Top Credit Cards with No International Transaction Fees

While there’s nothing wrong with paying a reasonable fee for a valuable service, several credit cards require foreign transaction fees that are simply unnecessary. Foreign transaction fees are as high as 3 percent with most banks and are added to any charge processed outside of the United States. You can get hit with the charges even when making a purchase in U.S. dollars.

Fortunately, an increasing number of credit cards are aware of the fee, and banks have responded by dropping the charge on more of their cards. Here are a few of the top cards with no foreign transaction fees.

Chase Sapphire Reserve Card, introduced last year, offers three times the award points on travel spending, including airfare, hotels, car rentals and several other expenses.

The Citi ThankYou Premier Card is a mid-range travel rewards card without foreign transaction fees geared toward international travel. It features three times the number of points for all travel including hotels and entertainment, double points at restaurants and one point per dollar spent elsewhere.

The Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card from American Express dropped its 2.7 percent foreign transaction fee and added new benefits including Boingo WiFi and complimentary premium in-room internet access.

Platinum Card from American Express features no foreign transaction fees, and American Express also recently added a bonus category that makes it ideal for international airfare purchases. You can get five times the membership rewards points for all tickets purchased directly from the airline. Benefits include a $200 annual airline fee credit, a $100 Global Entry fee credit and access to Delta Sky Clubs, Amex Centurion and Priority Pass Select Lounges.

My personal favorite is the Capital One Venture Card. Capital One doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees on any of its cards. The Venture card offers new applicants 40,000 bonus miles, worth $400, after spending $3,000 within three months of account opening.