The 5 Greatest Credit score Playing cards for Worldwide Journey of November 2022

Touring overseas could be an thrilling journey — but it surely may also be costly. Neglect the price of airfare and motels; these international transaction charges can actually add up.

Wish to keep away from charges for swiping your card overseas whereas additionally incomes rewards for spending cash on journey? Try our listing of the 5 finest bank cards for worldwide journey.

For a low annual price, most of those playing cards supply perks like no baggage charges, entry to airport lounges and insurance coverage on automotive leases. Plus, not one of the playing cards on our listing cost a international transaction price — meaning you may swipe overseas with out fear.

The Greatest Credit score Playing cards for Worldwide Journey

• Capital One Enterprise Rewards Credit score Card: Greatest Total Credit score Card for Worldwide Journey
• Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Credit score Card: Greatest Bonus Program
• Capital One Savor Rewards Credit score Card: Greatest for Eating and Leisure
• Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit score Card: Greatest for Luxurious Journey
• Capital One Quicksilver Money Rewards Credit score Card: Greatest for No Annual Charge

Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Credit score Card

Greatest Bonus Program

Key Options

• Yearly referral bonuses
• Variable rewards fee
• Account anniversary bonuses

The Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card provides 60,000 bonus factors at sign-up should you meet the necessities — and whenever you redeem these by way of Chase Final Rewards, they’re price $750 in journey credit. You’ll additionally earn as much as 5x factors per greenback spent and by no means pay a international transaction price, making the Sapphire Most well-liked an all-around nice card for worldwide vacationers.

Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Credit score Card

Annual price

$95

Rewards fee

1x to 5x factors per greenback

Signal-up bonus

60,000 bonus factors

Common APR

18.24% to 25.24%

Overseas transaction charges

$0

Minimal credit score rating

Good to glorious credit score (670 and better)

Extra Data About Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Credit score Card

The sign-up bonus for the Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card is 60,000 miles should you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. In regular circumstances, that’s price $600 in journey credit. However whenever you redeem these factors by way of Chase Final Rewards, they soar to $750.

Why? As a result of factors are price 25% extra in Chase Final Rewards (Chase’s journey portal). In the event you open a Chase Sapphire Most well-liked Card, you’ll need to get acquainted with Chase Final Rewards. Every year, you may earn as much as $50 in assertion credit for motels booked by way of the platform. You’ll additionally earn 5x factors on journey bought by way of Chase Final Rewards (excluding resort purchases that qualify for the $50 Annual Final Rewards Resort Credit score).

As well as, for each greenback spent with the Sapphire Most well-liked Card, you’ll earn:

• 3x factors on choose streaming companies and eating (together with supply and takeout)
• 3x factors on groceries (excludes Goal, Walmart, and wholesale)
• 2x factors on journey purchases (outdoors of Chase Final Rewards)
• 1x level on all different eligible purchases

We just like the Sapphire Most well-liked for extra than simply its sign-up bonus and rewards fee, although. This card, greater than another on our listing, provides a complete bonus program, together with

• 15,000 bonus factors for each referral (as much as 75,000 bonus factors per 12 months)
• Bonus factors on each account anniversary equal to 10% of your whole purchases that 12 months

Chase additionally provides a bunch of journey insurance coverage (journey delay, automotive leases, journey cancellation, journey interruption and even emergency help). Not a foul deal for only a $95 annual price. 

Capital One Savor Rewards Credit score Card

Greatest for Eating and Leisure

Key Options

• Excessive money again rewards for eating/leisure
• Complimentary concierge service
• Straightforward-to-earn bonus

Touring is about greater than planes and resort rooms — it’s concerning the expertise. Whether or not you’re a foodie or at all times trying to find the most recent reside leisure, the Capital One Savor Rewards Credit score Card is a superb decide for worldwide journey. There isn’t a international transaction price, and also you’ll earn limitless 4% money again on eating, leisure and streaming companies, all for simply $95 a 12 months.

