Best credit cards for international travel of September 2024 (2024)

Booking international travel can be costly, but with a little advanced planning, you can use a credit card to save money. One easy mistake to make abroad is using a card that charges foreign transaction fees, which can be 3% per purchase. If you spend $1,000 during your overseas vacation, that's $30 in fees, which you can easily avoid by using a credit card with no foreign transaction fee.

Below, CNBC Select reviewed popular rewards credit cards to find the best options for anyone traveling outside the U.S. These cards can help you maximize rewards and avoid unnecessary foreign transaction fees (see our methodology for more information on how we choose the best cards for international travel).

Who's this for? The American Express Gold Card is an ideal rewards card for you if you love food and travel. It provides a generous return at restaurants worldwide and select travel purchases.

Standout benefits: As a cardholder, you'll receive an annual dining credit of up to $120 ($10 in statement credits a month) at participating partners (enrollment required). In addition, you'll receive up to $120 in Uber Cash annually ($10 a month), which you can use for Uber rides or Uber Eats orders in the U.S. ( you must have downloaded the latest version of the Uber App and your eligible American Express Gold Card must be a method of payment in your Uber account. The Amex Benefit may only be used in the United States.).

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Who's this for? Almost any international traveler can benefit from the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card thanks to its comprehensive travel protections like trip delay insurance and coverage for lost baggage, and robust rewards program.

Standout benefits: The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card comes with primary rental car coverage, trip delay reimbursem*nt, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, lost luggage reimbursem*nt, baggage insurance, roadside dispatch, travel and emergency assistance and travel accident insurance, all for a sub-$100 annual fee.

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Who's this for?The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card could be for you if you're want to earn rewards but not pay an annual fee.

Standout benefits: The Wells Fargo Autograph Card earns 3X points on travel (and many other purchases), which includes hotels, rental cars, airfare and more. You can redeem these points for travel, gift cards or cash back and they can also be transferred to any Wells Fargo partner airline or hotel program.

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Who's this for? A secured card may be your best option if you have no credit history or bad credit (scores below 580). The Discover it® Secured Credit Card is a well-rounded secured card that offers many benefits typically found with unsecured cards.

Standout benefits: The Discover it Secured Credit Card earns a competitive 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants, on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter, then 1%. Plus, you can earn unlimited 1% cash back on all other purchases automatically.

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Who's this for? The Chase Sapphire Reserve is geared toward foodies and frequent travelers who are looking for luxurious perks, such as annual travel credits, airport lounge access and complimentary hotel room upgrades.

Standout benefits: You can take advantage of an annual $300 travel credit, which can cover everything from airfare and hotels to parking and tolls. This credit is easy to use because it's automatically applied to eligible purchases.

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Who's this for? You should consider the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card* if you enjoy dining out when traveling and making entertainment purchases.

Standout benefits: The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards card has some of the highest rewards rates on dining and entertainment, both categories earn 3% cash back. That means, when you're traveling you'll earn extra rewards at restaurants, cafes, bars, lounges, fast-food chains and bakeries. Plus, you can enjoy more cash back when you're buying movie tickets, taking a trip to the zoo or seeing a play or musical.

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Who's this for? You'll have a hard time finding a card that's more rewarding for common travel expenses than the Citi Strata Premier^℠Card. The points you earn can be transferred to travel partners, making it a great choice for all sorts of travel needs.

Standout benefits: You can earn a whopping 10X points on all hotels hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com. You'll also get 3X points on air travel and other hotel purchases, restaurants, supermarkets and gas and EV charging stations.

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The American Express Gold Card earns versatile Amex Membership Rewards points and has valuable benefits that help offset its $325 annual benefit (see rates and fees).

Rewards

• 4X points at restaurants worldwide, plus takeout and delivery in the U.S. (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X)
• 4X points at U.S. supermarkets (on up to $25,000 per calendar year in purchases, then 1X)
• 3X points on flights booked directly with airlines or on Amextravel.com
• 1X point on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Plus, receive 20% back in statement credits on eligible purchases made at restaurants worldwide within the first 6 months of Card Membership, up to $100 back. Offer ends 11/6/24.

Annual fee

$325 (see rates and fees)

Notable perks

The Amex Gold offers a range of perks in addition to the $240 in annual credits for dining (up to $10 in statement credits a month) and Uber Cash (up to $10 a month).

When traveling, you'll appreciate that there are no foreign transaction fees (see rates and fees) and that it has travel insurance coverage for car rentals, baggage and trip delays. Eligible purchases also qualify for purchase protection and extended warranty coverage, which makes this card a solid choice for large purchases.

You can also benefit from Amex Offers, which provide statement credits or opportunities to earn more rewards at select merchants.

Perhaps the best part of having an Amex Gold card is all the ways you can use American Express Membership Rewards points. You can redeem Amex points for things like gift cards, statement credits or booking travel throughAmex Travel. However, you can potentially get a better value for your points when youtransfer them to Amex's airline or hotel partners. The partner travel programs include Emirates Skywards, Delta SkyMiles,Marriott Bonvoy, Choice Privileges and many more.

Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Car Rental Loss or Damage Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. Please visit americanexpress.com/ benefits guide for more details.

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The Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card packs a big punch for a travel card with a sub-$100 annual fee.

Rewards

• 5X points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠
• 5X points per dollar on Lyft rides through Mar. 31, 2025
• 3X points per dollar on dining
• 3X points per dollar on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs)
• 3X points per dollar on select streaming services
• 2X points per dollar on all other travel purchases
• 1X points per dollar on all other purchases

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 has two annual perks that go a long way toward offsetting its annual fee. Every year, you can take advantage of an up to $50 hotel credit for bookings you make through Chase Travel℠. In addition, you'll receive a 10% points boost on each card anniversary based on your spending for the previous year.

Your purchases and travel are also covered by a range of protections, includingprimary car rental insurance, trip cancellation and interruption insurance, trip delay reimbursem*nt, baggage delay insurance, purchase protection and extended warranty protection.

The Sapphire Preferred Card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points, which is one of the most flexible travel rewards programs. You can redeem Ultimate Rewards points for one cent each for options such as gift cards and cash back. To easily boost the value you receive, the Sapphire Preferred provides a 25% boost in value (1.25 cents each) when you use points to pay for travel you book through Chase Travel℠.

You can also transfer Ultimate Rewards points to all of Chase's airline and hotel transfer partners. You can transfer points to Emirates Skywards, United Airlines MileagePlus,Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards, World of Hyatt, IHG One Rewards and many more.

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The Wells Fargo Autograph℠ Card is unusually rewarding for a credit card with no annual fee.

Rewards

• 3X points at restaurants
• 3X points on travel
• 3X points on gas
• 3X points on transit
• 3X points on popular streaming services
• 3X points on phone plans
• 1X points on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases with the card in the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

Once approved for a new Autograph card account, you receive an intro 0% APR on purchases for the first 12 months. After the intro-APR expires, a variable 20.24%, 25.24%or29.99% APR applies.

This is also a great card for paying your cell phone bill. You'll earn 3X points on your payments and you can qualify for this card's cell phone protection. The cell phone coverage will reimburse you up to $600 per claim for damage and theft. There's a $25 deductible and you can make up to two claims per 12 months. Other benefits include no foreign transaction fees, roadside dispatch, rental car collision coverage and travel and emergency assistance.

You can use the points you earn for redemptions such as gift cards, various types of cash-back rewards and booking travel through the Wells Fargo rewards site. But what makes this card special is the option to transfer your points to Wells Fargo's travel partners, which is an unusual perk to find with a no-annual-fee travel credit card. You can transfer Wells Fargo rewards to:

• Aer Lingus AerClub
• Air France/KLM Flying Blue
• Avianca LifeMiles
• British Airways Executive Club
• Iberia Plus
• Choice Hotels

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The Discover it Secured Credit Card is a secured credit card but also earns rewards, which makes it a great option if you have a lower credit score.

Rewards

• 2% cash back at gas stations and restaurants on up to $1,000 in combined purchases each quarter
• 1% cash back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Discover will match the cash back you earn during the first year with no minimum spending requirement or cap on the match.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

This card requires a $200 security deposit, which is fairly standard for secured credit cards. It stands out from the crowd because it gives you a clear path to upgrading to an unsecured card (and getting your deposit back). Starting seven months from account opening, Discover will automatically start to review your credit card account to see if they can transition you to an unsecured line of credit and return your deposit. This takes the guesswork out of wondering when you'll qualify for an unsecured credit card.

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The Chase Sapphire Reserve® is a premium credit card with the travel perks and rewards program to justify its annual fee.

Rewards

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

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

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.

Annual fee

$550

Notable perks

It's not hard to justify the Sapphire Reserve's $550 annual fee if you take full advantage of its benefits. There's a $300 annual travel credit that automatically applies to the first $300 in eligible purchases, so it's incredibly easy to use. You'll also get airport lounge access through Priority Pass and a Global Entry or TSA PreCheck® application fee credit of up to $100 every four years.

When traveling internationally, you don't need to worry about foreign transaction fees. The Sapphire Reserve also comes with:

• Purchase protection
• Extended warranty protection
• Return protection
• Primary rental car collision coverage
• Trip delay protection
• Trip interruption/cancellation insurance
• Baggage delay protection
• Lost luggage reimbursem*nt
• Travel accident insurance
• Emergency medical and dental insurance
• Roadside assistance
• Emergency evacuation and transportation

The Chase Ultimate Rewards points you earn with the Sapphire Reserve are worth one cent a point for options like gift cards or cash back. You receive 50% more value when you redeem them for travel via Chase Travel℠ (1.5 cents each). That makes 60,000 points worth $900 in travel. You can also transfer your points at a 1:1 ratio to any of Chase's travel partners, including World of Hyatt, United MileagePlus, Air Canada Aeroplan and Emirates Skywards.

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The Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card is a perfect fit if you love earning cash back on common everyday expenses.

