Best Credit Cards With No Foreign Transaction Fees in 2024

Are you planning a trip abroad and looking for a credit card that won’t ding you for foreign transaction fees?

Some of the best rewards credit cards on the market let you use them outside the United States without charging you a percentage of the transaction for processing.

But picking the right one for your wallet can be complicated.

Are you looking for a travel credit card that will provide other useful benefits, or are you a better candidate for a cash back credit card that just happens to offer the perk? The former often includes a hefty annual fee, while the latter can be had with no annual fee.

In this article, I’ll identify a few of Team Clark’s favorite “no foreign transaction fee” credit cards that could fit either spending style.

This article was updated in February 2024 and I review it every three months. Detailed notes on all updates can be found here.

Best Credit Cards With No Foreign Transaction Fees

For this review, we divided the “best” into two separate categories: no annual fee cards and premium travel cards.

This should help both recreational travelers who are looking for a simple rewards card they can take abroad as well as serious travelers who are looking for a card they can use during their frequent trips out of the country.

Best “No Foreign Transaction Fees” Cards With No Annual Fee

Learn More → Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card

Learn More → Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature®

Learn More → Wells Fargo Autograph Card

Best “No Foreign Transaction Fees” Cards for Serious Travelers

card_name → Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

card_name → Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

card_name → Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Team Clark spent hours reviewing the market for these cards, and we put them under the scrutiny of the guidelines for credit card usage set by money expert Clark Howard. Beyond the fact that these cards carry no foreign transaction fees, we also considered annual fees, card features and rewards programs when curating this list.

You can read more on our methodology for determining the best cards with no foreign transaction fees here.

Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card

Learn More → Annual Fee: $0.00 Foreign Transaction Fee: None Rewards Program Details: Tier 1 rewards members receive 2.5% cash back on all purchases up to $10,000 in spending per billing cycle. After that, they’ll receive 1.5% back for the remainder of the billing cycle. Tier 2 rewards members receive 1.5% cash back on all purchases. This Is the Card for You If: You are willing to join a credit union and keep money there in exchange for a great return of 2.5% back with no annual fee or categorical restrictions. Alliant Cashback Visa® Signature Credit Card Review

Why We Like It: The 2.5% cash back on purchases regardless of spending category is really good. There are some hoops to jump through, though. They include signing up for a checking account and maintaining “Tier One” status to receive the 2.5% rewards. This card is on our list of best cash back credit cards.

Fidelity Rewards® Visa Signature® Card

Learn More → Annual Fee: $0.00 Foreign Transaction Fee: None Rewards Program Details: Earn unlimited 2% cash back on everyday spending when redeemed as deposit into Fidelity investment accounts. You can spend your rewards or deposit them into any eligible Fidelity account, giving your money more chances to grow. This Is the Card for You If: You want a cash back rewards card that can aid your investing goals. This card can deposit rewards directly into Fidelity retirement and investment accounts. Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Review

Why We Like It: If you have a Fidelity investment account, you can turn rewards into unlimited 2% cash back when you choose to deposit them into your qualifying account. This is a great way to passively boost your investment portfolio. This card is on our list of best credit cards for investing rewards.

Wells Fargo Autograph Card

Learn More → Annual Fee: $0.00 Foreign Transaction Fee: None Rewards Program Details: Earn unlimited 3X points on the following: Restaurants: dining in, take-out, catering, delivery and more Travel: airfare, hotels, car rentals, cruises and more Gas: gas stations and electric vehicle charging stations Transit: subways, ride shares, parking, tolls and more Popular Streaming Services Phone Plans: cell phone and landline providers Plus, earn 1X points on other purchases. This Is the Card for You If: You want a no-annual-fee card with auto rental and cell phone coverage, as well bonus rewards on popular spending categories. Wells Fargo Autograph Card Review

Why We Like It: Not only does this card skip on the annual and foreign transaction fees, but it also offers unlimited 3x points on some very popular spending categories. You can also get auto rental and cell phone coverage by paying with this card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

card_name Annual Fee: $395 Foreign Transaction Fee: None Rewards Program Details: 2 Miles per dollar on every purchase, every day. 10 Miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel. 5 Miles per dollar on flights booked through Capital One Travel. Bonus Offer: Earn 75,000 bonus miles Bonus Offer Disclaimer: when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening This Is the Card for You If: You are a frequent traveler who wants airport lounge access and can easily claim the annual $300 travel credit and anniversary miles provided. Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card Review

Why We Like It: The annual fee may seem steep at first glance, but it’s fairly easily recoverable with the $300 annual travel credit and 10,000-mile anniversary bonus you’ll receive each year. You’ll get a nice welcome offer and a free TSA PreCheck or Global Entry subscription as well as lounge access at select airports. This card is in Clark Howard’s wallet.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

card_name Annual Fee: $95 Foreign Transaction Fee: $0 Rewards Program Details: Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more. Bonus Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points Bonus Offer Disclaimer: after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. This Is the Card for You If: You are looking for a travel rewards card with a modest annual fee that has bonus rewards for popular spending categories. Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card Review

Why We Like It: This card lands just right with a strong welcome offer and an annual fee under $100. And you’re getting yourself into a pretty solid card once the sign-up bonus disappears. This card is on our list of best travel credit cards.

Chase Sapphire Reserve® Card

card_name Annual Fee: $550 Foreign Transaction Fee: $0 Rewards Program Details: Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases. Bonus Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points Bonus Offer Disclaimer: after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That’s $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠. This Is the Card for You If: You are a high-volume traveler who will earn the $300 annual travel credit and can maximize the value of rewards points by using Chase Travel to book travel. Chase Sapphire Reserve® Review

Why We Like It: Even though Clark winces at this annual fee, if you’re a high-volume traveler who enjoys the finer things, it’s hard to go wrong with this elite card. You can recoup over half of the annual fee by earning the annual travel credit. You’ll also enjoy an increased valuation of your points if you use them to book travel through Chase Travel? .

Methodology for No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards

For the purposes of determining which cards are “best” in this category, we reviewed Clark Howard’s 7 Rules for Using Credit Cards and sought to find cards that best fit his strategy.

Team Clark spent many hours reviewing the available credit cards on the market, assessing them for:

• Foreign transaction fee policy
• Annual fee
• Rewards and perks
• Welcome offer
• Additional fees (transaction or otherwise)

We did not include offerings from local or regional banks and credit unions, because those cards aren’t always available nationwide. But local institutions often have desirable cards, so we do recommend that you compare your local bank or credit union’s credit cards to the ones that made this list.

We also did not factor in annual percentage rates (APRs), because interest rates are going to vary based on your individual financial circumstances. Since Clark strongly recommends not carrying a balance on credit cards, following his advice makes any concern over interest rates moot.

Do you have a favorite credit card that does not charge foreign transaction fees? We’d love to hear about it in the Clark.com community.