Best credit cards for international travel of 2026

If you’re headed overseas this summer time, it’s time to start out planning the way you’ll spend cash in your journey. And I’m not speaking about the place you’ll spend, however as a substitute, the credit card that you just’ll use all through your journey to spend cash and earn factors.

This is an even bigger consideration than you would possibly assume. Many credit cards cost international transaction charges — usually between 2% and three% of the acquisition whole — they usually can add up. Likewise, cards issued by American Express and Discover aren’t broadly accepted outdoors of the US, limiting your choices for buying and eating.

Thankfully, there are a handful of travel-focused credit cards which are nice for spending overseas. These cards don’t cost international transaction charges and run on both the Visa or Mastercard community, that are accepted nearly all over the place. Plus, some of these cards even have travel perks like airport lounge entry and earn priceless travel rewards factors. NCS Underscored senior cash editor Alberto Riva swears by a quartet of cards he takes on all international trips, however you’ll be able to preserve issues easier and select only one.

A superb place to start out your search can be a card amongst our favourite cards for international travel. These are the 5 we suggest:

Here, we’ll take a more in-depth have a look at these cards and why you would possibly take into account opening one earlier than your subsequent international journey. Each of the cards listed doesn’t cost international transaction charges, is a Visa or Mastercard and earns travel rewards.

The Chase Sapphire is Chase’s flagship travel credit card, and it’s one of one of the best cards you’ll be able to convey with you overseas. As anticipated from a card of this stage, there are not any international transaction charges to fret about. It’s a Visa Infinite card, so it’s accepted nearly anyplace that takes credit cards.

With the Sapphire Reserve, you’ll earn priceless Chase Ultimate Rewards® points in your purchases, which may be redeemed by the Chase Travel℠ portal or by one of Chase’s points-transfer companions. Some of this system’s greatest switch choices embrace Air Canada Aeroplan, United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt.

The card earns factors on the following charges:

The card’s $795 annual payment may be very costly, however the included credits and travel benefits can offset it. Some of the assertion credit are straightforward to make use of — for instance, the $300 travel credit, which is utilized routinely — whereas others require some planning to take benefit of. Here’s the breakdown:

The card additionally features a Priority Pass Select airport lounge membership, limitless entry to Chase Sapphire lounges, Platinum standing with IHG accommodations (which embrace Holiday Inn and Intercontinental) and extensive travel and purchase protections.

Plus, the cardboard will assist you earn factors whilst you’re on the highway, because it earns 3 factors per greenback on all eating purchases. It might not be an awesome factors earner on on a regular basis purchases, however as a card to e book flights and accommodations and to tackle a visit with you, it’s superb.

Atmos Rewards is the loyalty program for Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines, and it’s one of my favourite loyalty applications as a result of it’s helpful for reserving award travel properly past these two airways. Atmos nonetheless has award charts for accomplice redemptions, not dynamic pricing, so you realize beforehand what number of factors a given flight will price. It additionally has an in depth record of companions within the Oneworld alliance, like American Airlines, in addition to non-alliance airline companions. Some of my favourite Atmos redemptions embrace reserving short-haul American Airlines flights for 4,500 factors and business-class flights from the East Coast to Europe for 45,000 factors.

The program’s latest credit card — the Atmos Summit — is a wonderful choose for spending overseas. This is as a result of it earns 3 factors per greenback on all purchases made overseas, regardless of what you purchase. That’s an awesome deal, and since of that distinctive characteristic it has grow to be the cardboard I take advantage of overseas now. Note that it additionally earns 3 factors per greenback at eating places within the US and on Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines purchases, and also you additionally earn 1 standing level for each $2 you spend.

It’s not an inexpensive card, although. It has a $395 annual payment and doesn’t provide assertion credit to offset it. However, it does embrace two Alaska Lounge and in-flight web passes per quarter, in addition to an annual Global Companion Award. The latter offers you a 25,000-point low cost on a companion’s ticket whenever you travel collectively on an award fare.

