Comments on: The Best Credit Cards for International Travel

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 16:26:42 +0000

AmEx told me this, too….and the next time I traveled out of the country and tried to use it, it was declined. I had to call them and get them to lift the fraud freeze on the account.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 18:32:53 +0000

Technically, they do. But their conversion rate turns out to be 1% higher than the actual conversion. So your purchase will be 1% more expensive paying with the credit card rather than paying with cash.

I’ve read the same holds true for Charles Schwab’s debit card that has no foreign transaction fee.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:04:37 +0000

Every review says that Capital One aborbs the 1% fee that VISA/MASTERCARD charge, so not sure what you mean.

By: Nichole

Nichole — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 02:53:56 +0000

We are traveling to Japan in February for 4 years. Most of our spending will be on a US Air Base. Would the foreign transaction fees apply still?

By: joseph

joseph — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 04:49:40 +0000

Under The Citi ThankYou℠ Premier Card you refer to it as being a Visa. This card is actually a Citi Amex card or at least it is for me.

By: Drew

Drew — Tue, 03 May 2011 16:00:39 +0000

PenFed (Pentagon Federal Credit Union) has the Promise Visa with no Fees, including no Foreign Transaction Fees. It works really well and has no annual fee, but you have to be a member or pay the 15$ entrance fee. I also take along an AmEx just in case I need their services. However, the last time I called to tell them I was leaving the country, AmEx told me I no longer had to inform them I would be using the card outside the country. I think I find this a little more disconcerting than convenient.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Mon, 02 May 2011 17:33:57 +0000

Thanks for the word of caution.

I also want to add another word of caution on Capital One’s “no foreign transaction fees.” I just got back from Belize and used my Captial One Visa while there. I noticed the conversion was about 1% more than the actual cost.

So, Capital One does have an unofficial 1% foreign transaction fee.

By: Katie

Katie — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 23:29:23 +0000

I can understand a fee for transferring from pesos to dollars but we bought a timeshare in Mexico in dollars and we were still charged a transaction fee.
What is this for? This was a simple on-line transaction. BofA would not back down on waiving this so we are going to Capital One.

By: Trish

Trish — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 14:18:39 +0000

I would caution anyone using a capital one card for foreign travel…they may not charge a foreign transaction fee, but, if you need to access their investigative solutions for any financial disputes abroad, they are non-existent. We had an issue in Mexico that they have repeatedly avoided assisting us on. They use what should be considered exploitive customer service tactics for a service they tout as “protection abroad”.

By: Genie

Genie — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 05:31:59 +0000

If you have AMEX Costco card you get 2% cashback for travel charges…so really it cancels out the fee.