Best credit cards for international travel: Our top picks

It’s common knowledge that when you’re frequently crossing borders – perhaps as a remote worker, international student, or digital nomad – you need a credit card that travels well with you. If you’re wondering what the best credit card for international travel is, you’re in the right place.

We’ve chosen the top five credit cards for international travel, by prioritising the things that matter most when you’re spending abroad across the globe.

• No foreign transaction fees (or genuinely travel-friendly pricing) – so you’re not paying extra just to spend in another currency. (For context, many cards charge ~1%–3% in foreign transaction fees.)
• Global acceptance – you needn’t worry about asking the question: “Do you accept xyz?”
• Premium travel value – strong rewards, travel credits, and protections that make sense for people who travel often.
• Solid app and account experience – fast card controls, clear spending visibility, alerts, and support.

Common key features you’ll see across our top five credit card picks: premium travel perks, rewards that can be used for flights/hotels, and features designed for people who spend internationally.

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

What it is: A premium travel credit card from Chase Bank, built around travel rewards and protections. The credit card has been operating since 2016.

Where it works / restrictions:

• Although it is a US-issued product, due it being a Visa Infinite card, it is accepted worldwide wherever Visa is accepted.
• It works by the 5/24 rule (likely denied if you’ve opened 5+ cards in 24 months).
• You need to have an excellent credit rating.
• Physical or virtual? Physical card plus digital wallet support. Fully supported by the Chase Mobile® app. The app allows you to manage your account, redeem rewards, activate travel benefits, set up Priority Pass, and monitor transactions.

Cost: $795 annual fee. 19.49%–27.99% variable APR.

International benefits:

• No foreign transaction fees
• Up to $300 in statement credits for travel purchases each account anniversary year.
• Earn 8x points on all purchases through Chase Travel℠, including The Edit℠ and 4x points on flights and hotels booked direct. Plus, earn 3x points on dining worldwide and 1x points on all other purchases.

Travel protection:

• If your trip is canceled for a covered reason, you can receive up to $10,000 per person for non-refundable expenses like flights, hotels, and tours.
• If your flight is delayed more than 6 hours, you can be refunded up to $500 per ticket for meals, hotels, and other essentials.
• If your bags are delayed for more than 6 hours, you can be reimbursed up to $100 per day (a maximum of 5 days) for essential purchases like clothing and toiletries.
• If your luggage is lost or damaged, you can be reimbursed up to $3,000 per passenger.
• Coverage of up to $2,500 for medical expenses incurred while traveling.
• Provides up to $100,000 for emergency evacuation or transportation due to a medical emergency.
• Primary coverage up to a rental car’s cash value if stolen or damaged.

Capital One Venture X

What it is: A premium travel credit card from the US-owned credit card company Capital One. The credit card has been operating since 2021.

Where it works / restrictions:

• Although it is a US-issued product, due it being a Visa Infinite card, it is accepted worldwide wherever Visa is accepted.
• 48-month bonus restriction if you’ve earned a bonus on any Venture-family card recently. 
• You need to have an excellent credit rating.

Physical or virtual? Physical card plus digital wallet support. Fully supported by the Capital One app. The app allows you to do mobile check deposits, use virtual cards, receive purchase notifications and use CreditWise credit score monitoring.

Cost: $395 annual fee. 19.49%–28.49% variable APR.

International benefits:

• No foreign transaction fees
• Earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening.
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you’ll get our best prices on thousands of options.

Travel protection:

• Protect your cellphone every time you pay your bill with your Venture X card. If your phone is stolen or damaged, you could get reimbursed up to $800.
• Trip cancellation and interruption coverage will reimburse eligible travel expenses if your plans are affected by a medical emergency such as the illness or death of an immediate family member.
•  90 days of return protection.
•  You can receive additional warranty protection at no charge on eligible items that are purchased with your Venture X card.
• Get automatic insurance for a covered loss at no extra charge when you use your Venture X card to purchase your travel fare.
• Rent an eligible vehicle with your card and you could be covered for damages due to collision or theft.

American Express Platinum Card®

What it is: A globally recognised high-end metal charge card by American Express. The card has been operating since 1984.

Where it works / restrictions:

• While not issued in every country, it is available in most major, developed, and emerging markets where American Express has a direct presence. Benefits, fees, and insurance packages vary by market.
• Accepted in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.
• It requires enrollment for most statement credits (e.g., Uber, Saks, streaming), which are capped monthly or annually. 
• It is a charge card – not a credit card – with no pre-set spending limit. It requires full monthly repayment.

Physical vs virtual: Physical card plus digital wallet support. Fully supported by the Amex app. The app allows you to track spending, redeem Membership Rewards points, access Amex Offers for statement credits, and manage card security with features like PIN changes and freezing cards. It also enables mobile payments, digital statements, and instant fraud alerts.

Cost: $895 annual fee. 19.49%–28.49% variable APR.

International benefits:

• No foreign transaction fees
• 5x points on flights – booked directly with airlines or through American Express Travel®, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
• Add your Platinum Card® to your Uber account to start receiving $15 in Uber Cash each month, plus a bonus $20 in December, to use on rides and orders in the US when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
• Earn up to $200 per calendar year in statement credits after incidental fees are charged by your one selected qualifying airline to your Card.

