Avoid CC Foreign Transaction fees

[BarabooBob]

Chase Freedom card and no charges. I always let them know that I am travelling and never have a problem. I don't mind that if I fill up a couple of times a day over 500 mikles they ask for ID.

[djemgoss]

Originally Posted by KyDan

Capital One no fees and you don't have to tell them you're going.

X2, 3 weeks in New Zealand, Australia and Fiji and no Capital One fees!!!

[MCTroy]

Originally Posted by JP Camper

We use our bank’s debit card, 1% fee, instant exchange rate, just have to make sure we tell them where we are going

Jpcamper, please do yourself a favor and do not use a debit card. Cards, even CHIP enabled cards, can be compromised. If someone takes your debit card info they have access to all the funds in your bank account. They can wipe out your balances in minutes! Use a credit card and keep the debit cards for cash withdrawals or leave it at home.

[Kcoulter]

If you're shopping for a new card with 0% foreign transaction fees, also check to see if they have true chip & PIN functionality...most US cards do not, but a few are starting to.

I use a Barclay's "Arrival" card with $0 annual fee, 0% foreign transaction fee & true chip & PIN.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Kcoulter

If you're shopping for a new card with 0% foreign transaction fees, also check to see if they have true chip & PIN functionality...most US cards do not, but a few are starting to.

I use a Barclay's "Arrival" card with $0 annual fee, 0% foreign transaction fee & true chip & PIN.

Ok, I'll bite (byte?). All my cards now have chips and pins. What do you mean by 'true chip and pin'?

[DavidAndDonna]

thanks to everyone for weighing in on the CC without foreign transaction fees, we've got a good base to start with.
David

[Kcoulter]

Originally Posted by NMWildcat

Ok, I'll bite (byte?). All my cards now have chips and pins. What do you mean by 'true chip and pin'?

https://www.creditcardinsider.com/bl...dit-cards-usa/

All US cards now have chips, and most give you a PIN for ATM transactions...but that is not the same PIN functionality used in Europe & Canada.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Kcoulter

https://www.creditcardinsider.com/bl...dit-cards-usa/

All US cards now have chips, and most give you a PIN for ATM transactions...but that is not the same PIN functionality used in Europe & Canada.

Ah, chip and signature verification as compared to chip and pin. Got it. Interesting. I've said for years that CC signatures are completely meaningless.

[AlaskaErik]

Originally Posted by MCTroy

Jpcamper, please do yourself a favor and do not use a debit card. Cards, even CHIP enabled cards, can be compromised. If someone takes your debit card info they have access to all the funds in your bank account. They can wipe out your balances in minutes! Use a credit card and keep the debit cards for cash withdrawals or leave it at home.

I totally agree. A friend of mine used his debit card at a restaurant we were at and it was compromised shortly thereafter. It took him months to clean up the mess it made, which included draining his checking account. I only use credit cards and pay them off in full every month. I've had some fraud issues with my cards, but it gets cleared up quickly and it doesn't impact my checking or savings accounts.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by AlaskaErik

I totally agree. A friend of mine used his debit card at a restaurant we were at and it was compromised shortly thereafter. It took him months to clean up the mess it made, which included draining his checking account. I only use credit cards and pay them off in full every month. I've had some fraud issues with my cards, but it gets cleared up quickly and it doesn't impact my checking or savings accounts.

Exactly. After this happened to me in our home town, at a restaurant we frequent, the bank advised us to not use our debit card. Our acct was drained within 12 hours (overnight) on a holiday weekend. By the time myself and the bank noticed, the acct was empty.
With a credit transaction, it's a matter of a few days to clear up the fraud. With a debit card, they have to investigate via a different dept, so it might be months before your money is returned to your acct. So in the meantime, you have to cover your loss. Major pita. I don't even carry my debit card anymore.

[TitanMike]

Originally Posted by bikendan

Depends on which American Express you have. We had been AMEX customers for over 30 years. We advised them we were visiting Europe and asked if there would be any transaction fees. We were told no but when we got back, we had all kinds of transaction fees.
We asked to talk to a supervisor, who told us our particular AMEX card had changes and those fees now are standard. We told him that we had checked with them before we left and were told that they weren't going to be charged. He told us we should have read the contract fine print and refused to reimburse us.
I told him that I couldn't believe how he was treating a 30+ years customer and I would cancel our AMEX card. His response was "Do what you gotta do!"
Needless to say, we will never be an AMEX card holder again.

Yes, that annoying piece of mail that shows up periodically in our mailboxes that is usually just thrown in the recycle bin.

It pays to read these notices and they usually have markings saying "Important Account Information Enclosed".

I was guilty too but I now take the time.

[SailorSam20500]

I'm a AAA member and have insurance with them. AAA offers a no foreign fee card that also accumulates points. You can redeem 500 points to get a $700 gift card usable for most AAA services. I use the points to pay my insurance.

[lewisra]

Here's "the 7 best" https://tinyurl.com/v4l84aw

[underwriter]

AAA has a Master Card w/o foreign exchange fees. I found in Canada that MC was more accepted than Visa and Am Ex.

[Mr Towed]

I have a Bank of America travel rewards Visa and if I recall correctly there are no transaction fees and no exchange fees, plus they often have partner banks abroad where you can use the ATM without transaction fees. It also gives you money back that you can apply to pay your bill with. Last week I applied some points and got a $64 credit on my statement.

[Nancyc7]

We were just in Canada and used the Costco Visa also. We always use a Schwab debit card for ATM *ONLY*, there are no fees.



I like Dave Ramsey but my son followed his advice, and not mine, and rented a car with a debit card. The agent didn't do whatever correctly when the car was turned in, rental fees piled up and then his checks bounced with all those fees. Hertz gave him his money back but a lot of damage was done. Personally, I would never use a debit card for anything but a reputable ATM.

[Rt_Performance]

Capitol one zero fees and prime exchange rate.

I travel there a lot for snowmobiles

[tucson]

yes, we carry American Airlines Citibank cards, no foreign transaction fees. Just need to let them know if you may be out of the country so they don't shut it off

[NavyLCDR]

Originally Posted by ManlyMan

I use a Capital One credit card and there are no foreign transaction fees and also no annual fees.


Regardless of the credit card you use, interest rates are ridiculously high so I pay mine off every month.

+1 for Capital One! Absolutley the best of the cards I have.

[AlaskaErik]

Originally Posted by Nancyc7

We were just in Canada and used the Costco Visa also. We always use a Schwab debit card for ATM *ONLY*, there are no fees.



I like Dave Ramsey but my son followed his advice, and not mine, and rented a car with a debit card. The agent didn't do whatever correctly when the car was turned in, rental fees piled up and then his checks bounced with all those fees. Hertz gave him his money back but a lot of damage was done. Personally, I would never use a debit card for anything but a reputable ATM.

Better yet, have an ATM card that can only be used at ATMs. My ATM card actually says "ATM" on it. It cannot be used as a debit card, which is exactly what I want in this day and age. I have three credit cards in my wallet and no debit cards. I've heard way too many horror stories about debit cards to ever want one. Credit cards, especially if you pay them off in full each month as I do, are the way to go.