Author Topic: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees  (Read 8308 times)

fiveoh

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Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« on: March 02, 2015, 11:59:53 AM »
My wife and I are going to Mexico this summer.  I just realized that since I canceled my sapphire card(to avoid the fee after a year), we dont have one that doesn't have foreign transaction fees. 

I checked out the mmm credit card page but the only ones I saw with no foreign transaction fees, have travel rewards only.  We don't normally fly much at all(once in 4 years) and have young children.  I'd like to get a card that has no foreign transaction fees and that I can use for cash back(statement credit whatever).   The travel rewards are not useful to me. 

Suggestions? 

James

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2015, 12:03:32 PM »
Funny, I just applied for a Capital One card yesterday since it has no foreign transaction fees. I won't use it for anything else, so the rewards don't matter to me. It does have a $100 reward after spending so much in three months (I forget how much)...

fiveoh

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2015, 12:07:22 PM »
Funny, I just applied for a Capital One card yesterday since it has no foreign transaction fees. I won't use it for anything else, so the rewards don't matter to me. It does have a $100 reward after spending so much in three months (I forget how much)...

I figured I'd use it enough to at least get the bonus.  Do you remember which card it is? 

yandz

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2015, 12:22:01 PM »
If I remember correctly, the Marriott Rewards card has no foreign transaction fees - it has a yearly fee, first year waived, and perks are pretty good..  That is what I plan to move to after my "free" year of Chase Sapphire - which is coming soon...May? I should get on that.

fiveoh

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2015, 12:38:47 PM »
Is the Marriott card redeemable for cash or only hotel stays?

geekette

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2015, 01:09:23 PM »
Capital One Quicksilver - No annual fee, 1.5% cash back on everything, no foreign transaction fees.  Right now it's showing a $100 bonus if you spend $500 in the first 3 months.

yandz

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2015, 01:36:02 PM »
Is the Marriott card redeemable for cash or only hotel stays?

Pretty sure just stays. I travel quite a bit for work so I rack up points as it is. I also don't have a "corporate card" so I can put all my work expenses on a personal card (that I use just for work) so for me these "travel perks" cards where you get double/triple points for "travel and dining" (which is all my business expenses) add up to some great free travel quickly (and we love travel), so for me it makes sense. YMMV.

mandy_2002

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2015, 01:38:11 PM »
The last time I checked, no Capital One cards charge a foreign transaction fee.  Before applying for one without a yearly fee from their website, do a search to see if you can get any better rewards (like what geekette suggested), and you should be good. 

I personally have the Barclay, and like the 2.22% rewards, but I travel a LOT so have no issues spending the rewards.  The nice thing about it is that they don't discriminate between rewards points.  It's always the same, not 2% for these and 1% for everything else.  Since you'll be going to Mexico this summer, can you charge any of these travel costs to a new card?  Their qualifying travel charges include more than just flight and hotel.

frugaliknowit

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2015, 01:58:45 PM »
Quicksilver.

fiveoh

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2015, 09:13:07 AM »
Thanks guys.  Looks like im going with the Capital One Quicksilver. 

Debts_of_Despair

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #10 on: August 29, 2015, 09:57:27 AM »
I just signed up for the Barclay's Arrival MC.  This is the only card I could find that: has no annual fee, no foreign transaction fees, and has chip-plus-PIN capability. 

http://www.findmybarclaycard.com/barclaycard-credit-cards/arrival-travel

domo

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #11 on: August 29, 2015, 10:38:31 AM »
We just came back from Italy. I used the Bank of America Travel Rewards Visa. It is chip and pin, I was able to set up my travel countries and dates on the website. The pin took less than the stated 7 business days to arrive in the mail. It was easy to use at ATMs and businesses, there is no foreign transaction fee, although it does have ATM cash advance fees (5% with min $10). It was nice to be able to take out cash if needed, but we were able to use the card most places.

You do not have to use these points on airfare. You can redeem them for gift cards, or any "travel related expense" in $25 increments as statement credits.
« Last Edit: August 29, 2015, 10:44:28 AM by domo »

CmFtns

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #12 on: August 29, 2015, 02:40:01 PM »
Capital One Quicksilver - No annual fee, 1.5% cash back on everything, no foreign transaction fees.  Right now it's showing a $100 bonus if you spend $500 in the first 3 months.

I've got that one... Seems like a good card but I don't use it often but keep in because it's my oldest account and in case I buy things in non-US currency
It's really silver and shinnnnny
« Last Edit: August 29, 2015, 02:41:33 PM by comfyfutons »

johnny847

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #13 on: August 29, 2015, 04:06:20 PM »
We just came back from Italy. I used the Bank of America Travel Rewards Visa. It is chip and pin, I was able to set up my travel countries and dates on the website. The pin took less than the stated 7 business days to arrive in the mail. It was easy to use at ATMs and businesses, there is no foreign transaction fee, although it does have ATM cash advance fees (5% with min $10). It was nice to be able to take out cash if needed, but we were able to use the card most places.

