What bank and credit card do you use?

[Howler]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

Chase Bank United Airlines card. No foreign transaction fee, no annual charge. Has some trip protection and other benefits.

Agreed, and interesting to note that the no foreign transaction fee was the result of Chase losing a class action suit for abusive foreign transaction fees previously. Justice prevailed!

[Dogscout]

Citi American Airlines Mastercard with no foreign transaction fees for most purchases.
Schwab ATM
Use Schwab checking to pay Citi MC.

Keep an eye on currency rates and hit ATM on good days.

[blubaju]

DKB, not only for Germans, totally free and worldwide free withdrawal (local fees to be paid), small interest on your visa-deposit (yes, strange but true). Only downside a monthly deposit of 700€, but instantly you avail of your money. Your deposit on the visa account stands for your debit card credit limit.

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by Howler

Agreed, and interesting to note that the no foreign transaction fee was the result of Chase losing a class action suit for abusive foreign transaction fees previously. Justice prevailed!

I doubt that is the reason. My main card is a Chase Sapphire card that does charge FTF, although is a cash back card.

[anacapaisland42]

Credit Union credit cards are limited use for foreign travel
Bill

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

There are foreign fee free cards. For the most part they have annual fees of about $100.

Recently i joined a Credit Union and got a Visa card through the. It charges a 1% fee, but has a 2% cash back. So i am just to go that route.

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by anacapaisland42

Credit Union credit cards are limited use for foreign travel
Bill

Guess it depends on the credit union. Mine has no foreign transactions fees, no POS/debit fees, refunds ATM charges up to $5 and 12 times/month, cash back. Used it in 50+ countries over the last 20 years, and with the exception of a couple of fraud holds (that were quickly settled with a Skype call) has been universally accepted and useful.

The thing I like about our CU is that when I call a person answers the phone and actually knows what to do and is helpful.

[Jubilee39]

I am very happy with USAA, refunds on atm, no foreign fees, cash back, helpful and available to talk to a person. good dispute resolution. Good for world travel.
I had Chase United because of flying. Although did give air miles for purchases it was not worth it because you flights did not count towards more miles. Dispute resolution poor. Canceled them this year

[David B]

Originally Posted by Haleym

What’s the best bank account and credit card that you use for traveling that won’t charge any International fees for using it??🤔

Citi Multicurrency Account

You get a fee-free Mastercard, no annual fee, no transaction fees. I suppose they rely on you buying your FX through them, but even that is not an issue as you can freely transfer FX into your multicurrency account (up to 5 currencies)

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by anacapaisland42

Credit Union credit cards are limited use for foreign travel
Bill

Explain as a visa credit card is a ...... Visa Credit card

Btw - my personal banker at the cu is my daughter. She better respond to me or i will evict her from the house i rent her, cheap.

[billgewater]

I am sure that different cards offer different options re fees, however a real trap can be the exchange rates when using foreign banks or ATMs. It pays to check the ATM exchange rates against the formal daily published rates. My experiences as an Aussie visiting NZ, Indonesia, Turkey, Egypt, India, China, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Holland, England, Ireland, Mauritius and South Africa have invariably been that the international exchange rates are generally much more "dangerous" than bank and card fees. Banks and ATM outlets do not have to use the formal exchange rates. Cruise ships also often use exchange rates that are nothing like the published formal exchange rates.
It has often been greatly to my advantage to do a bit of research and find out what the formal published exchange rates are and then also find out what the "street" or local business exchange rates are. Often they are very different. Sometimes you can't find those rates easily.
I have also found it better to shop around at home for the best local exchange rate for the intended country we are visiting and then take what is legally OK and appropriate to our needs in the country we intend visiting.
Also, what the credit card company tells you may not be the full story. Many years ago an American yacht passing through Darwin was seeking clearance to sail in Indonesia by dealing with the Indonesian agencies in Jakarta. The boat owner boasted that American Express was the best answer as it worked well from the US. However, the Indonesian authorities hit him with frightening additional fees and they just held out until he paid those fees. The locals and the other cruising fraternity (then, about 200 boats) in Darwin did their passage clearances directly through the local Indonesian Embassy. Faster, cheaper.

[sailjumanji]

My expweience is that the Chase bank credit card exchange rates are better than what im able to get exchanging US dollars in foreign country. Except in the Bahamas, of course, where a US dollar = a Bahama dollar!

[Mal Reynolds]

Another angle on this is that American Express cards typically have a Global Assist Hotline that can get you out of a jamb when traveling internationally. Emergency cash wired to you, help with passport problems, visas, etc.



I had to use this service once, and they saved me a lot of grief. I will always carry an Amex.

[CarlF]

Fidelity ATM card. No fee. Reimburses all other bank ATM fees anywhere in the world.

Chase Sapphire Reserve - High annual fee but you get 3% back on most travel expenses and then a 50% bonus if you use those miles to buy more travel on their web site (or an effective 4.5% back). $300 annual travel credit cuts the fee down to something reasonable. Primary car rental insurance doesn't use your own first.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by sailorboy1

I will need to work on m score as it was 833 the other day, so has room for improvement. Guess things changed since i looked for cards, but i don't really want another new one.

Or take the time to look at the available offers because it's silly to pay an annual fee unless you have bad credit.

[valhalla360]

Originally Posted by Training Wheels

And you get the actual exchange rate!

I've always got a rate better than the exchange places.