Rewards

• 10% back on Uber and Uber Eats purchases
• 3% back on dining
• 3% back on entertainment
• 3% back on eligible streaming services
• 3% back at grocery stores
• 1% back on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn $200 cash after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee

$0

Notable perks

Aside from earning an extreme amount of cash back on dining and entertainment purchases, you can also save on Uber rides and Uber Eats. You can receive a monthly Uber One membership credit through Nov. 14, 2024.

This card also has perks such as no foreign transaction fees, extended warranty protection and travel accident insurance. You'll also get access to exclusive experiences through Capital One Entertainment and Capital One Dining.

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The Citi Strata Premier^℠Card earns Citi ThankYou points, which you can use to book all sorts of award travel.

Rewards

• 10X points on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on CitiTravel.com
• 3X points on air travel and other hotel purchases
• 3X points at restaurants
• 3X points at supermarkets
• 3X points at gas and EV charging stations
• 1X points on all other purchases

Welcome bonus

Earn 70,000 bonus ThankYou® Points after spending $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee

$95

Notable perks

This card has a $95 annual fee, but if you book a hotel stay through CitiTravel.com you can offset that cost. Every calendar year, you'll get $100 off a hotel reservation you book through CitiTravel.com (the reservation must be at least $500 not including taxes and fees).

Other perks include no foreign transaction fees, trip delay protection, trip cancellation and interruption protection, lost luggage coverage and MasterRental® car rental coverage.

The Citi ThankYou points you earn with the Strata Premier can be redeemed for one cent for a range of options, including gift cards and travel booked through Thankyou.com. You can also transfer ThankYou points to all of Citi's travel partners with this card. This includes Choice Privileges, Turkish Miles and Smiles, Avianca LifeMiles and many more.

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Choosing the right credit card for your travels is a highly personal choice because, unless you're traveling full-time, you'll probably be using the card more within the U.S. than outside of it. Make sure you're getting a card that earns the most rewards for the types of purchases you frequently make. And focus on choosing a rewards program that you'll find the most useful.

That said, there are a few boxes any credit card should check if you're going to use it for traveling out of the country. Be sure the card charges a $0 foreign transaction fee, so you don't get stuck paying extra for every purchase. It's also important to consider what payment networks are most widely accepted internationally. Visa and Mastercard are usually accepted anywhere you can pay with a card. So if you want to use a Discover or Amex card abroad, you may want to bring a Visa or Mastercard along as well, just to be safe.

To compare credit cards for international travel, you'll want to heavily consider the costs and benefits.

Think about the value you'll get from the card's welcome offer, ongoing rewards, travel perks and insurance protections. It's easier to attach a value to certain card benefits, such as statement credits or intro bonuses. Other perks, like rental car insurance or trip delay reimbursem*nt, have value but are harder to quantify.

As you weigh the cost of different International travel credit cards, the annual fee is a good place to start. If the benefits don't outweigh what you pay to keep the card, it's not one you'll want to hold onto long-term. But don't stop there, also consider whether the card has other fees, such as foreign transaction fees. Think about whether you'll use the rewards and benefits and how simple or complicated it is to maximize the perks. Travel rewards can be flexible and offer exceptional value, but it can also be time-consuming to find and book the best awards.

Having and using a credit card when you're traveling internationally makes sense for a lot of reasons. Credit cards are widely accepted and can offer meaningful travel and purchase protections. The rewards you earn with a travel credit card can also be quite valuable, so you can be working your way to the next trip while paying for your current vacation.

That said, the best travel credit cards typically require good or excellent credit scores, so they can be harder to get. Additionally, travel rewards programs can be more complicated compared to straightforward cash-back rewards.

Pros

• Valuable points and miles
• Useful travel-related benefits
• Can have bigger welcome bonuses

Cons

• Typically require higher credit scores
• Rewards can be more complicated
• APRs tend to be higher

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To determine which cards offer the best value for international travel, CNBC Select analyzed over 250 major credit cards issued through FDIC-insured banks and NCUA-insured credit unions that are widely available in the U.S.

We compared each card on a range of features, including rewards (e.g., cash back, points and miles), annual fees, welcome bonuses, introductory and standard APR and balance transfer fees and foreign transaction fees. We also considered additional perks (e.g., ongoing travel or merchant statement credits), cardholder protections (e.g., purchase protection, $0 liability protection and travel insurance), the application process when available (e.g., is there a credit pull or required credit score) and how easy it is to redeem points (e.g., are rewards are tied to a specific brand; if transferable, to how many/which partners, can you redeem for straight cash back).

We also considered CNBC Select audience data when available, such as general demographics and engagement with our content and tools.

For the cards that offered a rewards program, we considered consumer spending data forecasts from location intelligence firm Esri to determine where U.S. consumers are spending the most money, like on dining and travel. We used this to help determine what bonus categories are most useful for consumers. Since the value of a point or mile varies based on what they can be redeemed for, we also considered things like transferability and the ability to redeem for cash-back.

When choosing the best credit cards for international travel, we focused on cards with relevant benefits and rewards, including no foreign transaction fees and travel or dining perks.

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For rates and fees of the Discover it® Secured Credit Card, click here.

For rates and fees of the Amex Gold Card, click here.