You do not have to use these points on airfare. You can redeem them for gift cards, or any "travel related expense" in $25 increments as statement credits.

Never ever pay cash advance fees. Period.

Use a Charles Schwab bank account for 0% forex fees and free ATM fee reimbursals WORLDWIDE.

JLee

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #14 on: August 29, 2015, 09:46:51 PM »
We just came back from Italy. I used the Bank of America Travel Rewards Visa. It is chip and pin, I was able to set up my travel countries and dates on the website. The pin took less than the stated 7 business days to arrive in the mail. It was easy to use at ATMs and businesses, there is no foreign transaction fee, although it does have ATM cash advance fees (5% with min $10). It was nice to be able to take out cash if needed, but we were able to use the card most places.

You do not have to use these points on airfare. You can redeem them for gift cards, or any "travel related expense" in $25 increments as statement credits.

Never ever pay cash advance fees. Period.

Use a Charles Schwab bank account for 0% forex fees and free ATM fee reimbursals WORLDWIDE.

Really.... I need to get one of those. My credit union is screwing me over with foreign fees. :(

milesdividendmd

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Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #15 on: August 29, 2015, 11:30:13 PM »
Schwab is excellent for bank accounts/foreign withdrawal.

Any yearly fee chase card will do for no foreign transaction fees.

I would be thrilled to teach you the finer points of maximizing credit card strategy/ minimizing actual spending in my and Brad Barrets travel hacking course. It's free.
« Last Edit: August 30, 2015, 09:37:56 AM by milesdividendmd »

johnny847

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #16 on: August 30, 2015, 12:25:04 AM »
Schwab is excellent for bank accounts/foreign withdrawal.

Any chase card will do for no foreign transaction fees.

I would be thrilled to teach you the finer points of maximizing credit card strategy/ minimizing actual spending in my and Brad Barrets travel hacking course. It's free.

No not any Chase card will do. The Chase Freedom, for example, while a great card for it's 5% rotating categories, has a 3% forex fee.
I believe that every Chase card that has an annual fee has no forex fee. Could be wrong about this, I didn't want to look through all of Chase's cards. I'm pretty sure that at the very least, all of Chase's cards that are targeted towards travelers have no forex fees.

milesdividendmd

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #17 on: August 30, 2015, 09:38:27 AM »

Schwab is excellent for bank accounts/foreign withdrawal.

Any chase card will do for no foreign transaction fees.

I would be thrilled to teach you the finer points of maximizing credit card strategy/ minimizing actual spending in my and Brad Barrets travel hacking course. It's free.

No not any Chase card will do. The Chase Freedom, for example, while a great card for it's 5% rotating categories, has a 3% forex fee.
I believe that every Chase card that has an annual fee has no forex fee. Could be wrong about this, I didn't want to look through all of Chase's cards. I'm pretty sure that at the very least, all of Chase's cards that are targeted towards travelers have no forex fees.

You're right. Post amended to avoid confusion. Thanks.

dapperdanj

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #18 on: August 30, 2015, 11:22:11 AM »
Chase Sapphire Preferred; it's been my primary for several years, all of your travel expenses are 2x, plus it's heavy and is a good conversation starter in other countries. It's chip-and-sig, which is ridiculous (please, US credit card companies, figure out chip-and-pin!), but other than that is a good mainstay.

It's mainly because of this card that I haven't paid full price for a flight for the wife and I from home in four years.

johnny847

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #19 on: August 30, 2015, 11:28:06 AM »
Chase Sapphire Preferred; it's been my primary for several years, all of your travel expenses are 2x, plus it's heavy and is a good conversation starter in other countries. It's chip-and-sig, which is ridiculous (please, US credit card companies, figure out chip-and-pin!), but other than that is a good mainstay.

It's mainly because of this card that I haven't paid full price for a flight for the wife and I from home in four years.

If you actually read the OP you'd realize the OP just cancelled the CSP.

justjenn

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Re: Pick me a credit card with no foreign transaction fees
« Reply #20 on: August 31, 2015, 03:36:02 PM »
American Express Starwood card. They just started offering the card with no foreign transaction fees. Starwood points are also very valuable - besides using them for hotel stays, the points can also be transferred to many airlines including American, Delta, and United. Also, you get a 25% bonus for transferring points in the form of a 5k bonus when you transfer 20k.
The only downside is that not everyone takes american express, so as a back up you should also bring a visa or mastercard. The ones mentioned above are good. I would also recommend any of Citiʻs cards that use their "thank-you" points. They can be used for cash back, or transferred to certain airlines as well.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!