Travel protection:

• Platinum Membership includes comprehensive worldwide travel insurance for you, your immediate family, your Supplementary Members and their immediate family, for travel booked with your card.
• If items purchased on your Platinum Card are stolen or damaged within 90 days of purchase, they will be replaced or repaired of up to $10,000 worth.
• Up to $1,000 per item if a retailer in your country of residence will not take back an eligible item purchased on your Platinum Card within 90 days of purchase.
• Up to $10,000 for appliances purchased on your Platinum Card which fail to operate due to unforeseen electrical or mechanical problems within the extended warranty period.

HSBC Premier World Elite Mastercard

What it is: A premium Mastercard credit card tied to HSBC’s Premier banking ecosystem. The credit card has been operating since 2017. A new version was released in the UK in 2024.

Where it works / restrictions:

• It’s issued in the US, UK, Channel Islands and Isle of Man.
• Can be used globally wherever Mastercard is accepted.
• In the UK, applicants require an existing HSBC Premier Account (which needs a £100k+ salary or £100k+ in savings/investments).
• In the US, applicants require a US HSBC Premier checking account, which requires $100,000+ in deposits/investments.

Physical or virtual? Physical card plus digital wallet support. Fully supported by the HSBC Mobile Banking app. The app allows you to manage accounts, track rewards, and make payments. It enables instant card activation, temporary locking, and access to travel benefits. 

Cost:

• £290 annual fee in the UK. 100.2% variable APR. Non-sterling transaction fee of 2.99%.
•  $495 annual fee in the US. 19.49%–23.49% variable APR.

International benefits:

• No foreign transaction fees for US cardholders.
• Receive 40,000 reward points when you spend £2,000 on your card in the first 90 days of your card membership (UK).
• Convert your reward points into airline miles to use with British Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways, Air India, and more (UK).
• Convert your reward points for use at hotels, retailers such as M&S or Amazon, and charity donations (UK).
• Earn up to $400 of travel credits per year for all airfares, hotels and car rentals booked through HSBC Travel (US).
• Speed up airport screening with up to $120 towards Global Entry, TSA Precheck, TSA Precheck by Clear, or NEXUS once every 4.5 years (US).
• Earn up to $120 in statement credits annually on taxis, cabs and rideshare. Use your Elite credit card to pay for your rideshare and automatically receive $10 each month (US).

Travel protection:

• HSBC Premier Worldwide Travel Insurance for you and your family (UK).
• Purchase Assurance covers most purchases from damage or theft within 90 days of purchase up to $1,000 (US).
• Claim up to $800 if your cellphone is stolen or damaged using Cellular Wireless Telephone Protection (US).
• Mastercard ID Theft Protection™ and Identity Fraud Expense Reimbursement provide support and expense reimbursement if you’re a victim of identity fraud (US).

Citi Strata Elite^℠ Card

What it is: A premium travel credit card from Citibank. The credit card has been operating since 2025.

Where it works / restrictions:

• Although it is a US-issued product, due it being a Mastercard, it is accepted worldwide wherever Mastercard is accepted.
• It follows an 8/65 rule – you cannot apply for more than one Citi card (personal or business) every 8 days, or more than two in a 65-day period.

Physical or virtual? Physical card plus digital wallet support. Fully supported by the Citi Mobile® app. The app allows you to activate new cards and manage virtual card settings. It also enables access to the Citi Travel portal for points.

Cost: $595 annual fee. 20.49%–28.49% variable APR.

International benefits:

• No foreign transaction fees.
• Earn 75,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 in the first 3 months. Use points to book flights, hotels, car rentals and attractions.
• 12 points per dollar spent on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on cititravel.com.
•  6 points per dollar spent on Air Travel booked on cititravel.com.
• Each calendar year, enjoy up to $300 off a hotel stay of 2 nights or more when booked through cititravel.com.
• Every calendar year, earn up to $200 in statement credits on your choice of up to 2 of the following brands: 1stDibs, American Airlines (exclusions apply), Best Buy®, Future Personal Training, and Live Nation (exclusions apply).

Travel protection:

Trip Delay Protection, Enhanced Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption Protection, Lost or Damaged Luggage, MasterRental Coverage (car rental insurance), and Extended Warranty and Purchase Assurance Plus. 

If you lose your card, use Citi^® Quick Lock in the Citi Mobile^® App or at citi.com to instantly block new charges while allowing recurring transactions to continue without disruption.

The ID Theft Protection program offered by Mastercard^® helps eliminate the worry of identity theft by monitoring the information you choose to protect and alerting you if suspicious activity is found.

The smart way to compare the best credit cards for international travel 

Here’s a quick comparison table based on the most travel-relevant criteria.

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Letara Draghia

English Copywriter

I've been a copywriter for over a decade, working mostly in the retail industry. I've managed copywriting teams and contributed to major campaigns for F&F at Tesco, TK Maxx, and Dreams. I also work part-time as a news writer. Outside of work, I love to cook, and a fun fact about me is that I have a phobia of bananas—it's the smell!

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