Best Credit Cards For International Travel Of April 2024

Arguably one of the most valuable travel credit cards thanks to a combination of ancillary benefits, the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card includes exceptional transfer partners, travel protections and no foreign transactions fees—all for a very reasonable annual fee.

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart, Target and wholesale clubs), 2 points per dollar on all other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Foreign transaction fees: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: Points can be transferred to airline and hotel programs, where you can get outsized value in redemptions. A $50 credit to use against a hotel booking made through Chase Travel℠ is also offered.

The card comes with built-in travel related protection, such as auto rental collision damage waiver, trip cancellation or interruption insurance and emergency assistance services, as well as extended warranty and purchase protection for items bought with this card.

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) is a premium travel credit card that’s packed with benefits like travel protections and points that can be transferred to multiple travel partners that can make travel a breeze and help to offset the steep annual fee.

Rewards: Earn 2 miles per dollar on all eligible purchases, 5 miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles per dollar on Capital One Entertainment purchases through 12/31/25 and 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars when booking via Capital One Travel.

Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee: $395

Foreign transaction fees: None

Other benefits and drawbacks: Capital One miles can be transferred to more than 15 partners at a very competitive rate, and even used to offset hotel stays, airline ticket and car rental purchases. There is a $300 annual travel credit that is automatically applied against any purchase booked through Capital One Travel, as well as a $100 towards your TSA Precheck or Global Entry membership.

Members are extended access to Priority Pass lounges as well as Capital One’s own network of lounges.

The Chase Sapphire Reserve®, Chase’s premium travel credit card, offers enough benefits to make up for a very high annual fee. But avid travelers can get even more if they are frequently traveling internationally.

Rewards: Earn 5 points per dollar on flights and 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals when purchasing travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3 points per dollar on other travel and dining and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee: $550

Foreign transaction fees: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: Points can be worth 50% more valuable when redeemed for travel compared to 25% with the Sapphire Preferred and can be transferred to just as many travel partners. There is a $300 travel credit towards your travel purchases, as well as a $100 credit every four years to offset your TSA Precheck or Global Entry membership.

The Bilt World Elite Mastercard® packs a punch with its benefits and points-earning scheme, being the first credit card geared toward earning points by paying rent. It’s also the rare personal card with no annual fee that has transfer partners.

Rewards: Earn 1 point per dollar on rent payments without the transaction fee (on up to 100,000 points each calendar year), 3 points per dollar on dining, 2 points per dollar on travel (when booked through the Bilt Travel Portal or directly with an airline, hotel, car rental or cruise company), and 1 point per dollar on other purchases.

Welcome offer: This card does not offer a welcome bonus.

Annual fee: $0

Foreign transaction fees: None

Other benefits and drawbacks: Points can be redeemed to cover costs of air travel, hotel reservations and car rentals (partially or in full) as well as transferred into travel partners in order to redeem for travel at a much more favorable rate. The card also includes trip cancellation and interruption protection, trip delay reimbursement and auto rental collision damage waiver.

The Aeroplan® Credit Card might not be the first card that comes to mind for your international travels, but Aeroplan points are incredibly powerful when you want to redeem for flights all over the world. Add in travel insurance and protections and a slew of other benefits that come with your card and you’ve got a strong contender for a slot in your wallet.

Rewards: Earn 3 points per dollar spent on dining, takeout and eligible delivery services, grocery stores and each dollar spent directly with Air Canada including vacations and cruises and 1 point per dollar for all other eligible purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Foreign transaction fees: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: Trip cancellation or interruption insurance, baggage delay insurance, trip delay reimbursement, auto rental collision damage waiver and roadside assistance all come standard with the Aeroplan card. New cardmembers get automatic 25K status with Aeroplan and it’s easy to either keep or increase your status through credit card spend. Points can be redeemed as statement credits when using Pay Yourself Back or traveling on travel partners, although you’ll likely see the best return when using your points for the latter.

This card offers to offset $100 from your Global Entry and TSA Precheck membership every four years. Cardmembers and up to eight travel companions can have their checked bag fee waived.

If you fly on United Airlines or any of its Star Alliance partners, then the United Quest℠ Card is for you. Not only can you use your card wherever you travel overseas to earn bonus miles on dining and all things travel, but you’ll get bonus miles on United purchases and statement credits for United flights.

Rewards: Earn 3 miles per dollar on United® purchases, 2 miles per dollar on dining, select streaming services and all other travel and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles and 500 Premier qualifying points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months.

Annual fee: $250

Foreign transaction fees: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: Cardmembers receive up to $125 in statement credits for United purchases and free first and second checked bags for yourself and a companion. The card also extends a credit of up to $100 for Global Entry or TSA Precheck membership. It comes with auto rental collision damage waiver and trip cancellation or interruption insurance to keep you worry free during your travels.

The British Airways Visa Signature® Card gives fans of the British flagship carrier a chance to not only earn Avios on all their day-to-day purchases but offers strong credits and rebates to offset flight costs.

