Top Credit Cards with No Foreign Transaction Fees – 2018

Traveling shouldn’t be a drag, especially when that one special trip you were looking forward to all year has become bombarded with a fee-frenzy nightmare. Lets face it, foreign transaction fees well-over 2% just doesn’t sit right for anyone and I know, I may be jumping the gun a little bit because big banks do expect our money in order to make money, which I must add, is understandable; fees for a valued service of such shouldn’t go without merit. Furthermore, it’s necessary that we distinguish the better options in credit card services and expand our travel necessities, which is the sole reason why it’s necessary to compile a complete list of credit cards I believe to be the Top Picks with No Foreign Transaction Fees.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve℠ is a premium travel rewards card that I’m sure everyone has heard about with what could very well be the most valuable card in Chase’s selection. With this card, you should expect 3X on Travel and Dining with alluring benefits left and right ($300 travel statement credit, $100 Global Entry application fee credit, Priority Pass Select, etc…) on top of very valuable redemption through their UR Portal making even international travel a breeze.

In fact, there’s no foreign transaction fee attached, as expected, because certainly, Chase wanted to emphasize the rewarding opportunities you get with all of your travel necessities. Considering that this is a huge extension of the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, it’s all the more necessary to have no foreign transaction fees attached.

Editor’s Note: Sadly, Chase did away with the 100,000 UR Point Sign-up Bonus attached, however, there is still a 50K UR Bonus up for grabs if you’re interested.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card Summary:

• Apply Now
• Maximum Bonus: 50,000 UR Points
• Spending Requirement: You must spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
• Annual Fee: $450, not waived for the first year
• Bonus Worth: The 50K points alone is worth $625 towards airfare/hotel.

Certainly, you don’t need to know a lot about points and miles to know that this premium card deserves it’s spot on our list for the sole reason for it’s ideal rewards and benefits structured towards providing travelers abroad a horizon of valued options.

With no foreign transaction fees attached on the Platinum Card^® from American Express, 5X the membership rewards points for all tickets purchased directly from the airline, $200 annual airline fee credit, $100 global entr fee credit and access to American Express’s most prestigious of lounges. On top of that, you’l get automatic gold status with Hilton Hhonors and Starwood Preferred Guest, as well as Marriott Rewards making the $450 annual fee so much more understandable.

Editor’s Note: Earn 60,000 points after you spend $5,000 on purchases on your new Card in your first 3 months.

Platinum Card from American Express Summary:

• Apply Now (Go Incognito mode if you don’t see it)
• Maximum Bonus: 60,000 Bonus Points
• Spending Requirement: Must spend $5,000 within 3 months of account opening.
• Annual Fee: $450
• Bonus Worth: The 60000 Bonus Points is worth about $810+ depending on how much you value MR points.
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice: There is no cap on points and they never expire, so accumulate as much as you can!

Now, one thing I want to get out of the way is that the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card could certainly be the best options for international travelers out there. Understandably, a $95 annual fee vs $450 annual fee makes a whole lot more sense for consumers that juggle around enough annual fees as it is. With 2X the rewards on all your travel purchases, 20% discount on travel bookings through Ultimate Rewards and various travel partners, UR redemption with tons of value, and best of all, your first year annual fee is waived. It was evident that this card would make it’s way into our top no-foreign transaction fees list on it’s alluring travel benefits alone.

Chase Sapphire Preferred Card Summary:

• Learn More
• Maximum Bonus: 50,000 bonus points + Additional 5,000 points
• Spending Requirement: You must spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, and add an authorized user (no annual fee) within the first 3 months and they make a purchase.
• Annual Fee: $0 introductory annual fee for the first year ($95 thereafter)
• Bonus Worth: The 50K points alone is worth $625 towards airfare/hotel.
• Expiration Date: No expiration
• Additional Advice: Be sure to make use of the Ultimate Rewards Portal to get instantly more value with your redemption.

The Capital One Venture Rewards is honestly, one of the more subtle cards out there, but the prospects of this card makes it an easy yes for your wallet. Firstly, you earn unlimited 2X the miles per dollar on every purchase with EASY redemption, being able to fly on any airlines, stay at any hotel, anytime on top of no blackout dates and miles that do not expire.

This card stresses utter convenience at the hands of us, the consumers and with a annual fee of $59, waived for the first year, it could definitely bring you a new horizon to all your travel needs. No foreign transaction fee is like the cherry on top for this card and really sways the Capital One Venture towards being a really balanced card that just had to be on our list!

Capital One Venture Summary:

• Learn more about Capital One VentureOne Rewards and apply here
• Maximum Bonus: 50,000 bonus miles
• Spending Requirement: None
• Annual Fee: $59 (but first year is waived)
• Bonus Worth: 50,000 bonus miles is worth $500
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice: This card is only meant for people with excellent credit!

With the Citi ThankYou® Premier Card, you will essentially be earning a rate of 3X on travel (including gas purchases), and 2X the ThankYou Points per dollar spent on restaurants and entertainment. It’s worth keeping in mind that the $95 annual fee is still quite hefty, but satisfyingly waived for the first year. Also, this card really is how you make it, ultimately revolving around how much you value your ThankYou Points at. 3X on travel on top of no foreign transaction fee makes this a pretty solid card for those looking to expand their ThankYou points abroad.

