Top credit cards for overseas travel, selected by a seasoned traveler

One of the simplest ways to cut costs on an overseas trip is to use a credit card that does not add foreign transaction fees. Whether you are reserving flights, eating out or making purchases abroad, the right card can help you avoid extra charges while still earning rewards.

Many cards tack on foreign transaction fees of 2% to 3% on purchases made outside the U.S. That may seem small, but on a $2,000 trip it can mean an additional $40 to $60. For travelers already trying to save through budget flights or lower-cost lodging, those fees can quickly add up.

Acceptance also matters. American Express and Discover are accepted by many merchants overseas, but Visa and Mastercard are generally more widely usable internationally. The good news is that several travel cards combine broad acceptance with no foreign transaction fees, useful rewards and extras such as lounge access and travel insurance.

Former CNN Underscored senior money editor Alberto Riva carries four cards on every international trip, but most travelers do not need that many to get strong value. Below are five of the best credit cards for international travel:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for premium perks
• Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® card: Best for everyday earning abroad
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best for balanced perks and everyday spending
• Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Best for bonus categories at home and abroad
• Wells Fargo Autograph® Card: Best for international travel without an annual fee

Here is a closer look at each card and why it may be worth considering before your next trip overseas. Every card on this list has no foreign transaction fees, is either a Visa or Mastercard, and earns travel rewards.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Best for premium perks

• Why it stands out: Strong travel benefits that help offset its high annual fee, plus valuable bonus categories.
• Annual fee: $795.
• Welcome offer: 100,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first three months from account opening.
• Who it’s for: Frequent travelers who want airport lounge access and high rewards on travel and dining.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve is Chase’s flagship travel card and one of the strongest options to bring abroad. As expected at this level, it does not charge foreign transaction fees. It is a Visa Infinite card, which means it is accepted almost anywhere that takes credit cards.

With the Sapphire Reserve, you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points that can be redeemed through the Chase Travel℠ portal or transferred to Chase partners. Among the most valuable transfer options are United, Air Canada and Hyatt.

The card earns points at these rates:

• Chase Travel: 8x points
• Flights and hotels booked direct from the provider: 4x points
• Dining: 3x points
• Lyft: 5x points
• All other purchases: 1x point

The $795 annual fee is steep, but the card comes with credits and benefits that can make up much of that cost. Some are simple to use, such as the automatic $300 travel credit, while others take a bit more planning. Here is the breakdown:

• Travel credit: Up to $300 per year for any travel purchase, resetting at the start of your cardholder year
• The Edit hotels: Up to $500 per year for hotels in Chase’s The Edit platform, split into two $250 credits
• OpenTable Exclusive Tables dining: $300 split into two $150 credits per year at select restaurants
• StubHub/Viagogo: $300 split into two $150 credits per year for event tickets
• DoorDash: Complimentary DashPass membership and monthly credits
• Lyft: $10 in ride credits per month
• Peloton: $10 per month toward membership
• Apple TV+ and Apple Music: Complimentary membership
• Global Entry/TSA PreCheck or NEXUS: Up to $120 every four years

The card also includes Priority Pass Select airport lounge access, unlimited entry to Chase Sapphire lounges, IHG Platinum status, and broad travel and purchase protections.

It is also a strong card for earning while traveling, thanks to 3 points per dollar on dining purchases. It may not be ideal for everyday non-bonus spending, but for booking flights and hotels and carrying on a trip, it is an excellent option.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Atmos™ Rewards Summit Visa Infinite® card: Best for everyday earning abroad

• Why it stands out: Earns 3 points per dollar on all purchases made abroad.
• Annual fee: $395.
• Welcome offer: Get a 50% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening a new account. You can also earn 100,000 bonus points and a 25K Global Companion Award after spending $6,500 within the first 90 days.
• Who it’s for: Atmos Rewards fans who want strong earning power while overseas.

Atmos Rewards is the loyalty program for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, and it is useful far beyond those two carriers. It still uses award charts for partner redemptions instead of dynamic pricing, so you know in advance how many points a flight will cost. The program also has a broad list of partners in the Oneworld alliance, including American Airlines, along with non-alliance airline partners. Some of the best redemptions include short-haul American Airlines flights for 4,500 points and business-class flights from the East Coast to Europe for 45,000 points.

The program’s newest card, the Atmos Summit, is a strong choice for overseas spending because it earns 3 points per dollar on all purchases abroad, no matter what you buy. That is a standout feature, and it is the reason this has become the card I use overseas. It also earns 3 points per dollar at restaurants in the U.S. and on Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, and you earn 1 status point for every $2 spent.

It is not a budget card. The annual fee is $395, and there are no statement credits to help offset it. Even so, it includes two Alaska Lounge and in-flight internet passes each quarter, plus an annual Global Companion Award. That award provides a 25,000-point discount on a companion ticket when traveling together on an award fare.

The card’s strength is its simplicity. A strong return on all overseas spending means you do not have to think twice about which card to use at a café in Paris, a shop in Milan or a dim sum restaurant in Hong Kong. Just pay with the Atmos Summit and earn 3x points. Like the other cards here, it is a Visa card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best for balanced perks and everyday spending

• Why it stands out: Earns 2 points per dollar on all purchases and includes a wide range of travel benefits.
• Annual fee: $395.
• Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
• Who it’s for: Travelers who want transferable rewards on everything they buy.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is another solid one-card solution. It earns 2 Capital One miles per dollar on all purchases, or 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, and 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through that portal. Those miles can be transferred to airline and hotel partners such as British Airways, Air France-KLM and Accor.

