9 types of cards you should pack for your next trip abroad

Editor’s note: This is a recurring post, regularly updated with new information and offers.

When traveling abroad, what you pack in your wallet matters as much as what you pack in your luggage.

The approach to both should be the same: Keep it simple and practical. You’ll want at least one credit card that charges no foreign transaction fees, one that earns bonus points on travel, another that offers travel insurance and rental car coverage and a fourth that gets me hotel elite status benefits.

Keep in mind that one card might be able to meet more than one of these requirements, too.

Regardless of where your next trip takes you, this guide will run through nine credit cards for international travel that will serve you well on your travels abroad.

A card with no foreign transaction fees

When traveling internationally, you should have at least one card that doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. You’re bound to make purchases abroad, so why pay an up to 3% fee every time you swipe your card? In many cases, these fees will negate the rewards you’ll earn, defeating the purpose of using a credit card for international travel to begin with.

And if you’ve got more than one card spread across different networks (like Visa, American Express or Mastercard, for example), take both with you. If one retailer or restaurant doesn’t accept a specific network, you can still avoid paying foreign transaction fees by using your other no-annual-fee card from another network.

Nowadays, most travel rewards credit cards waive foreign transaction fees, but a few everyday cards do not.

The Chase Freedom Unlimited® and Chase Freedom Flex® are popular no-annual-fee cards that charge a 3% transaction fee when you use them abroad. Double-check your favorite rewards cards and ensure they do not impose foreign transaction fees.

Here are some of our favorite card picks that do not charge foreign transaction fees:

• Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
• American Express® Gold Card (see rates and fees)
• Bank of America® Premium Rewards® credit card 
• Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card
• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve®
• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card (see rates and fees)
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card
• The Platinum Card® from American Express (see rates and fees)

The information for the Hilton Honors Amex Aspire Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

A card that earns bonus points or miles on travel

If you’re going to travel anywhere, you’ll need a travel rewards card that earns a sufficient number of points or miles. After all, you’ll spend a lot on hotel charges, restaurants, transportation and more. A travel rewards card can help you get as many as 10 miles per dollar spent on these purchases.

• Amex Platinum Card – 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or Amex Travel on up to $500,000 on purchases per calendar year (then 1 point per dollar) and 5 points per dollar on prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel
• Capital One Venture Rewards – 5 miles per dollar on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, plus earn 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases
• Capital One Venture X  — 10 miles per dollar spent on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel and 2 miles per dollar on all other purchases
• Chase Sapphire Reserve – at least 3 points per dollar spent on travel
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card — at least 2 points per dollar spent on travel
• Citi Strata Premier Card – at least 3 points per dollar spent on air travel and hotels
• Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card – 3 points per dollar spent on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in multiple categories, including travel each account anniversary year
• Wells Fargo Autograph Journey℠ Card — at least 3 points per dollar spent on travel (see rates and fees)

While it’s easy to go for the card with the highest travel bonus, you’ll want to consider a few other factors. Namely, you’ll want a card that protects your travel purchases.

A card that offers travel protection

When you’re traveling abroad, a lot can happen. Your travel plans may unexpectedly change, and if you don’t have travel insurance, you could be in a tough spot. Luckily, you don’t need to purchase travel protection coverage every time you travel if you have the right credit card for international travel.

Be sure to bring along a card that offers travel protection, including trip cancellation/interruption protection, trip delay reimbursement and emergency evacuation and transportation coverage.

• Amex Platinum Card*
• Bank of America Premium Rewards credit card
• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card
• Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card*
• Ink Business Preferred Credit Card
• The Business Platinum Card® from American Express*
• United Club℠ Infinite Card
• U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite® Card

The information for the U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

*Eligibility and Benefit level varies by Card. Terms, Conditions and Limitations Apply. Please visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for more details. Underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company. 

Remember that coverage may be restricted, depending on where you live or your travel destination.

Related: When to buy travel insurance versus when to rely on credit card protections

A card that offers primary rental car coverage

Rental car coverage is crucial, especially when you’re traveling abroad. The last thing you want is to get into a fender bender and get hit with a higher insurance premium.