Rewards: Earn 3 Avios per dollar on purchases with Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL, 2 Avios per dollar on hotel accommodations when purchased directly with the hotel and 1 Avios per dollar on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 75,000 Avios after spending $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening, plus 5 Avios per dollar spent on up to $10,000 in gas, groceries, and dining purchases for the first 12 months of account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Foreign transaction fees: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: Cardmembers receive 10% off British Airways flights when booked through its dedicated website. When cardmembers spend $30,000 each year on the card they will receive a two-for-one Travel Together Ticket, or get a 50% discount on the Avios price paid when booking a solo award flight. Lastly, cardholders can get up to $600 back in statement credits on reward flight bookings.

With a massive worldwide footprint there’s a good chance that you’ll find an IHG hotel near your travel destination. The parent company of such hotels as Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Intercontinental and Kimpton hotels brings a large welcome offer through the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card as well as plenty of bonus points earning potential for your hotel stays.

Rewards: Earn up to 26 points per dollar spent when you stay at IHG Hotels & Resorts, 5 points on travel, gas stations, and restaurants and 3 points on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 140,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee: $99

Foreign transaction fees: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: Cardholders receive automatic IHG One Rewards Platinum Elite status and an annual free night award, good for a night capped at 40,000 points. Combine that with IHG’s fourth night free perk to really maximize your rewards.

The card comes with built-in trip cancellation or interruption insurance. There is a statement credit of up to $100 every four years as reimbursement for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck as well as up to a $50 United TravelBank Cash credit each calendar year when you link to your MileagePlus account.

American Express offers a few different Hilton Honors cards, but the Hilton Honors Aspire Card from American Express* is the cream of the crop. Just by holding the card and paying the annual fee you’ll earn top-tier Diamond status with Hilton Hotels. Combine that with various statement credits, lounge access and foreign fee waivers and you’ve got a card that will help you rack up Hilton Honors points during your travels.

Rewards: Earn 14 Hilton Honors bonus points at participating hotels or resorts within the Hilton Portfolio, 7 points per dollar on eligible purchases for flights booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel, car rentals booked directly from select car rental companies and U.S. restaurants and 3 points per dollar on other eligible purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in purchases within the first 6 months of card membership.

Annual fee: $550

Foreign transaction fees: None

Other benefits and drawbacks: Receive a free night reward, and up to $200 airline fee statement credit for incidental charges like baggage fees or in-flight purchases, an up to $400 Hilton resort statement credit and an up to $100 on-property credit for stays of at least 2 days when booked through hiltonhonorsaspirecard.com at participating Waldorf Astoria and Conrad Hotels. You will be granted Hilton Honors Diamond status. This card also comes with a Priority Pass Select membership for lounge access.

Marriott also offers a wide array of credit cards in which to earn points, but its intro card, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card* gives you bonuses on certain categories with no foreign transaction fees and a large welcome offer. Silver Elite status is a nice addition to holding this card as it gives you the option for priority late checkout and elevated points-earning on each dollar spent at a Marriott property.

Rewards: Earn 6 points per dollar at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 3 points per dollar spent each year (up to $6,000) on combined grocery stores, gas stations and dining purchases and 2 points per dollar on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 3 Free Night Awards after spending $3,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening.

Annual fee: $95

Foreign transaction fees: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card*, you will receive 15 Elite Night Credits and automatic Silver Elite status each account anniversary year as a cardmember. You can earn 1 Elite Night Credit towards Elite status for every $5,000 you spend on the card. An option to earn Gold Elite status is available for high spenders who can eke out $35,000 in purchases each year. And finally, like any worthy travel card, this one also comes with baggage delay insurance, lost luggage reimbursement and trip delay reimbursement protections.

If you’re looking for an uncomplicated cash-back card that won’t rack up fees when you travel overseas then the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) is a worthy option for you. The card comes with some compelling features like a flat cash-back earn rate, a lucrative welcome bonus offer, no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees.

Rewards: Earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Foreign transaction fees: None

Other benefits and drawbacks: This card gets you access to the Capital One Travel portal where you can earn an unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through the portal. You can use those points to offset any purchases as a statement credit or check. Travel accident insurance is included with your card so you’ll be covered for a loss at no extra charge, just as long as the fare was purchased with this card.

It’s an inevitable fact that you’re going to be dining out when you travel overseas, so earning a large amount of cash back in that category is an added bonus. That’s exactly what you’ll get thanks to the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees).

Rewards: Earn 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (excluding superstores like Walmart® and Target®), 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, and 1% on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn $200 cash bonus after spending $500 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Foreign transaction fees: None

Other benefits and drawbacks: Just like the Capital One Quicksilver Cash Rewards Credit Card, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card lets you use your points to offset any purchase as a statement credit otherwise you can choose to receive a check. You get access to Capital One Travel, where you can earn an unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars that you booked through the travel portal. This card comes with travel accident insurance, which covers loss at no extra charge if the fare was purchased with this card.