Capital One Savor Rewards Credit score Card

Annual price

$95

Rewards fee

1% to eight% money again

Signal-up bonus

$300

Common APR

18.99% to 26.99%

Overseas transaction charges

$0

Minimal credit score rating

Glorious credit score (740 and better)

Extra Data About Capital One Savor Money Rewards Credit score Card

Although the Capital One Savor Rewards Credit score Card has a $95 annual price, it shortly pays for itself should you’re recurrently searching for out new experiences. This worldwide journey bank card — with no international transaction charges to talk of — provides great money again alternatives:

• 8% money again on leisure purchases made by way of the Capital One Leisure ticketing platform or on Vivid Seats
• 5% money again on motels and rental vehicles booked by way of Capital One Journey
• 4% money again on eating, leisure and standard streaming companies
• 3% money again on groceries
• 1% money again on all different eligible purchases

The ethical? Deal with your self to an evening out recurrently sufficient again dwelling, and also you’ll shortly rack up sufficient money to afford your subsequent worldwide journey. Simply don’t depart the Capital One Savor Rewards card behind as a result of it’s free to swipe internationally.

Apart from the beneficiant money again program, this Capital One card features a one-time $300 bonus after you spend $3,000 in purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Don’t love the annual price? You’ll get a whole lot of the identical nice perks with the Capital One SavorOne Credit score Card. Money again for eating, and many others. is capped at 3%, however you gained’t should fork over a $95 annual price to maintain the cardboard open.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit score Card

Greatest for Luxurious Journey

Key Options

• $300 annual journey credit score
• As much as $1,200 reward bonus
• Airport lounge entry

With a $550 annual price, the Chase Sapphire Reserve Card isn’t for infrequent vacationers. However should you journey usually sufficient, you may earn huge with the 50% extra level redemption on journey bookings in Chase Final Rewards. You’ll additionally get an annual $300 journey assertion credit score, complimentary lounge entry, and a press release credit score for International Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit score Card

Annual price

$550

Rewards fee

1x to 10x factors per greenback spent

Signal-up bonus

80,000 bonus factors

Common APR

19.99% to 26.99%

Overseas transaction charges

$0

Minimal credit score rating

Glorious credit score (740 and better)

Extra Data About Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit score Card

You’ve acquired to spend cash to generate income — and that’s definitely true with the Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit score Card. Far and away, it has the very best annual price ($550) of any card featured on our listing of the perfect bank cards for worldwide journey. However the sign-up bonus alone pays for the price itself for the primary two years.

How? You’ll get 80,000 bonus factors after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening. Ordinarily, 80,000 bonus factors could be price $800 in assertion credit for journey purchases. However whenever you use these factors towards future journey bookings by way of Chase Final Rewards, they’re price 50% extra — or $1,200.

And also you’ll positively need to use Chase Final Rewards. You’ll mechanically get $300 in assertion credit as reimbursement for journey bought by way of the portal yearly. After that assertion credit score, you’ll additionally earn 10x factors on motels and automotive leases booked by way of Chase Final Rewards.

As well as, cardholders earn:

• 10x factors on Chase Eating purchases with Chase Final Rewards
• 3x factors on all different journey purchases globally
• 3x factors on eating
• 1x level on all different eligible purchases

The Chase Sapphire Reserve Card comes with premium journey advantages, together with room upgrades at choose motels, complimentary airport lounge entry and as much as a $100 assertion credit score each 4 years for International Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS. On prime of that, there aren’t any international transaction charges, you’ll get loads of journey and buy protections and also you’ll earn 10,000 bonus factors for each referral.

Capital One Quicksilver Money Rewards

Greatest for No Annual Charge

Key Options

• No annual price or international transaction charges
• Flat-rate money again rewards
• Additional money again for journey purchases

Journey playing cards with an abundance of perks solely make sense should you journey lots. However should you’re an occasional traveler who desires to earn money again — to make use of on journey or simply on a regular basis purchases — the Capital One Quicksilver might make extra sense. There’s no annual price or international transaction charges, and also you don’t have to trace factors or miles. You’ll simply get a straightforward 1.5% money again with each swipe.

Capital One Quicksilver Money Rewards

Annual price

$0

Rewards fee

1.5% to five% money again

Signal-up bonus

$200

Common APR

17.99% to 27.99%

Overseas transaction charges

$0

Minimal credit score rating

Glorious credit score (740 and better)

Extra Data About Capital One Quicksilver Money Rewards Credit score Card

The Capital One Quicksilver Rewards Credit score Card isn’t a journey card; it’s not even the perfect money again rewards bank card. So why did it earn the fifth and last spot on our rating of the perfect bank cards for worldwide journey?

Straightforward: It doesn’t value a factor (no annual price), and there aren’t any international transaction charges. Plus, it nonetheless earns first rate money again (limitless 1.5% money again on all purchases). For a lot of, that makes it higher than the fee-free Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card, which solely earns 1.25 factors per greenback spent.