Editor’s Note: Earn 50,000 bonus points after $4,000 in purchases made with your card in the first 3 months the account is open

Citi ThankYou Premier Summary: 

• Apply Now
• Spending Rate: 3x on supermarkets, gas stations, and restaurants
• Annual Fee: $95 (waived for the first year)
• Bonus Worth: YMMV
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice: ThankYou® Points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel through thankyou.com, as compared to gift cards

The Barclaycard Arrival Plus™ World Elite MasterCard® will, in my eyes, always be a promising card to get a hold of with 2X the miles on all your purchases, 5% miles back to use towards your next redemption every time you redeem, and miles that do not expire as long as your account is in good standing. The no foreign transaction fee is seemingly the ‘done-deal’ for those that want Self-serve terminals abroad, a simple flat-rate, travel credit,etc. However, the annual fee of $89 (waived for the first year) is quite hefty, to say the least. You are looking at spending over $4,200 a year to offset such a annual fee.

Editor’s Note: Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 90 days — that’s enough to redeem for a $500 travel statement credit

Barclaycard Arrival Plus World Elite MasterCard Summary:

• Apply Now
• Maximum Bonus: 50,000 Bonus Miles
• Spending Requirement:  Must spend $3,000 within first 90 days
• Annual Fee: $89 (waived for first year)
• Bonus Worth: The 50,000 Bonus Miles is worth $500
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice: There is no cap on bonuses so earn as much as you can!

The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express is already such a phenomenal card to begin with. The ability to maximize your hotel rewards with extremely valued points on top of a earning rate of 5 Starpoints per dollar spent at participating Starwood hotels and 2 points/dollar spent at participating Marriot Rewards Hotels.

2015’s new rendition of the card beautifully sums up consumer satisfaction with a removed foreign transaction fee, and the added benefits of Boingo Wifi, and complimentary premium in-room internet access. Indulge in Starwood’s most prestige of luxury hotel collections such as the St. Regis, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, Le Méridien on top of generous perks and over 30 airlines transfer partners all on a low $95 annual fee that is waived for the first year.

Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card Summary:

• Apply Now
• Maximum Bonus: 25,000 Starpoints
• Spending Requirement: You must spend $5,000 within 3 months of account opening
• Annual Fee: $95 (but first year is waived)
• Bonus Worth: The 25,000 bonus points is worth about $600 in hotel night stays
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice: The Starpoints are worth a lot more if you redeem them for free hotel night stays!

The Discover IT Miles can earn you 1.5X the miles per dollar spent on all of your purchases with the miles worth a little over 1 cent each as travel statement credit, this card is an exceptional choice for those of you budget-savvy travelers out there. Considering that Discover matches all your rewards earned for the first year, and no annual fee attached, this card shows amazing prospects that deserve to be on our list for Top Cards with No Foreign Transaction Fees attached.

Discover It Miles Card Summary:

• Learn More
• Maximum Bonus: Double Miles for 12 months
• Spending Requirement: None
• Annual Fee: $0
• Bonus Worth: 100 Miles equals $1.00 but there are no cap on how much you can earn.
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice: Refer your friends and receive $50 each, up to 10 referrals, for a total of $500 extra cash.

From no annual fee to a waived foreign transaction fee, this makes the BankAmericard Travel Rewards Credit Card a cost-friendly travel rewards credit card that suits those who just aren’t looking to pay the big annual price tag of a premium credit card. You should expect the card to offer 1.5X the points per dollar spent on all purchases with points being worth around 1 cent each as statement credit towards travel. Keep in mind that with Preferred Rewards participation, or opening a checking account for a 10% bonus on every purchase, you will be able to expand your 1.5% to something a little more satisfying.

Editor’s Note:  With the BankAmericard Travel Rewards Credit Card, you can receive 20,000 bonus points  if you make at least $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of your account opening. You can also consider getting your hands on the Bank of America Premium Rewards Credit Card for 50,000 Bonus Points + unlimited 2 points for every $1 spent on travel and dining purchases and 1.5 points for every $1 spent on all other purchases.

BankAmericard Travel Rewards Credit Card Summary:

• Apply Now
• Maximum Bonus: 20,000 bonus points
• Spending Requirement: Make at least $1000 in purchases within first 3 months
• Annual Fee: None
• Bonus Worth: $200
• Expiration Date: None
• Additional Advice: As a Bank of America customer, you can get an additional 10% customer points bonus on every purchase when you have an active Bank of America checking or savings account.

Conclusion:

If you’re an avid traveler and abroad is a frequent destination for you, then it’s completely understandable for you to despise foreign transaction fees. Lets face it, these fees can rack you up a sum of the cash you could’ve had, which is all the more a reason why we must be able to distinguish a valuable card from every aspect and that means it’s fee-component as well. We are hoping that the list above is utmost satisfying for you to read and of course, if you, BCS readers find any errors with my accuracy whatsoever, please be sure to leave me feedback!  Find out which card is right for you by checking out our complete list of Credit Card Promotions today!

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