If you’re a Bank of America customer, signing up for the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card offers a flat-rate points earning structure that you can manage all in one place from the Bank of America website. You’ll pay no annual fee or foreign transaction fees when you use this card either.

Rewards: Earn 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn 25,000 online bonus points after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Foreign transaction fees: None

Other benefits and drawbacks: As long as you keep this card in good standing, your points will not expire and since you can use your points to offset purchases on your statement, there are no blackout dates on any of your redemptions. Earn 25% to 75% more points when you enroll in Bank of America Preferred Rewards.

Not only can you earn points on your Walmart purchases at home when using the Capital One Walmart Rewards® Mastercard®*, but you’ll earn a flat 2% cash back on dining and travel abroad as well. Don’t worry about paying anything extra while you are on your international trip as there are no foreign fees for this card.

Rewards: Earn 5% cash back on purchases made at Walmart.com and the Walmart app, including grocery pickup and delivery, 2% cash back on restaurants and travel, and at Walmart Stores, Walmart & Murphy USA fuel stations and 1% back everywhere else.

Welcome offer: Earn 5% cash back on purchases made in Walmart stores for the first 12 months of account opening when using the Capital One Walmart Rewards card with Walmart Pay.

Annual fee: $0

Foreign transaction fees: $0

Other benefits and drawbacks: For a no-annual-fee card, this option provides a solid cash-back earning potential for travelers—beware of the high APR if you’re not confident you won’t need to carry balances.

Hotels and rental cars can be a big expense when traveling. Using the Credit One Bank Wander® Card will allow you to earn bonus points for flights, hotels and rental cars. This is a strong option for those with average credit who are just building up or repairing their credit profile.

Rewards: Earn 10 points per dollar on eligible hotels and car rentals booked through the Credit One Bank travel partner, 5 points per dollar on eligible travel, dining and gas and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: This card does not offer a welcome bonus.

Annual fee: $95

Foreign transaction fees: N/A

Other benefits and drawbacks: The interest rate on this card may make it prohibitive for anyone who needs to carry balances month over month. Remember that any interest you pay will rapidly negate any rewards you earn.

If you’re building your credit or looking for an option that gives you rewards while establishing new credit, the Capital One Quicksilver Secured Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) should be on your radar. A flat cash-back rate and no foreign transaction fees paired with the ease of use of the Capital One app allows you to get your credit journey started off right.

Rewards: Earn 1.5% cash back on every purchase and 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel.

Welcome offer: This card does not offer a welcome bonus.

Annual fee: $0

Foreign transaction fees: None

Other benefits and drawbacks: While many secured cards don’t offer any rewards, this option will net you 1.5% cash back on all of your purchases. As with most credit cards targeting customers with fair credit, the APR tends to be high and therefore it isn’t a great idea to carry balances.

Although this is a similar card to some of the other Capital One credit cards offered, the approval threshold is generally easier to overcome since the Capital One Quicksilver Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) is a student credit card.

Rewards: Earn 10% cash back on purchases made with Uber & Uber Eats through 11/14/2024, unlimited 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 1.5% unlimited cash back on every purchase.

Welcome offer: Earn $50 after spending $100 in the first three months.

Annual fee: $0

Foreign transaction fees: None

Other benefits and drawbacks: Starting to build your credit history early on as a student can pay off later on in life. And, what better way than doing it with a card that allows you to earn 1.5% cash back and with no annual fee.

The Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card for Students offers a similar earning structure to the Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card, but with a focus towards students. Expect your approval chances for this card to be improved.

Rewards: Earn 1.5 points per dollar on all purchases everywhere, every time with no expiration on points as long as your account remains open.

Welcome offer: Earn 25,000 online bonus points after spending $1,000 in purchases in the first 90 days of account opening.

Annual fee: $0

Foreign transaction fees: None

Other benefits and drawbacks: What’s better than a $0 annual fee card that doesn’t just help you start building your credit history, but also lets you earn rewards on every purchase? If we’re honest, probably a few things, but the BofA Travel Rewards Student card is nothing to shake a stick at. Even better—you can use your rewards to offset your international travel expenses.

While the Capital One SavorOne Student Cash Rewards Credit Card (rates & fees) comes with a smaller cash bonus than its big brother, the Capital One SavorOne Cash Rewards Credit Card, the earning potential leaves the competition in the dust. And, it comes with no annual fee as well.

Rewards: Earn 10% cash back on purchases made through Uber & Uber Eats through 11/14/2024, 3% cash back on dining, entertainment, popular streaming services and grocery stores (which excludes superstores like Walmart® and Target®), 5% cash back on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 8% cash back on Capital One Entertainment purchases, and 1% on all other purchases.

Welcome offer: Earn $50 after spending $100 in the first three months.

Annual fee: $0

Foreign transaction fees: None

Other benefits and drawbacks: While not specifically a travel related card, the cash back earned with can help you offset the cost of your international travel. It also offers travel accident insurance at no cost when your travel fare is charged to your card. You can redeem your rewards at online stores, PayPal and even apply them toward your statements to offset charges.