Plus, cardholders earn 5% money again on all motels and rental vehicles booked by way of Capital One Journey. On prime of that, the sign-up bonus is straightforward to assert: Simply spent $500 on purchases within the first three months from account opening to earn $200. You possibly can declare it as a press release credit score, or you may request a paper examine or direct deposit — after which use the $200 to fund your travels overseas.

Honorable Mentions: Different Prime Worldwide Credit score Playing cards

Although we didn’t in the end rank the next choices in our prime 5 bank cards for worldwide journey, they could be proper for debtors in additional particular situations.

Greatest Worldwide Journey Credit score Card for College students

In the event you’re a scholar planning to check overseas, it’s a good suggestion to pack a bank card with out international transaction charges. One among our favorites is the Financial institution of America Journey Rewards Credit score Card for College students; you will discover it on our listing of the perfect scholar bank cards.

Not solely are there no international transaction charges, however there’s additionally no annual price. The Financial institution of America Journey Rewards Credit score Card even earns factors: 1.5 factors for each greenback spent on eligible purchases.

Greatest Worldwide Journey Credit score Card for Dangerous Credit score

Debtors with spotty credit may have a tough time discovering a journey card that they qualify for, however we do advocate two secured bank cards that don’t cost international transaction charges:

• Uncover it Secured Credit score Card

• Capital One Platinum Secured Credit score Card

The Uncover card doesn’t even run a credit score examine, however the Capital One is a Visa — you’ll have a better time discovering retailers that settle for Visa overseas than you’ll retailers taking Uncover.

Greatest American Specific Card for Worldwide Journey

Our listing of the perfect bank cards for worldwide journey consists solely of Visas and Credit cards, with a nod to Uncover as an honorable point out. We don’t embody any American Specific playing cards as a result of they aren’t accepted as often as the opposite bank card corporations on our listing.

That mentioned, you probably have Visa or Mastercard in your pockets to cowl you in a pinch, American Specific makes some actually nice journey playing cards — should you journey sufficient to make the most of the perks.

The highest possibility? The Platinum Card by American Specific. The annual price is a whopping $695, however you’ll get an abundance of annual assertion credit (totaling almost $1,700 should you make the most of all of them); among the greatest embody $240 in streaming companies assertion credit and a $200 assertion credit score for pay as you go Wonderful Accommodations + Resorts or The Resort Assortment bookings.

You’ll additionally earn mega factors on flights and pay as you go motels and an enormous sign-up bonus price 125,000 miles. Oh yeah, and there’s no international transaction price as well.

What to Search for in a Card for Worldwide Journey

How do you decide a bank card for worldwide journey? Right here are some things to remember:

Worldwide Acceptance

At first, choose a card you can really use wherever you go. Visa and Mastercard are probably the most broadly accepted bank cards throughout the globe, however Uncover has made nice strides; you should use a Uncover bank card at greater than 60 million places globally.

American Specific nonetheless trails by way of international acceptance. When you’ve got an American Specific journey bank card — and you must should you’re a critical traveler; Amex provides among the finest journey bank cards obtainable — it’s possible you’ll need to have a Visa or Mastercard in your pockets as a backup, simply in case.

Overseas Transaction Charges

The primary enchantment of a bank card designed for worldwide journey is you can swipe it freely with out worrying about international transaction charges. When you’ve got a card that fees any international transaction price, don’t use it whereas overseas until it’s important to. As a substitute, you’ll desire a bank card that doesn’t cost you simply to make use of it.

Not one of the choices on our listing of the perfect bank cards for worldwide journey embody international transaction charges.

Capital One and Uncover are nice choices; from their premium journey playing cards all the way down to their secured playing cards for spotty credit, you by no means have to fret about paying a international transaction price.

Journey Insurance coverage

It’s exhausting to ascertain your excellent trip going improper — however dangerous issues can occur, even whenever you’re overseas. Many journey bank cards supply numerous ranges of journey insurance coverage, together with rental automotive insurance coverage, journey interruption insurance coverage, journey cancellation insurance coverage and even misplaced baggage insurance coverage.

Whereas you should purchase journey insurance coverage individually, it may be definitely worth the effort to discover a bank card for worldwide journey that provides complete insurance coverage.

Rewards

The perfect journey bank cards reward you with factors or miles that may be utilized to future journey purchases, like airfare, motels and rental vehicles. They sometimes additionally dole out extra factors or miles whenever you swipe the cardboard for journey purchases to start with.

