Best credit cards with no foreign transaction fees of June 2024

Traveling abroad can be expensive, but it’s even worse when you have a credit card that charges you foreign transaction fees. These fees can be 3% or more of each purchase and add up quickly, especially when paying for big-ticket items like hotel rooms or rental cars.

The good news is, that there is no shortage of travel credit cards that don’t charge foreign transaction fees and have wide acceptance overseas.

To help you find the best option, CNBC Select rounded up the top credit cards with no foreign transaction fees and broke them down into specific categories. (See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best cards with no foreign transaction fees.)

Who’s this for? Anyone who wants a card that’s just as rewarding on the road as when you’re home should consider the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card because it earns at least 2X miles on all purchases worldwide.

Is it worth it? The Capital One Venture card has several perks that make the $95 annual fee worth paying, including a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit of up to $100 (every four years). The miles this card earns are also incredibly useful and highly versatile.

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Who’s this for? The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is designed for frequent travelers who want to maximize their earnings while enjoying luxury perks.

Is it worth it? The Chase Sapphire Reserve has a higher annual fee, but also offers elevated benefits to justify it, such as an annual travel credit of up to $300 for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year, airport lounge access, top-tier travel and purchase protections and a fee credit of up to $100 for Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS. Plus, with the Sapphire Reserve, your rewards are worth 50% more when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.

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Who’s this for? The Discover it® Miles is perfect if you don’t want to navigate bonus spending categories or complicated benefits.

Is it worth it? With an excellent rewards rate on all purchases and no annual fee to pay, you can continue benefiting from this card year after year. The miles you earn with this card are worth one cent each for travel or as cash back and the best part is, Discover will match every mile that you earn in the first 12 months. That means you’ve got a year where you’re effectively earning 3X miles on every purchase.

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Who’s this for? The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is geared toward small business owners who want to maximize their travel rewards. It earns a competitive 3X Chase Ultimate Rewards points on the first $150,00 in combined purchases each year (then 1X points) in a wide range of spending categories.

Is it worth it? The Ink Business Preferred offers many different travel and purchase protections that make its moderate annual fee worth paying. Eligible purchases are covered by cell phone protection, rental car insurance and trip delay reimbursement. Plus, the card earns transferrable Ultimate Rewards points, which are some of the easiest to use and most valuable travel points you can earn.

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The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is versatile yet straightforward. It’s a top pick for credit cards without foreign transaction fees because it checks every box for what you need in a travel card and more.

Rewards

• 5X miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles per dollar on every other purchase

Welcome bonus

Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$95

Notable perks

Cardholders receive Hertz Five Star status and a credit of up to $100 to cover Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® membership every four years. Eligible purchases made with the card also qualify for Travel Assistance Services*, Purchase Assurance*, MasterRental Insurance*, Master RoadAssist®*, and Trip Cancellation/Interruption Coverage*.

The Capital One miles earned with this card can be used to offset eligible travel purchases at a rate of one cent per mile or transferred to various airline and hotel partners for potentially greater value. For example, you can transfer Capital One miles to Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles at a 1:1 rate and book round-trip domestic award flights on United for only 15,000 miles.

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*Benefit available to accounts approved for the World Elite Mastercard product, subject to terms, conditions, and exclusions in the World Elite Mastercard Guide to Benefits. See Account Terms or Application Terms for more details. Terms, conditions and exclusions apply.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card is ideal for maximizers and beginners alike. It earns valuable Chase Ultimate Rewards points and is loaded with travel and purchase protection benefits, all for a modest annual fee.

Rewards

• 5X on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 5X points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases through March 2025
• 3X points per dollar spent on dining
• 3X points per dollar spent on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).
• 3X points per dollar spent on select streaming services
• 2X points per dollar spent on all other travel purchases
• 1X points per dollar spent on all other purchases
• 10% anniversary points boost
• $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit

Welcome bonus

Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$95

Notable perks

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card offers cardholders up to $50 in annual credit for hotel bookings made through the Chase travel portal and a 10% anniversary bonus on the points they earn. Cardholders can also take advantage of many travel and shopping protections, such as purchase protection, extended warranty protection, primary rental car insurance, trip delay insurance, baggage delay insurance and more.

Chase also has several temporary benefits that can help card members save money, including one year of complimentary DashPass membership (when activated by Dec. 31, 2024) and six months of free Instacart+ membership (activate by July 31, 2024), plus a $15 quarterly Instacart credit through July 2024.

The Chase points that you earn with this card can be redeemed for cash back, used to pay for travel through Chase Travel℠ (with a 25% bonus) or transferred to 14 airline and hotel partners like United, Southwest and Hyatt.

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The Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card* is a top choice for earning cash back on dining, entertainment and streaming purchases.

Rewards

• 8% back on Capital One Entertainment purchases
• 4% back on dining, entertainment, and on eligible streaming services
• 3% back at grocery stores
• 1% back on all other purchases
• 10% back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases through Nov. 14, 2024

Welcome bonus

Earn a $300 cash bonus after spending $3,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$95

Notable perks

In addition to having no foreign transaction fees, the Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card* offers extended warranty coverage and travel accident insurance. Cardholders have access to exclusive events and experiences through Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining.

You can also save on food delivery and rideshares with a monthly Uber One membership fee credit through Nov. 14, 2024. The subscription normally costs $9.99 per month and provides benefits like a $0 delivery fee on eligible Uber Eats orders, 10% off eligible Uber Eats orders and 5% off Uber rides.