You can buy primary coverage at the rental counter or get it for free using a card that offers primary rental car coverage, such as:

• Capital One Venture X
• Chase Sapphire Preferred
• Chase Sapphire Reserve
• Ink Business Cash® Credit Card (when renting for business purposes)
• Ink Business Preferred (when renting for business purposes)
• Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card (when renting for business purposes)
• United℠ Business Card (when renting for business purposes)
• United℠ Explorer Card
• United Quest℠ Card

A card that offers airport lounge access

Traveling abroad means spending quite a bit of time at the airport. You need to arrive several hours before departure and will probably have a few hours to spare. An airport lounge is a great place to pass the time and grab a snack before a flight.

Luckily, many premium credit cards offer lounge access, here are our top picks:

• Amex Platinum – Priority Pass Select membership (except restaurants) and access to Centurion Lounges, Delta Sky Clubs (before same-day Delta flights; limited to 10 annual visits unless you spend $75,000 or more in a calendar year), Plaza Premium, Airspace and Escape lounges
• Amex Business Platinum – Same access as the consumer Platinum Card
• Capital One Venture X — Priority Pass Select membership (except restaurants) and access to Capital One Lounges
• Chase Sapphire Reserve – Priority Pass Select membership (except restaurants), which includes access to Chase Sapphire Lounges
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) – American Airlines Admirals Club membership and access to Alaska Airlines lounges
• Delta SkyMiles Reserve American Express Card and Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card — Access to The Centurion Lounge when you book your Delta flight with this card. Get Delta Sky Club when flying a same-day Delta flight, plus four one-time guest passes. Cardmembers receive 15 Visits per year to the Delta Sky Club; to earn an unlimited number of visits cardmembers must spend $75,000 or more on their card in a calendar year. 
• United Club Infinite Card – Complimentary United Club membership

Enrollment is required for select benefits.

So what’s the best card for international lounge access? That depends on various factors, but the Amex Platinum offers the most comprehensive network. You not only get Priority Pass Select membership, but you can also visit lounges within the exclusive Centurion lounge network. Just note that this card won’t give you access to Priority Pass restaurants.

A card that offers hotel elite status benefits

Having hotel elite status abroad is incredibly valuable. You’ll not only earn more points on your hotel stays, but you’ll also save money via perks such as free breakfast and club lounge access. As an elite member, you’ll also qualify for room upgrades, which can be great in places where hotel rooms tend to be smaller (looking at you, Europe).

With the right hotel credit card, you can get top-tier status outright or spend your way there. Here are some of our top picks:

• Amex Platinum — Automatic Hilton Honors Gold status and Marriott Bonvoy Gold status (enrollment required)
• Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card — Automatic Hilton Honors Diamond status
• Hilton Honors American Express Surpass® Card – Hilton Honors Gold status, plus earn Diamond through the end of the next calendar year after spending $40,000 in a calendar year
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card – Marriott Silver elite status, plus receive 15 elite night credits per calendar year towards the next level of Marriott Bonvoy Elite status
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card – Marriott Platinum Elite status
• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card – IHG Platinum Elite status
• World of Hyatt Credit Card — Hyatt Discoverist status

A card that offers Global Entry fee credits

Rather than spending an hour in a U.S. customs line, you can skip over to the Global Entry kiosk and get through in a matter of minutes.

If you want a smooth experience (and no lines) when returning from your trip abroad, the Global Entry application fee (including TSA PreCheck) is well worth it.

Better yet, get yourself a credit card that offers a Global Entry fee credit and put that $120 toward its annual fee. You’ll get a nice welcome bonus and your Global Entry application fee covered. These credits get renewed up to every five years in time for your renewal application.

• Amex Platinum ($120 every 4 years for Global Entry and up to $85 every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck; $695 annual fee, see rates and fees)
• Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 annual fee)
• Citi / AAdvantage Executive World Elite Mastercard ($595 annual fee)
• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card ($99 annual fee)
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant ($120 every 4 years for Global Entry and up to $85 every 4.5 years for TSA PreCheck; $650 annual fee, see rates and fees)
• United Explorer Card ($0 intro annual fee for the first year, then $95)

Related: 14 things you should know about Global Entry before your next trip

A card that offers travel credits

Things can get expensive when traveling abroad, but you might be covered if you carry a premium credit card in your wallet. Many of these cards offer annual travel credits that are either airline/hotel specific, or you can use them for virtually anything.