Extra critical vacationers who depart the nation for work or pleasure a number of occasions a 12 months might get extra out of airline and resort bank cards, which reward you handsomely in your loyalty. However should you’re leaving the nation on a once-in-a-lifetime (or perhaps a once-in-every-few-years) journey, a bank card with a broader rewards system and decrease annual price might be extra your velocity.

And don’t rule out a money again bank card as you most popular worldwide journey card. Whereas money again bank cards might not supply particular perks like free checked luggage, you may rack up critical financial savings on on a regular basis purchases.

The Capital One Quicksilver, for instance, earns limitless 1.5% money again on each buy. Hold on to these financial savings, after which use them to fund your subsequent journey. Plus, the Quicksilver has no annual price and no international transaction charges — and earns limitless 5% money again on motels and rental vehicles booked by way of Capital One Journey

Signal-Up Bonuses

You possibly can earn critical rewards factors, miles or money with a bank card sign-up bonus. Whereas a sign-up bonus (additionally referred to as welcome supply) shouldn’t be your sole motive for selecting a bank card, they’ll make a compelling case, typically providing as much as 100,000 miles or rewards factors or $800 money again to use towards your trip.

Journey Perks

In the event you don’t journey internationally usually and simply desire a strong bank card that doesn’t cost international transaction charges, search for a fundamental rewards card from Chase or Capital One.

Nonetheless, should you plan to journey recurrently and wish perks like lounge entry, TSA PreCheck reimbursement and free checked luggage, you may pay for premium journey bank cards and even co-branded resort and airline bank cards. Some playing cards might also get your premium standing with sure motels or automotive rental businesses.

Our listing of the perfect journey bank cards is an effective place to begin your search.

Annual Charges

The upper the journey perks, rewards and sign-up bonuses, the upper the annual price, normally. In the event you’re searching for a bank card for an upcoming journey however don’t plan to recurrently depart the nation, discover a bank card for worldwide journey with a decrease annual price — one which additionally has perks outdoors of international journey. In any case, the cardboard must give you worth even whenever you’re again dwelling.

In the event you do journey outdoors the nation recurrently, a card providing higher journey perks however at the next annual price might make sense for you. The Platinum Card from American Specific is our favourite luxurious journey card, however the excessive value and considerations about international acceptance restrict its viewers.

APRs

Generally, rewards bank cards carry higher-than-average rates of interest. When searching for a bank card for worldwide journey, keep in mind that the APR can be excessive; should you don’t repay your assertion steadiness in full each month, the bank card debt can rack up shortly.

In the event you’re touring overseas for the primary time however have a historical past of mismanaging bank cards, it’s possible you’ll need to contemplate an alternate possibility.

Professionals and Cons of Worldwide Journey Credit score Playing cards

Worldwide journey bank cards supply nice perks, however they’re not for everybody. Weigh the professionals and cons earlier than opening a brand new bank card:

Options to Credit score Playing cards When Touring Internationally

Bank cards aren’t for everybody. In the event you don’t need to open a brand new bank card — or don’t have a robust sufficient credit score rating to get a prime journey bank card — listed here are another choices in your upcoming journey:

• Debit card: Some debit card issuers additionally waive international transaction charges. Discover a checking account promoting a no-foreign-transaction-fee debit card forward of your journey.

• ATM reimbursement: Equally, some financial institution accounts supply limitless ATM price reimbursement worldwide. Which means you may take out money regardless of the place you’re with out worrying about paying a excessive surcharge.

• Money: Not each service provider might settle for money, particularly in a post-COVID world. Nonetheless, smaller mom-and-pop outlets might solely settle for money. When touring overseas, it’s sensible to journey with money (within the native forex) and plastic. Trade your money at an area financial institution within the U.S. earlier than touring to get the perfect trade charges.

• Reward playing cards: Forward of your journey, you should purchase reward playing cards for particular airways, resort chains and Airbnb. You possibly can’t use reward playing cards for each buy, however they’ll knock out a whole lot of the big-ticket bills, if accepted.

Continuously Requested Questions (FAQs) About Worldwide Journey Playing cards

We’ve discovered the solutions to the largely widespread questions on worldwide journey playing cards

Contributor Timothy Moore is a author and editor in Cincinnati who covers banks, loans, insurance coverage, journey and automotive subjects for The Penny Hoarder.