The card carries a $395 annual fee, but the annual $300 Capital One Travel credit largely offsets it. You can use that credit toward flights, hotels, rental cars and other bookings through Capital One Travel. If you use it, the effective yearly cost drops to about $95.

Its perks include unlimited access to Capital One Lounges and Landings, a Priority Pass lounge membership and Hertz President’s Circle status. You also receive 10,000 bonus miles each year as long as your account remains open and the annual fee is paid.

Like the Atmos Summit, this is a good choice for travelers who do not want to worry about which card to use overseas. Unlike the Atmos card, though, it earns flexible Capital One miles that can be transferred to partners or used to offset travel charges on the card. And because it is a Visa card, it should work smoothly abroad.

• Why it stands out: Earns 3 points per dollar in several common categories, including dining, gas and groceries.
• Annual fee: $95.
• Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
• Who it’s for: Anyone seeking a low-fee card that earns bonus points on common purchases at home and overseas.

In my view, the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is one of the most underappreciated travel cards available. It has a modest $95 annual fee, yet it still earns 3 points per dollar on everyday categories such as dining and gas, both in the U.S. and abroad.

The card earns Citi ThankYou® points, which are the only credit card points that transfer to American Airlines AAdvantage. Other notable transfer partners include Accor Live Limitless, Avianca LifeMiles and JetBlue TrueBlue.

The card earns points at these rates:

• Hotels, car rentals and attractions booked through CitiTravel.com: 10x points
• Flights and hotels booked direct: 3x points
• Restaurants: 3x points
• Supermarkets: 3x points
• Gas and EV charging: 3x points
• All other purchases: 1x point

That is a long list of bonus categories, covering much of what you are likely to spend on at home and abroad. It makes this a strong all-purpose card if you want to earn at a high rate in the U.S. and overseas. The tradeoff is that it offers relatively few travel perks, aside from an annual $100 hotel credit for hotels booked through Citi Travel, with a $500 minimum.

Consider this card if you want to avoid a high annual fee but still earn transferable points while abroad. It is the only Mastercard on this list, but its international acceptance is generally just as broad as Visa’s.

Wells Fargo Autograph® Card: Best for international travel without an annual fee

• Why it stands out: Strong rewards in many categories without an annual fee.
• Annual fee: None.
• Welcome offer: Earn 20,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 in the first three months from account opening.
• Who it’s for: People who want no annual fee but still want a card that earns bonus points in the U.S. and abroad.

This card can work well as both a domestic earner and an international one, especially if you use it as your main everyday card. It accumulates points quickly in several categories:

• 3 points on gas stations and EV charging
• 3 points on travel and transit, including ride-shares, parking, tolls, trains and buses
• 3 points on restaurants
• 3 points on popular streaming services
• 3 points on phone plans and cell phone bills
• 1 point on all other purchases

The Autograph stands out because it offers an impressive set of 3x categories for a card with no annual fee. It also has a valuable travel perk: car rental insurance that is secondary to your own policy in the U.S. but becomes primary when you rent abroad. That is a major advantage and one reason we included the Autograph in one of the best credit card pairings.

It earns Wells Fargo Rewards points, which can be transferred to several airline and hotel partners, including JetBlue, Air France-KLM and British Airways. The transfer list is not as extensive as some competitors, but you do not need to transfer points to use them for travel. You can also book through the Wells Fargo portal, though that typically gives lower value than transferring. As a Visa card, the Autograph should be accepted almost everywhere in the world.

How we evaluate credit cards

According to CNN Underscored’s credit card methodology, cards are judged on a range of factors designed to reflect real-world value rather than just appeal to enthusiasts. The main considerations are:

• Earning rate versus redemption value: A strong earning rate matters only if the rewards are valuable too. We balance both to judge overall value.
• Fees against benefits: Annual fees are weighed against the concrete value of perks such as lounge access, statement credits and insurance protections.
• Welcome offer: A generous sign-up bonus can make a card worthwhile on its own, but only if the spending requirement is realistic.
• Ease of redemption: We look at how easy it is to use rewards and whether transferable points have strong airline and hotel partners.
• Travel and purchase protections: Trip delay and interruption coverage, baggage protection and rental car insurance can add major value, as can purchase protections such as extended warranties and price protection.
• Interest rates and balance transfer offers: While it is best to avoid interest, we also consider 0% APR introductory offers for people looking to manage debt strategically.

FAQs

When you pay by credit card abroad, it is usually best to choose the local currency. Some merchants and payment terminals will offer to convert the charge into U.S. dollars, but that is known as dynamic currency conversion and often comes with a worse exchange rate. I always decline that option and let the card network handle the conversion instead. Keep in mind that choosing the local currency will not remove foreign transaction fees if your card charges them.

I also recommend bringing at least two credit cards when traveling overseas, ideally from different issuers. Even if your main card works almost everywhere, it could still be declined, lost or temporarily frozen. A backup can save you a lot of trouble, especially when you are far from home. It is also smart to carry at least one Visa or Mastercard, since those networks are generally accepted more widely overseas than American Express or Discover. And of course, make sure neither card charges foreign transaction fees.

Why trust CNN Underscored

CNN Underscored’s team of expert editors and contributors carefully reviews credit cards, travel rewards and loyalty programs to help readers make informed financial decisions. Our recommendations are based on real-world value, not hype, and are supported by detailed analysis, expert insight and a commitment to clarity and transparency.