best travel credit cards help you stay on budget while traveling by offering comprehensive benefits and protections. Here are the top features and benefits to look for in the best credit cards for international travel.
Aim for credit cards with generous sign-up bonuses, but make sure you can meet the minimum spend required to earn the bonus. This will give you a solid boost if you're collecting rewards for an upcoming vacation, as many sign-up bonuses are big enough to cover one (sometimes two) round-trip flights.
You also want to pay attention to the rewards rate you'll earn on your regular spending to determine whether or not the credit card brings value past earning the sign-up bonus. Choose credit cards that offer higher rewards rates (think three points per $1 spent on select categories), but also make sure that the bonus spending categories are in line with your spending habits.
Some travel credit cards let you redeem your points through a travel portal, where you can make a wide variety of travel purchases using points. Sometimes, you can even transfer these points to a number of travel partners, which really increases the flexibility of your redemption options. Others offer statement credits that can be applied to travel-related purchases. Meanwhile, airline-specific credit cards allow you to redeem your miles for flights with that airline. Figure out what your goal in collecting rewards is first, and that will help you decide which redemption options to seek out.
Not all rewards points are created equal. One credit card might offer a larger sign-up bonus than another, but that doesn't necessarily mean it offers more value. Some rewards points are valued at $0.005 each while others are valued at $0.02 each. Do some research to figure out the true value of the rewards you'd be earning.
It's easy to rack up credit card fees while you're traveling abroad without even noticing it. The biggest one to avoid is the foreign transaction fee. The best credit cards for international travel come with no foreign transaction fee.
Most of the credit cards on this list offer some type of rental car insurance. Having collision damage and theft insurance covered by your card can save you a significant amount of money the next time you rent a car. Some credit cards offer secondary rental car insurance, which if you're traveling in the U.S., only kicks in after your personal insurance is used. If you're traveling internationally, secondary insurance usually becomes primary insurance as your personal insurance doesn't apply at all. Still, primary insurance is ideal. You'll need to pay for the rental car with your credit card in order to be covered.
Having delayed and lost baggage protection covers you in the event that your baggage is ever delayed or lost. It means you can submit a claim for expenses, such as lost items you had to replace.
If your trip is canceled or interrupted due to eligible unforeseen circumstances, your credit card may reimburse you for any non-refundable reservations you've already made, such as flights and hotels. You have to have made the reservation on your credit card. The best credit cards for international travel offer some kind of protection related to trip cancellation.
When choosing the best credit cards for international travel, you'll want to compare three main features: fees, rewards, and benefits.
Fees will include the interest rate, annual fee, and foreign transaction fee. The general idea is to keep these fees as minimal as possible. However, if you don't plan on carrying a balance -- and honestly, you probably shouldn't carry a balance on a rewards credit card given that they come with higher interest rates -- the interest rate might not be as pertinent to you. Check out our picks for the best travel credit cards with no annual fee to explore some great options that can help keep costs down.
A low or no annual fee credit card is best if you don't travel often or don't plan to use the card much. However, frequent travelers may find that travel credit cards with steep annual fees are actually more lucrative in the end, given the high-value rewards and premium travel perks they offer.
The two most important things to look for when comparing rewards systems across different cards are:
Past that, you'll want to compare the point value of different cards and do the math to figure out how much the sign-up bonus is worth and how much you'd earn in rewards each month given your monthly spending habits. This will help you break down which credit card would be the most lucrative for you.
Read more: Best Airline Credit Cards
If you travel often, travel benefits, which include perks like complimentary airport lounge access and elite status as well as protections like rental car insurance and trip cancellation insurance, can easily save you hundreds -- if not thousands -- of dollars each year. Read the fine print in each credit card's benefits guide to figure out which ones offer the best insurance.
Once you've narrowed it down to a few contenders, make a table listing out the features mentioned above and compare them across each card.
A credit card for international travel might be right for you if:
If you don't travel much internationally, you might want to consider one of the best credit cards geared toward consumers in general, which might offer more flexible perks and rewards that can apply to your everyday life. If you plan on carrying a balance, you should look into either a low interest credit card or a 0% intro APR credit card to save money on interest.
Read more: Check out The Ascent's list of the Best Travel Credit Cards With No Annual Fee
Card | Rating | Great For |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Travel and dining |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Travel and dining |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Premium travel rewards |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Restaurants and travel |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: American Airlines frequent flyers |
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Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Premium travel |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: One-card wallet |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: No annual fee |
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Rating image, 5.00 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: United frequent flyers |
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Rating image, 4.50 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: No annual fee |
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Terms apply
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Rating image, 4.00 out of 5 stars.
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Great For: Delta flyers |
A foreign transaction fee is a fee that's charged each time a purchase is made in a foreign country. This fee is charged as a percentage of each purchase. Most credit cards with foreign transaction fees charge 3%, which would mean you'd rack up $30 in fees for every $1,000 you spend abroad.
Look for credit cards with no foreign transaction fee. You'll also want to watch out for dynamic currency conversion, which is when a merchant converts a price in the local currency to your currency, often at an unfavorable exchange rate. If a merchant in a foreign country asks you if you'd prefer to pay in the local currency or in dollars, always pay in local currency.
Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted credit cards. American Express is accepted in most places nowadays as well, though there are still some areas and small businesses that don't accept it. Discover is the least widely accepted.
We're firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team. The Motley Fool has a Disclosure Policy. The Author and/or The Motley Fool may have an interest in companies mentioned.
For rates and fees for the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card, click here
The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Visa and Mastercard. The Motley Fool recommends Amex.
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