Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover credit cards can be used internationally, though Visa and Mastercard are the most widely accepted abroad. The best type of credit card for international use is a Visa or Mastercard credit card with no foreign transaction fees. You’ll save around 3% on each purchase, compared to a card with a foreign transaction fee.
Credit cardswithout foreign transaction feesare also crucial when traveling internationally. You’ll save an average of 1.56% on each purchase, compared to a card with a foreign transaction fee. As a result, Visa and Mastercard credit cards with no foreign fees are the best credit cards to use internationally.
Best Credit Cards for International Travel
- Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card : Winner
- Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card : Travel Benefits
- Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card : Travel Rewards
- Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card : No Annual Fee
- U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card : Best Value
- U.S. Bank Altitude® Go Visa® Secured Card : Secured
- U.S. Bank Business Altitude™ Connect World Elite Mastercard® : Business
When purchasing from international merchants, remember to also watch out fordynamic currency conversion. By avoiding foreign transaction fees and dynamic currency conversion, you could saveup to 10%when using a credit card abroad.
Be aware that chip-and-PIN cards will beslightly more usefulwhen traveling abroad than chip-and-signature cards. Unmanned kiosks, for example, may require a PIN from a chip-and-PIN card. That said, you’ll get around fine if you have any low-fee card on the Visa or Mastercard network and some of the local currency as backup.
This answer was first published on 04/14/21 and it was last updated on 08/16/23. For the most current information about a financial product, you should always check and confirm accuracy with the offering financial institution. Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company.