The simplicity of this card is what makes it shine. Getting a giant return on all of your international spending means you don’t have to consider what card to make use of at a café in Paris, a boutique in Milan, or your favourite dim sum store in Hong Kong. Instead, simply pay along with your Atmos Summit and know you’re incomes 3x factors. Like different cards talked about on this article, the Atomos Summit is a Visa card.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card: Best for balanced perks and on a regular basis spending

Another choice for a one-card resolution is the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card. It earns 2 Capital One miles per greenback spent on all purchases, or 10 miles per greenback on accommodations and rental automobiles booked by Capital One Travel (5 miles per greenback on flights and trip leases booked by that portal). These factors may be transferred to varied accomplice applications, together with British Airways Club, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and Accor Live Limitless.

It has a $395 annual payment that’s largely offset by the $300 Capital One Travel credit. You can use this credit to e book something on Capital One Travel, together with flights, accommodations, rental automobiles and extra. If you employ this credit, you’re successfully paying simply $95 per yr for the Venture X.

On the advantages facet, it contains limitless entry to Capital One Lounges and Landings, a Priority Pass lounge membership and Hertz President’s Circle standing. You’ll additionally obtain 10,000 bonus miles yearly so long as you retain your card open and pay the annual payment.

Like the Atmos Summit, this card is nice for those that don’t wish to take into consideration what card to make use of after they’re overseas. But not like the Atmos Summit, it earns versatile Capital One miles that you would be able to switch to accomplice loyalty applications or redeem towards travel purchases charged to your card. And because it’s a Visa card, you shouldn’t have any hassle utilizing it overseas.

Citi Strata Premier℠ Card: Best for bonus classes at residence and overseas

The Citi Strata Premier℠ Card is, in my view, one of probably the most underrated travel credit cards in the marketplace. It has a low $95 annual payment, however earns 3 factors per greenback spent on frequent purchases like eating and fuel. These earn charges apply each at residence and overseas.

The Citi Strata Premier earns Citi ThankYou® factors, that are the one credit card factors that switch to American Airlines AAdvantage. Other fascinating switch companions embrace Accor Live Limitless, Avianca LifeMiles, and JetBlue TrueBlue.

The Citi Strata Premier earns factors on the following charges:

That’s an enormous record of bonus classes, they usually cowl a lot of what you doubtless spend on at residence and overseas. That makes it an awesome alternative for a one-card-fits-all resolution should you’re wanting for one thing that earns factors at a excessive price each within the US and out of doors of it. However, the Strata Premier doesn’t have many travel advantages to talk of, other than an annual $100 resort credit legitimate towards accommodations booked through Citi Travel, with a $500 minimal.

Consider this card should you don’t wish to pay a excessive annual payment however nonetheless wish to earn transferable factors whenever you’re overseas. This is the one Mastercard on this record, however you’ll have the identical broad acceptance overseas as a Visa card.

This is one other card that may work properly as a home factors earner in addition to overseas as a result of it might probably amass lots of factors in varied classes should you use it as a day by day driver:

The Autograph has a formidable record of 3x bonus classes for a card that prices nothing to carry. It additionally has a exceptional profit for vacationers: automobile rental insurance coverage that, whereas secondary to your personal auto coverage within the US, turns into major when renting overseas. That’s a serious perk, and it’s half of why we selected the Autograph as half of one of the best credit card combinations.

It earns Wells Fargo Rewards factors, which may be transferred to a handful of common airline and resort loyalty applications, together with JetBlue, Air France–KLM and British Airways. They don’t switch to very large US carriers, like Chase factors to United and Southwest or Citi factors to American, however you don’t even must switch them to make use of them for travel. You can e book utilizing the Wells Fargo portal, though that can yield a decrease worth per level than transferring. And as a Visa card, the Autograph is assured to have near-100% worldwide acceptance.

According to NCS Underscored’s credit card methodology, we consider cards based mostly on a spread of components, gauging their utility for real-world customers, not simply card consultants. The principal components we take into account are the next:

NCS Underscored’s group of skilled editors and contributors rigorously evaluations credit cards, travel rewards and loyalty applications to assist readers navigate modifications and make knowledgeable monetary selections. Our skilled suggestions are grounded in real-world worth, not hype, and backed by thorough evaluation, skilled perception and a dedication to readability and transparency.

Contributing author and former NCS Underscored senior cash editor Andrew Kunesh is a really frequent international traveler and an authoritative voice protecting credit cards, having spent years within the business and revealed tons of of articles.