Many credit cards charge you a 3% fee for international purchases, especially if your card does not have an annual fee. But not all credit cards! Here’s a list of credit cards with no annual fee that don’t charge the dreaded foreign transaction fee when traveling overseas:
Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card – Why We Like It Best: Offers generous cash back in everyday categories where you are likely to be doing real spending, with no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees! Earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and at grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), plus 1% on all other purchases. EARLY SPEND BONUS: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Bilt Mastercard® – Why We Like It: This no-annual-fee, no foreign transaction fee credit card is best known for being perhaps the only credit card on the market that rewards you (without a fee) for paying your rent with a credit card. (Even if your landlord doesn’t accept credit cards! Bilt will accept your credit card payment and pay your landlord with a check.). EARN: 3 points per dollar on dining purchases, 2 points per dollar on travel purchases, 1 point per dollar on rent payments (up to 50,000 points per calendar year), and 1 point per dollar everywhere else. Note that you must make at least 5 card transactions in a statement period to earn points. REDEEM for travel rewards, including through the Bilt travel portal (with a 25% boost in the value of your points), or through one-to-one transfers into miles programs from American Airlines, United, and more. Other rewards options, too.
Hilton Honors American Express Card – Why We Like It: No foreign transaction fees (obviously), but also generous points-earning opportunities (including 7X points for eligible purchases at hotel and resorts in the Hilton portfolio), an 100,000-point new cardholder bonus opportunity after you spend $2,000 in purchases in the first 6 months of Card Membership, complimentary Hilton Honors Silver Status, and more. See Rates & Fees. Terms Apply. American Express is a ProudMoney advertiser.
Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card – Why It Makes The List: Easy-to-understand cash back credit card gives 1.5% cash back on every purchase you make with the card, so it’s not necessary to think about purchasing categories when you carry this one. No annual fee, no foreign transaction fee. EARLY SPEND BONUS: Earn a one-time $200 cash bonus once you spend $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
Petal® 2 “Cash Back, No Fees” Visa® Credit Card – This no-annual-credit card with no foreign transaction fees is targeted at people who are new (or newer) to credit. In addition to its lack of fees, which makes it an ideal credit building card, is the fact that it starts you off with 1% cash back on all purchases, but boosts that cash-back rate to 1.5% after you make 12 on-time monthly payments. You can also see if you’re pre-approved within minutes without impacting your credit score.
Verizon Visa Card – If you are a Verizon customer, this credit card deserves a serious look. Earn Verizon Dollars at generous multiples on everyday purchases, and redeem toward your Verizon bill or the purchase of Verizon phones & other products. (You can redeem toward travel or gift cards, too.) EARN: 4% on grocery store purchases, 4% on gas purchases, 3% on dining purchases (including takeout), 2% on Verizon purchases, and 1% everywhere else. BONUS OPPORTUNITY: Get a $100 statement credit applied to your credit card bill once you’ve made your first purchase using the card within the first 90 days. No annual fee & no foreign transaction fee.
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Credit Card – The no-annual-fee credit card in Capital One’s Venture travel card lineup lets you earn 1.25 miles per dollar on every purchase, but even more on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get 5 miles per dollar. You can redeem miles to book new travel or get credit toward past travel that was charged to the card. (Other reward redemptions available, too.) Like all Capital One credit cards, no foreign transaction fees. New Cardmember Offer: Earn 40,000 bonus miles once you spend $1000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $400 in travel.
SoFi Credit Card – Why We Like It: Simple cash back formula at a high rewards level. You’ll earn 2% cash back on every purchase with the card IF you redeem your rewards into A SoFi savings or investing account, or use the cash to pay down an eligible loan with SoFi. If you don’t already have a SoFi account, you can earn a bonus for opening a SoFi savings and/or investing account to have that cash back deposited in to. No annual fee and, of course, no foreign transaction fee.
- Amazon Rewards Visa – Get a 3% rebate on Amazon purchases (or 5% if you’re an Amazon Prime customer), 2% on purchases at restaurants, gas stations, and drug stores, and 1% back on all other purchases. No annual fee and no fees on those foreign transactions when traveling abroad. (NOTE: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.)
- Citizens Bank Cash Back Plus Mastercard – No annual fee credit card offers a straight 1.8% cash back on everything you buy — and no foreign transaction fees.
- JetBlue Mastercard – The no-annual-fee version of this popular airline credit card has no foreign transaction fees and plenty of opportunities to earn JetBlue frequent flyer miles.
Author: Adam Jusko