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If you want a premium credit card that’s packed with travel benefits, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® fits the bill. Its travel insurance perks can add peace of mind to any adventure and the card’s airport lounge access allows you to relax in style while you’re jet-setting across the globe.

Rewards

• 10X total points on hotels and car rentals purchased through Chase Travel℠*
• 10X points on Lyft purchases through March 2025
• 5X total points on flights purchased through Chase Travel℠*
• 3X points on other travel*
• 3X points on dining
• 1X points on all other purchases

*After the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually

Welcome bonus

Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$550

Notable perks

Chase Sapphire Reserve card members get up to $300 in annual travel credits, which covers more than half of the card’s annual fee. And its other benefits can add up to even more value, including an up to $100 Global Entry, TSA PreCheck or NEXUS fee credit (every four years) and two years of complimentary Lift Pink membership (worth $199 a year) when you sign up by Dec. 31, 2024.

When traveling, cardholders have access to the new Sapphire Lounges and can enroll to receive a complimentary Priority Pass airport lounge membership. Further, cardholders can benefit from top-tier purchase and travel coverages, including purchase protection, extended warranty protection, return protection, primary rental car collision coverage, trip delay protection, trip interruption/cancellation insurance, baggage delay protection, travel accident insurance, emergency medical and dental insurance and more.

Chase has also partnered with a number of companies to provide even more value to cardholders. Sapphire Reserve card members can receive 12 months of Instacart+ membership and up to $15 in statement credit for Instacart purchases each month. In addition, you can also take advantage of statement credit for other delivery services. Cardholders are eligible for up to $10 back each month for Go Puff purchases and up to $5 in monthly credit with DoorDash. And you can activate a complimentary DashPass membership (minimum of one year free) through Dec. 31, 2024.

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The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is a premium credit card that earns rewards you can use for just about any travel expense. Plus, it has a straightforward points-earning structure so you’ll be able to maximize your returns with minimal effort.

Rewards

• 10X miles per dollar on hotel and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 5X miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel
• 2X miles per dollar on all other eligible purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$395

Notable perks

Every year, Capital One Venture X cardholders get up to $300 back on bookings made through Capital One Travel and a 10,000-mile anniversary bonus (worth $100 in travel). There are also benefits to make your visit to the airport a bit less stressful, such as a credit to cover Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® membership.

You can also access a range of elite-like benefits at select hotels when you book through Capital One’s Premier Collection. Benefits include a $100 experience credit, daily breakfast for two people, free Wi-Fi, early check-in/late check-out (when available) and upgrades (when available). There’s also the Lifestyle Collection, which offers special perks at a broader range of hotels.

When you pay for your rental car with your Venture X card, you’ll receive rental car collision coverage. And cardholders qualify for ***Hertz Presidents Circle status, which comes with benefits such as complimentary upgrades.

***Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

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Discover it® Miles is a no-frills no annual fee card with no foreign transaction fees that earns miles that can be redeemed for cash back.

Rewards

• 1.5X miles per dollar on every purchase

Welcome bonus

Discover will match the miles you earn during the first year with no minimum spending requirement or limits on how much you can earn through the match.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

The Discover it® Miles has an introductory 0% APR offer for 15 months on purchases and balance transfers, then a 18.24% – 28.24% variable APR (3% intro balance transfer fee, 5% balance transfer fee on future transfers, see terms). This can be useful if you need extra time to pay off your trip abroad.

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The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a top pick for small business owners due to its useful benefits, valuable rewards for business purchases and generous welcome bonus.

Rewards

• 5X points per dollar on Lyft purchases through March 2025
• 3X points per dollar on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines)
• 1X point per dollar spent on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 100,000 bonus points after spending $8,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$95

Notable perks

Ink Business Preferred cardholders can add employee cards for free and also take advantage of various travel and purchase protections, including:

• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty protection
• Cell phone protection
• Primary rental car collision coverage
• Trip delay protection
• Trip interruption/cancellation
• Baggage delay insurance
• Lost luggage coverage
• Travel accident insurance

Points can be redeemed toward travel through the Chase travel portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per point, which is a 25% increase in value compared to using the points for cash back. Points can also be transferred to numerous hotel and airline partners, unlocking all sorts of redemption possibilities.

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At CNBC Select, our mission is to provide our readers with high-quality service journalism and comprehensive consumer advice so they can make informed decisions with their money. Every travel credit card review is based on rigorous reporting by our team of expert writers and editors with extensive knowledge of credit cards. While CNBC Select earns a commission from affiliate partners on many offers and links, we create all our content without input from our commercial team or any outside third parties, and we pride ourselves on our journalistic standards and ethics. See our methodology for more information on how we choose the best credit cards.

To determine which cards will put the most money back in your pocket, CNBC Select evaluated the most popular rewards credit cards with no foreign transaction fees offered by major banks, financial companies and credit unions that allow anyone to join. We compared each card on a range of features, including travel rewards (points and miles), annual fee, welcome bonus, introductory and standard APR, one-time perks, annual perks, redemption rates, as well as factors such as required credit and customer reviews when available.

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* Information for this card not reviewed by or provided by Capital One

**For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.

For rates and fees of the Discover it® Miles, click here.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.

For rates and fees of The Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

For rates and fees of the American Express® Green Card, click here.