If you have one of these cards in your wallet, you’ll want to pack it for your trip abroad to put that annual credit to use and lower your out-of-pocket expenses.

• Amex Business Platinum  – Up to $200 in statement credits for airline incidental fees per calendar year and up to $200 (up to $50 per quarter) in statement credits at Hilton hotels.  Enrollment required; terms apply ($695 annual fee; see rates and fees)
• Amex Platinum – Up to $200 airline fee credit, up to $200 Uber cash (distributed in $15 monthly increments and on U.S. services; redeem with any Amex card after adding the Amex Plat to the Uber account), up to $200 prepaid hotel statement credits with Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection each calendar year on bookings (two-night minimum stay required with The Hotel Collection), up to $199 Clear Plus membership credit per year. Enrollment required for select benefits
• Bank of America Premium Rewards – Up to $100 airline incidental fee statement credit
• Capital One Venture X—  $300 in annual credits for bookings made through the Capital One Travel portal
• Chase Sapphire Reserve – Up to $300 annual general travel credit
• Citi Strata Premier Card – Annual $100 hotel savings when you spend at least $500 or more (excluding taxes and fees) in a single booking through Citi ThankYou Travel
• Hilton Honors Amex Aspire – Up to $400 Hilton resort credit and up to $200 in statement credits for airline incidentals. Enrollment required; terms apply for select benefits
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant – Up to $300 statement credit each calendar year for eligible purchases at restaurants worldwide
• U.S. Bank Altitude Reserve Visa Infinite – Up to $325 general travel credit

A debit card that waives international ATM fees

Credit cards aren’t as widely accepted abroad as in the U.S. It’s not just off-the-beaten-path destinations where you’ll need to carry cash – some merchants in fairly large European cities that do not accept credit cards either. You might find yourself short on cash, so a trip to the ATM will be necessary.

That’s why bringing a debit card that charges no international ATM fees when you use it abroad is so important. The Charles Schwab debit card is a great option because it carries no fees whatsoever and reimburses all international ATM fees. You can even use the card for purchases since it charges no foreign transaction fees. Here are a few of our best picks for debit cards when traveling abroad:

• Capital One debit card – Requires a Capital One 360 checking account
• Charles Schwab debit card – Requires opening a Schwab Bank High Yield Investor checking account
• Fidelity Visa Gold Check Card – Requires a Fidelity Cash Management Account
• SoFi Money debit card – Requires a SoFi Money account

The information for the Capital One debit, Charles Schwab, Fidelity Visa Gold Check and SoFi Money debit cards has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: 5 cards I take with me on every trip abroad

Other considerations

Chip-and-pin cards

Chip-and-pin credit cards are popular throughout Europe, so you may want one in your wallet if you travel abroad. The good news is that many popular reward credit cards are already chip-and-pin enabled, so you may not have to go through the hassle of finding another card to apply for. Many merchants now offer contactless pay (services like Apple Pay).

Should I inform my card issuer that I’m traveling abroad?

You don’t have to let your card issuer know you’re traveling abroad, but it’s a good idea to do so. That way, you minimize the risk of your purchases being declined abroad.

Some banks allow you to submit travel notices online, while others require you to call and speak to a representative. Provide a list of countries you plan on visiting, and your account will be noted. Abnormal transactions may still get flagged, but this way, you reduce the chances of your purchases being declined.

Bottom line

Now is a great time to plan your next trip by saving up transferable rewards and making sure you have the right credit cards for international travel in your wallet. You’ll save money, earn more points and enjoy a better travel experience. Whichever card combination you pick, make sure it covers all the criteria outlined above.

For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant Amex Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Platinum Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express Business Platinum Card, click here.

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

Related: How (and why) you should earn transferable credit card points in 2025